Which of the following diseases is not transmitted by air born droplets?

Appeared in: UPPSC 2017

Explanation

Poliomyelitis is an acute viral infection caused by the poliovirus.
Its primary mode of transmission is the fecal-oral route, where the virus enters the body through the mouth via contaminated food, water, or hands.
The virus multiplies in the intestine and is shed in the feces, which can then contaminate the environment and infect others.
Unlike the other options, it is not spread through respiratory droplets in the air.

Option A: Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through the respiratory route via airborne droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Option B: Chickenpox (Varicella) is transmitted through both direct contact with skin lesions and via airborne respiratory droplets from an infected person.
Option D: Tuberculosis is a classic example of an airborne disease. It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, releasing tiny droplet nuclei into the air, which are then inhaled by others.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Modes of Disease Transmission as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding transmission routes is fundamental to nursing practice for implementing appropriate infection control measures and preventing nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.
For a patient with Tuberculosis or Measles (Airborne), a nurse must use an N95 respirator and place the patient in a negative-pressure room. For a patient with Polio (Fecal-Oral/Contact), gloves and gowns are the primary barriers.
What if? - If a patient is admitted with an undiagnosed rash and fever, they should be placed on both Airborne and Contact precautions until a definitive diagnosis is made, to cover all possibilities and ensure maximum safety for staff and other patients.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keyword 'not' in the question stem. This indicates you are looking for the option that does not fit the specified category (airborne transmission).
Review each option and recall its primary mode of transmission.
Consider Measles: It's a well-known airborne disease.
Consider Chickenpox: Also known to be spread via airborne droplets.
Consider Tuberculosis: A classic example of an airborne disease requiring N95 masks.
Consider Poliomyelitis: Recall that this disease is associated with contaminated water and is part of the fecal-oral transmission route.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Modes of Disease Transmission
Stem keywords: disease, transmitted, air born droplets
Lead-in keywords: not
Negative lead-in flag: The question asks to identify the disease that is an exception, meaning it is NOT transmitted by airborne droplets.

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E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health Nursing for BSc Nursing Students Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-275 of 550) p. 93-95

Practise the full UPPSC 2017

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