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NSWBiologyQuick questions
Module 7: Infectious Disease
Quick questions on Modes of disease transmission: HSC Biology Module 7
8short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are plant pathogens?Show answer
The same modes apply in plants, with some plant-specific routes such as transmission via grafting and by aphid vectors (e.g. tobacco mosaic virus).
What are routes?Show answer
Touch (skin, mucous membranes), sexual contact, mother-to-child during birth or breastfeeding, droplet spread over short distances (less than 1 metre).
What are examples?Show answer
HIV (sexual contact, blood-to-blood), glandular fever caused by Epstein-Barr virus (saliva), and tinea (skin-to-skin or shared towels).
What is mechanism?Show answer
Coughing, sneezing or talking produces aerosolised droplets. Smaller droplets (less than 5 micrometres) can remain suspended for hours and travel many metres.
What are generic descriptions?Show answer
"It spreads through the air" is not enough. Specify droplets, aerosols, or contaminated dust, and give the typical distance and duration.
What is q1?Show answer
Identify the mode of transmission for each disease and one control strategy for each: (a) measles, (b) cholera, (c) malaria, (d) tetanus. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
During a NSW gastroenteritis outbreak, 320 of 500 attendees at a Sydney wedding develop vomiting within 24 hours. Calculate the attack rate and suggest the most likely mode of transmission given the short incubation. [3 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Compare the public health strategies needed to control a respiratory droplet-transmitted disease and a vector-borne disease. (a) Identify one example of each. (b) Identify the key control measure for each.