Which of the following is a vector borne disease?

Raj. CHO -2025

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Raj. CHO -2025

Explanation

Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by the genus Plasmodium.
It is transmitted to humans exclusively through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
The mosquito serves as a biological vector, meaning the parasite develops and multiplies within the mosquito before it can be transmitted to a new host.
This mode of transmission via an insect carrier defines it as a vector-borne disease.

Option B: Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a chronic, non-communicable cardiovascular disease. Its causes are multifactorial, including genetics, diet, lack of exercise, and stress. It is not caused by an infectious pathogen and is not transmitted by any vector.
Option C: Arthritis is a general term for conditions affecting the joints. The most common types, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are degenerative or autoimmune in nature. They are not caused by pathogens transmitted by vectors.
Option D: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels. It is a non-communicable disease resulting from issues with insulin production or action. It has no infectious cause and is not transmitted by a vector.

Visual 1: Infographic - The life cycle of the Malaria parasite (Plasmodium). This visual would show the stages of the parasite in both the mosquito (vector) and the human host, clarifying the concept of biological transmission.
Visual 2: Diagram - Common disease vectors. This could be a chart showing pictures of a mosquito, tick, flea, and sandfly, with a list of the primary diseases each one transmits, providing a broader context.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Identification of vector-borne diseases helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses are at the forefront of public health education for preventing vector-borne diseases. This includes teaching about the importance of using insecticide-treated mosquito nets, applying insect repellent, and eliminating stagnant water sources where mosquitoes breed.
In clinical settings, nurses must be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of common vector-borne diseases like malaria (fever, chills, sweats) to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, which is crucial for preventing severe complications and death.
What if? If a patient presents with high fever and severe joint pain, but not the classic cyclical chills of malaria, a nurse should broaden the differential diagnosis to include other vector-borne diseases like Dengue or Chikungunya, which are transmitted by a different mosquito (Aedes) and have different hallmark symptoms.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept in the question stem: 'vector-borne disease'.
Define this term: A disease transmitted by a living organism (the vector), typically an insect like a mosquito or tick, that carries a pathogen from one host to another.
Systematically evaluate each option against this definition.
Recall or deduce the nature of each condition. Is it infectious or non-communicable?
Malaria is widely known to be spread by mosquito bites. The mosquito is the vector.
Hypertension, Arthritis, and Diabetes are well-known chronic, non-communicable diseases related to lifestyle, genetics, or autoimmune processes, not vectors.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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