The type of mosquito transmitting Japanese Encephalitis is?

ISRO- 2016

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: ISRO- 2016

Explanation

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the Culex genus.
The most significant vector species are Culex tritaeniorhynchus and members of the Culex vishnui group.
These mosquitoes thrive in rural and agricultural areas, particularly breeding in flooded rice fields and other collections of stagnant water.
The transmission cycle involves pigs and wading birds (like herons) as 'amplifying hosts', where the virus multiplies to high levels, facilitating transmission to humans via mosquito bites.
Humans are considered 'dead-end' hosts, meaning they do not develop high enough levels of the virus in their blood to infect biting mosquitoes.

Option A: The Aedes genus of mosquitoes is not the primary vector for Japanese Encephalitis.
Option C: The Anopheles genus is famously known as the vector for a different major disease, not Japanese Encephalitis.
Option D: Mansonia mosquitoes are vectors for a type of parasitic infection, not the Japanese Encephalitis virus.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Vector-borne diseases, specifically the mosquito vector for Japanese Encephalitis as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses should maintain a high index of suspicion for JE in patients, especially children, from endemic rural areas who present with acute onset of fever, headache, altered mental status, or seizures.
Patient and community education is a vital nursing role. This includes advising on preventive measures such as using insecticide-treated bed nets, applying mosquito repellents, and wearing protective clothing, particularly during evening hours.
Environmental control is crucial. Nurses can educate communities on the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites, such as by properly managing water in rice fields and ensuring pigsties are located away from human dwellings.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question from Community Health Nursing and Preventive Medicine.
First, identify the key components of the question: the disease (Japanese Encephalitis) and the subject (transmitting mosquito).
Access your knowledge base on vector-borne diseases. Systematically try to recall the specific vector for JE.
If you cannot recall it directly, use the process of elimination. Anopheles is strongly associated with Malaria. Aedes is well-known for transmitting Dengue and Chikungunya.
By eliminating Anopheles and Aedes, you significantly increase your chances of selecting the correct answer from the remaining options.
The correct association is Culex with Japanese Encephalitis.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Vector-borne diseases, specifically the mosquito vector for Japanese Encephalitis.
Stem keywords: mosquito, transmitting, Japanese Encephalitis
Lead-in keywords: type of

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