Deck 14: Issues in Public Health

Question 1

Routine screening of pregnant women for rubella is important because it

A)identifies which women need to have a caesarean birth.
B)identifies which women should receive the rubella vaccine before the birth of their baby.
C)provides useful surveillance data about the prevalence of rubella in the community.
D)identifies women who should avoid contact with anyone who has or is suspected of having rubella.
E)all of the above.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In Australia,donor blood for transfusion is screened for

A)hepatitis B.
B)hepatitis C.
C)cytomegalovirus.
D)syphilis.
E)all of the above.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Most cases of dengue fever diagnosed in Australia are acquired

A)in Queensland.
B)in New South Wales.
C)in Victoria.
D)overseas.
E)none of the above because Australia is free of dengue.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following has had a major impact in reducing mortality due to infectious diseases?

A)Mass immunisation.
B)The ability to identify the microorganisms responsible for infections.
C) The discovery of antibiotics.
D)Improvements in standards of sanitation facilities and quality of water supply.
E)All of the above.

Question 5

An injecting drug user is at increased risk of acquiring

A)tetanus.
B)malaria.
C)hepatitis C.
D)all of the above.
E)none of the above.

Question 6

The most important components of primary healthcare that directly affect the incidence of infectious diseases in the community are

A)health education and good nutrition.
B)preventative screening programs and immunisation.
C)the provision of health education and appropriate treatment.
D)the Medicare and private health insurance programs.
E)antibiotics and the provision of family planning information.

Question 7

Which of the following diseases is covered by the childhood vaccination schedule in Australia?

A)Dengue fever.
B)Yellow fever.
C)HIV infection.
D)Rotavirus infection.
E)Salmonellosis.

Question 8

The true incidence of HIV infection in Australia is not known because

A)infected people may be asymptomatic for a long period.
B)it is not a notifiable disease.
C)a proportion of people receive treatment before the diagnosis is confirmed.
D)it can't be diagnosed with any certainty.
E)all of the above.

Question 9

Which of the following is a vaccine-preventable disease?

A)Hepatitis C.
B)Gonorrhoea.
C)Syphilis.
D)Dengue fever.
E)None of the above.

Question 10

Screening tests are a part of the primary healthcare system because they

A)can be useful if treatment for the disease is available.
B)can sometimes detect a disease before it becomes life-threatening.
C)protect the community from the spread of certain diseases.
D)all of the above.
E)none of the above.

Question 11

The term 'notifiable disease' refers to

A)an infectious disease that is required to be reported to health authorities.
B)a disease that must be reported to the police.
C)any infectious disease diagnosed in a hospital or other healthcare facility.
D)a disease that can spread in epidemic or pandemic form.
E)any infectious disease diagnosed in someone who has come from overseas.

Question 12

The term 'public health' refers to

A)bulk billing by doctors in general practice.
B)free medical services available at hospitals.
C)the promotion of health services and disease control in the community.
D)the role of non-government organisations in healthcare.
E)the control of infectious diseases.

Question 13

The vaccine for which of the following diseases is no longer included in the Australian childhood immunisation schedule because it is no longer a threat in the world?

A)Diphtheria.
B)Tetanus.
C)Poliomyelitis.
D)Chickenpox.
E)All of the above are still included in the schedule.

Question 14

Maternal antibodies crossing the placenta to the baby is an example of

A)passive immunisation.
B)active immunisation.
C)indirect immunisation.
D)herd immunity.
E)local immunity.

Question 15

Women are advised to have regular Pap smear tests.This is to

A)screen for the presence of abnormal cervical cells.
B)test for sexually transmitted infections.
C)assess the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.
D)screen for the presence of group B streptococci.
E)none of the above.

Question 16

Antenatal screening for which of the following diseases is routinely carried out to minimise the risk of congenital defects?

A)Rubella.
B)Hepatitis C.
C)Hepatitis B.
D)HIV.
E)Group B streptococcal infection.

Question 17

The highest rate of notifications of communicable diseases in Australia each year usually comes from

A)NSW.
B)Queensland.
C)Northern Territory.
D)Victoria.
E)South Australia.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Live vaccines contain microorganisms that multiply in the host.
B)Inactivated toxins are used in some vaccines.
C)Vaccines made from killed or inactivated organisms usually require more than one dose.
D)The MMR (measles-mumps-rubella)vaccine rarely causes serious side effects.
E)All of the above.

Question 19

A vaccine for which of the following diseases is recommended for adult Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory?

A)measles.
B)pneumococcal disease.
C)mumps.
D)diphtheria.
E)all of the above.

Question 20

An antenatal screening test on a pregnant woman shows that she has no antibodies to rubella.The risk to her unborn child is minimal if she

A)is vaccinated immediately.
B)is already in the third trimester of the pregnancy.
C)is given rubella immunoglobulin.
D)is in the first trimester of the pregnancy.
E)has already had a normal child.

