Which one of the following is waterborne disease?
- A.Jaundice
- B.Tuberculosis
- C.Rabies
- D.Arthritis
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Jaundice. Infectious jaundice, caused mainly by the hepatitis A and hepatitis E viruses, spreads through water and food contaminated with faeces.
Jaundice itself is a sign rather than a single disease: the skin and eyes turn yellow because bilirubin builds up in the blood when the liver is inflamed or damaged. In India the common outbreaks follow the contamination of drinking water, especially in the rainy season, and they are prevented by boiling or chlorinating water, proper sanitation and washing hands. Cholera, typhoid, dysentery and diarrhoea are other common waterborne diseases.
B is wrong: tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads through the air when a patient coughs or sneezes.
C is wrong: rabies is a viral disease passed on by the bite of an infected animal, usually a dog.
D is wrong: arthritis is inflammation of the joints and is not an infection spread by water.
Exam tip: waterborne diseases are cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and E (jaundice), dysentery and diarrhoea; tuberculosis is airborne.
Practice Questions
View allThe speed of the wind is measured by
- A.wind vane
- B.wind rose
- C.barometer
- D.anemometer
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An anemometer measures how fast the wind is blowing; its name comes from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind.
Read the full explanation →Brilliance of diamond is due to
- A.interference of light
- B.diffraction of light
- C.polarization of light
- D.total internal reflection of light
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Light that enters a cut diamond is reflected again and again inside it before it escapes, which makes the stone sparkle.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT an electromagnetic wave ?
- A.Light wave
- B.Radio wave
- C.Sound wave
- D.Micro wave
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Sound is a mechanical wave that needs a medium to travel, while the other three are electromagnetic waves. Sound travels as a longitudinal wave of compressions and rarefactions in air, water or solids, which is why it cannot pass through a vacuum.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT true for an electromagnetic wave ?
- A.Electromagnetic wave transports energy and momentum
- B.Electromagnetic wave can be polarized and reflected
- C.Electromagnetic wave is longitudinal
- D.Electromagnetic wave propagation is described by the varying electric and magnetic fields
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Electromagnetic waves are transverse, not longitudinal, so this statement is false. In an electromagnetic wave the electric field and the magnetic field oscillate at right angles to each other and both at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following frequency ranges is sensitive to human ears ?
- A.0-200 Hz
- B.20-20,000 Hz
- C.200-20,000 Hz only
- D.2,000-20,000 Hz only
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The normal human ear hears sound from about 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz, the audible range. Frequency, measured in hertz, is the number of vibrations per second, and it decides the pitch of a sound: the higher the frequency, the shriller the note.
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