Question

51.
Which of the following is not a vector borne disease ?
(1) Common cold
(2) Malaria
(3) Dengue
(4) Sleeping sickness
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Answer 1

Common cold is not a vector borne disease.

Explanation:

• A vector is a biological organism that spreads infectious agents or pathogens from an affected animal to humans or other animals. Common vectors includes mosquitoes, ticks, flies, fleas, etc.

• Infections spread by infected arthropod species are known as vector-borne diseases.

• Malaria is a parasitic disease spread by mosquito bites that is caused by a plasmodium parasite.
• Dengue fever is a viral ailment spread to people by infected mosquito bites. The virus that causes dengue fever is known as dengue virus (DENV).
• Sleeping sickness is a parasitic infection caused by the Trypanosoma brucei parasite. Tsetse fly bites transmit African trypanosomiasis to humans. Tsetse flies can only be found in rural Africa.
• On the other hand, Common cold is a communicable disease. A common cold is an infection of the nose and throat caused by a virus.
• A common cold, unlike the flu, can be caused by a wide variety of viruses.