Aedes (Vector), Virus (Cause) are associated with which disease?

Appeared in: WCL Staff Nurse - 2022

Explanation

Dengue fever is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV), which belongs to the Flaviviridae family.
The virus is transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of infected female Aedes mosquitoes, with Aedes aegypti being the principal vector.
The question specifies both the vector (Aedes) and the type of causative agent (Virus), a combination that uniquely points to Dengue among the given choices.

Option A: Japanese Encephalitis is a viral disease, but its primary vectors are mosquitoes of the Culex species, not Aedes.
Option B: Filaria (Lymphatic Filariasis) is caused by parasitic worms (helminths), not a virus. While it is mosquito-borne, the vectors are typically from the Culex, Anopheles, or Mansonia genera.
Option D: Kala-azar (Visceral Leishmaniasis) is caused by a protozoan parasite (Leishmania donovani) and is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies, not mosquitoes.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Identification of vector-borne diseases based on their specific vector and causative agent helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses play a vital role in community health education, teaching people how to prevent Dengue by eliminating Aedes breeding sites (e.g., emptying stagnant water from containers).
During outbreaks, nurses are on the front lines, responsible for triage, monitoring patients for warning signs of severe dengue (like bleeding or a sharp drop in blood pressure), and administering supportive care.
What if? If a patient presents with high fever, severe headache, and body aches but the vector was a sandfly, the nurse should consider Leishmaniasis (Kala-azar) instead of Dengue in the differential diagnosis.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key pieces of information given in the question: the vector is 'Aedes' and the causative agent is a 'Virus'.
Next, evaluate each option against these two specific criteria.
Option A (Japanese Encephalitis): Check its vector. It's Culex, not Aedes. Eliminate.
Option B (Filaria): Check its causative agent. It's a parasite, not a virus. Eliminate.
Option C (Dengue): Check its vector (Aedes) and causative agent (Virus). Both match. This is a strong candidate.
Option D (Kala azar): Check its vector (Sandfly) and causative agent (Protozoa). Neither matches. Eliminate.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Identification of vector-borne diseases based on their specific vector and causative agent.
Stem keywords: Aedes, Vector, Virus, Cause
Lead-in keywords: associated with

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E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) p. 241-243

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 2073-2075

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart B (pp 202-403 of 604) p. 147-149

Practise the full WCL Staff Nurse - 2022

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.