A disease that spreads by vertical transmission is?

DSSSB -28 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: DSSSB -28 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

Vertical transmission is the transfer of an infection from a mother to her child before, during, or after birth (e.g., via breastfeeding).
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a primary example of a vertically transmitted disease.
The highest risk of transmission occurs during the perinatal period (at birth) when the baby is exposed to the mother's blood and bodily fluids.
Without post-birth prophylaxis, infants born to mothers with active HBV infection have a very high risk (up to 90%) of becoming chronically infected.

Option B: Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, not through vertical transmission.
Option C: Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria and is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through consuming contaminated food or water.
Option D: Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted primarily through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito (vector-borne transmission). While congenital malaria (a form of vertical transmission) can occur, it is rare and not the main mode of spread.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Modes of disease transmission, specifically vertical transmission helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
A core nursing responsibility is screening all pregnant women for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) to identify infants at risk for vertical transmission.
Nurses play a critical role in ensuring that infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers receive both the Hepatitis B vaccine and Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) within 12 hours of birth. This intervention is highly effective at preventing chronic infection.
What if? If a newborn of an HBsAg-positive mother does not receive the vaccine and HBIG within 12 hours, the risk of developing chronic HBV infection increases dramatically from less than 5% with prophylaxis to as high as 90%. This can lead to severe liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, later in life.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question stem, which is 'vertical transmission'.
Define 'vertical transmission' in a clinical context. It means the passage of an infection from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
Systematically evaluate each option to determine its primary mode of transmission.
Recall or deduce that Diphtheria is droplet-spread, Typhoid is fecal-oral, and Malaria is vector-borne.
Identify Hepatitis B as a well-known example of a disease spread perinatally, which is a form of vertical transmission.
Select the option that directly matches the definition of vertical transmission.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Modes of disease transmission, specifically vertical transmission.
Stem keywords: disease, spreads, vertical transmission
Lead-in keywords: is
Negative lead-in flag: false

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