Question 21

An appropriate way of reducing infections in children in childcare is

A)excluding sick children until they recover.
B)excluding unimmunised children when there is an outbreak of infection in the centre.
C)teaching capable children to wash their hands at appropriate times.
D)having different staff for nappy changing and food preparation.
E)all of the above.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT an arboviral infection endemic in Australia?

A)Ross River fever.
B)Barmah Forest fever.
C)Murray Valley encephalitis.
D)Q fever.
E)Kunjin virus encephalitis.

Question 23

Scabies is a disease that

A)is caused by fleas.
B)only occurs in tropical climates.
C)may predispose a person to streptococcal infections.
D)is not easily transmitted.
E)all of the above.

Question 24

Which of the following diseases is not acquired in Australia,but may be diagnosed in people returning from overseas?

A)Ross River fever.
B)Yellow fever.
C)Hepatitis C.
D)Dengue fever.
E)All of the above.

Question 25

Children in childcare centres are at increased risk of infections because

A)there is close,personal and frequent contact among the children and the staff.
B)childcare workers are often inadequately informed about childhood diseases.
C)there is a lower rate of immunisation in children sent to childcare.
D)childcare centres are impossible to keep clean.
E)all of the above.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about vaccination is FALSE?

A)An adverse reaction is an unexpected event following administration of a vaccine.
B)Periodic epidemics of whooping cough occur because of a decrease in immunisation rates.
C)All vaccines are capable of inducing mild side effects in recipients.
D)There is strong evidence that autism and the measles vaccine are linked.
E)Low immunisation rates in older children can put young babies at increased risk of infection.

Question 27

Homoeopathic immunisation

A)results in the formation of protective antibodies.
B)has been shown to protect against most childhood diseases.
C)has a strong scientific basis as a protection against infectious diseases.
D)is favoured by parents who are concerned about the possible side effects of normal vaccination.
E)all of the above.

Question 28

In Australia,older adults with grandchildren are recommended to be vaccinated against

A)whooping cough.
B)hepatitis A.
C)cholera.
D)tuberculosis.
E)all of the above.

Question 29

Which of the following diseases is commonly found in the Northern Territory?

A)Melioidosis.
B)Rheumatic fever.
C)Leptospirosis.
D)Acute glomerulonephritis.
E)All of the above.

Question 30

Which of the following diseases is mainly seen in tropical areas of northern Australia?

A)Typhoid.
B)Melioidosis.
C)Lyme disease.
D)Q fever.
E)Tuberculosis.

Question 31

In the Northern Territory,which communicable disease has the highest rate of notifications?

A)Tuberculosis.
B)HIV.
C)Sexually transmitted diseases.
D)Gastrointestinal infections.
E)Pneumococcal pneumonia.

Question 32

The BCG vaccine for tuberculosis is recommended for

A)Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory.
B)all healthcare workers in Australia.
C)all overseas travellers under the age of 12 years.
D)all immigrants from South-East Asia.
E)all of the above.

Question 33

In New Zealand

A)the incidence of some diseases varies in different ethnic groups.
B)the pattern of notifications of infectious diseases is similar to Australia.
C)the incidence of rheumatic fever is much lower than in other developed countries.
D)immunisation against hepatitis B is not recommended for children.
E)there is a low rate of gastrointestinal infections.

Question 34

Herd immunity

A)applies to infectious diseases of animals that can affect humans.
B)states that only immunised people are protected.
C)implies that immunised people can pass on their immunity to close contacts.
D)states that the larger the group the more difficult it is to achieve full immunisation.
E)states that high immunisation rates also protect the unimmunised.

Question 35

Which of the following is FALSE? Trachoma

A) is an eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
B)has a high incidence among Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region.
C)is carried by mosquitoes.
D) can be treated with antibiotics.
E) if left untreated can cause blindness.

Question 36

Which of the following is a contraindication for the use of a vaccine?

A)If the person has had an anaphylactic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine.
B)The use of a live vaccine in a person receiving immunosuppressive drugs.
C)The use of a live vaccine in a pregnant woman.
D)The use of a live vaccine in a person with leukaemia.
E)All of the above.

Question 37

Malaria

A)has a high incidence in the northern states of Australia.
B)is unlikely to ever occur in Australia because the relevant mosquito species doesn't exist here.
C)is better controlled now because of the recent development of a vaccine.
D)all of the above.
E)none of the above.

Question 38

Australian Aboriginal children have a high incidence of impetigo caused by Streptococcus pyogenes.A common outcome of this infection is

A)meningococcal disease.
B)rheumatic fever.
C)otitis media.
D)pneumonia.
E)trachoma.