Which of the following is an air-borne disease? & x20; - RRB Nsg. Superintendent-21 July 2019 (Shift-2nd)

RRB Nsg. Superintendent-21 July 2019 (Shift-2nd)

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent-21 July 2019 (Shift-2nd)

Explanation

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the Morbillivirus.
Its primary mode of transmission is airborne, through respiratory droplets and droplet nuclei that are expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
The virus can remain suspended and infectious in the air for up to two hours, making it easily transmissible to susceptible individuals in the same airspace.
Due to its airborne nature, infected patients require specific isolation protocols, including placement in a negative-pressure room.

Option A: Hepatitis A is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, not through the air. Infection occurs from ingesting contaminated food or water.
Option C: Cholera is a classic waterborne disease, caused by ingesting water or food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Option D: Typhoid fever is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, similar to Hepatitis A. It is caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi found in contaminated food and water.

Visual 1: Infographic: An infographic illustrating the different modes of disease transmission: airborne (e.g., measles, tuberculosis), droplet (e.g., influenza), contact (e.g., MRSA), and fecal-oral (e.g., cholera, Hepatitis A). This helps visualize the key difference.
Visual 2: Diagram: A diagram showing a negative-pressure isolation room, explaining how the airflow prevents airborne pathogens from escaping into adjacent areas.

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.
Understanding the mode of transmission is fundamental for nurses to implement the correct infection control precautions (Standard, Contact, Droplet, or Airborne) and prevent nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.
For airborne diseases like measles, immediate implementation of airborne precautions, including placing the patient in a negative-pressure room and using N95 respirators, is a critical patient safety and public health measure.
What if the patient had chickenpox (Varicella)? The answer would not change, as Varicella is also an airborne disease requiring the same stringent isolation precautions as measles.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is 'air-borne disease'.
Define 'airborne transmission': the spread of an infectious agent caused by the dissemination of droplet nuclei that remain infectious when suspended in air over long distances and time.
Systematically review each option and recall its primary mode of transmission.
Option A (Hepatitis A): Recall it's a gastrointestinal infection spread via the fecal-oral route.
Option B (Measles): Recall it's a respiratory virus known for being highly contagious and spreading through the air.
Option C (Cholera) and D (Typhoid): Recall these are enteric diseases spread through contaminated water and food (fecal-oral/waterborne).

Concept Tested & Keywords

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