Which disease is not spread by the faeco-oral route?

Appeared in: MP CHO -2019 (Shift-1)

Explanation

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease.
Its primary mode of transmission is through the airborne route, via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The virus can remain active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours.
This is fundamentally different from the faeco-oral route, which involves ingestion of contaminated substances.

Option B: Cholera is a classic example of a disease transmitted via the faeco-oral route. It is caused by ingesting water or food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Option C: The term 'Hepatitis' includes different types. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E are both transmitted through the faeco-oral route, typically via contaminated food or water.
Option D: Enteric fever, also known as typhoid fever, is caused by Salmonella Typhi and is spread through the faeco-oral route by ingesting food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Modes of Disease Transmission helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Identifying the correct transmission route is the first step in infection prevention and control for nurses.
For a patient with a faeco-oral disease (like Cholera), the nurse's priority is contact precautions, ensuring safe food/water, and meticulous hand hygiene.
For a patient with an airborne disease (like Measles), the nurse must implement airborne precautions, including placing the patient in a negative-pressure room and using an N95 respirator.

How to Approach the Question

First, carefully read the question and identify the negative keyword 'NOT'. This means you are looking for the option that is an exception.
The core concept is the 'faeco-oral route' of transmission. Define this in your mind: spread through ingestion of items contaminated with feces.
Evaluate each option against this definition.
Option A (Measles): Recall or determine its transmission. It's known for being highly contagious through coughing/sneezing (airborne). This does not match the faeco-oral route.
Option B (Cholera): This is a textbook example of a faeco-oral disease, spread by contaminated water.
Option C (Hepatitis): Remember that Hepatitis A and E are faeco-oral. This fits the category.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Modes of Disease Transmission
Stem keywords: disease, spread, faeco-oral route
Lead-in keywords: not
Negative lead-in flag: Question asks for the exception (NOT spread by faeco-oral route).

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E6 Microbiology Essentials Sastry 4e Part 1 p. 131-133

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart A (pp 26-201 of 604) p. 90-92

E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health Nursing for BSc Nursing Students Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-275 of 550) p. 38-40

Practise the full MP CHO -2019 (Shift-1)

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