Match the causative agents listed in List I with their corresponding diseases given in List II. Select the correct answer using the codes provided below:

List I (Causative Agents)

A. Bordetella pertussis
B. Salmonella typhi
C. Clostridium perfringens
D. Flavivirus

List II (Diseases)
Yellow fever
Food poisoning
Whooping cough
Enteric (typhoid) fever

Appeared in: ESIC Nursing Officer-7July 2024

Explanation

Bordetella pertussis is the bacterium that causes pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough.
Salmonella typhi is the bacterial agent responsible for enteric fever, also known as typhoid fever.
Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium that produces toxins causing a common type of food poisoning.
Flavivirus is a genus of viruses, transmitted by arthropods like mosquitoes, that includes the virus responsible for yellow fever.

Option A: This option incorrectly pairs Bordetella pertussis with yellow fever and Salmonella typhi with food poisoning. Yellow fever is viral, and while Salmonella can cause food poisoning, S. typhi specifically causes systemic typhoid fever.
Option C: This option correctly matches Bordetella pertussis (A-3) and Flavivirus (D-1), but incorrectly swaps the diseases for Salmonella typhi and Clostridium perfringens. S. typhi causes typhoid fever, not general food poisoning, and C. perfringens causes food poisoning, not typhoid.
Option D: This option incorrectly pairs Bordetella pertussis with yellow fever and Flavivirus with whooping cough. It correctly identifies the diseases for Salmonella and Clostridium but assigns them to the wrong agents in the sequence.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Matching causative agents to their respective diseases as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Knowing the specific causative agent of a disease is fundamental for selecting appropriate antimicrobial therapy and implementing specific infection control precautions (e.g., droplet precautions for pertussis).
This knowledge is vital for public health interventions, including vaccination programs (e.g., DPT for pertussis), sanitation improvements (for typhoid), food safety regulations (for C. perfringens), and vector control (for yellow fever).
What if? If a patient presents with a high, stepwise fever and gastrointestinal symptoms after traveling to an area with poor sanitation, a nurse should have a high index of suspicion for enteric fever (typhoid) caused by Salmonella typhi and anticipate orders for blood cultures and specific antibiotics.

How to Approach the Question

This is a 'Match the Following' question. The goal is to pair each item from List I with its correct counterpart in List II.
Start with the most familiar or obvious pair. The name 'Bordetella pertussis' directly links to the disease pertussis, or whooping cough. This gives you A-3.
Next, identify another common pair. 'Salmonella typhi' is widely known to cause typhoid fever. This gives you B-4.
Check the options. Only one option contains both A-3 and B-4.
Select that option and confirm the remaining pairs to be sure: Clostridium perfringens is a well-known cause of food poisoning (C-2), and Flavivirus is the family for the yellow fever virus (D-1).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Matching causative agents to their respective diseases.
Stem keywords: Bordetella pertussis, Salmonella typhi, Clostridium perfringens, Flavivirus, Yellow fever, Food poisoning, Whooping cough, Enteric (typhoid) fever
Lead-in keywords: Match, correct answer
Negative lead-in flag: false

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Practise the full ESIC Nursing Officer-7July 2024

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