Other Parasitic Diseases

1. Which one of the following is the scientific name of the causal organi

Which one of the following is the scientific name of the causal organism of elephantiasis ?

Ascaris lumbricoides
Culex pipiens
Wuchereria bancrofti
Fasciola hepatica
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2017
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The correct answer is C) Wuchereria bancrofti.
Elephantiasis, or Lymphatic Filariasis, is a parasitic disease caused by nematode worms, primarily *Wuchereria bancrofti*, *Brugia malayi*, and *Brugia timori*. These worms block the lymphatic system, leading to swelling.
The infection is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes, mainly Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes species, which serve as vectors. *Ascaris lumbricoides* causes ascariasis. *Fasciola hepatica* is a liver fluke that causes fascioliasis. *Culex pipiens* is a mosquito species, which can be a vector for the disease but is not the causal organism itself.

2. Which one of the following is not a site of action in the human body f

Which one of the following is not a site of action in the human body for the malarial parasite Plasmodium?

Liver
Kidney
Red blood cell
Brain
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2015
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The malarial parasite Plasmodium primarily infects the liver and red blood cells in the human body. It can also affect the brain, causing cerebral malaria. The kidneys are not a primary site of replication or development for the parasite’s lifecycle stages, although malaria can lead to significant kidney complications.
The main sites of Plasmodium infection in humans are the liver (exo-erythrocytic stage) and red blood cells (erythrocytic stage).
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. Different species of Plasmodium (e.g., Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium knowlesi) have slightly different lifecycles and disease manifestations, but the general pattern of liver and red blood cell invasion is common. Cerebral malaria is a severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection where parasites sequester in the capillaries of the brain. While malaria can cause kidney damage (e.g., malarial nephropathy), the kidney itself is not a host organ for the parasite’s developmental stages.

3. Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease of humans and other animals.

Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease of humans and other animals. It is caused by

Histomonas
Trypanosoma
Angomonac
Naegleria
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2017
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Sleeping sickness, or African trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma. Specifically, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense cause the disease in humans. The parasite is transmitted through the bite of an infected tsetse fly.
Sleeping sickness is caused by parasites of the genus Trypanosoma.
Histomonas meleagridis is a parasite that causes histomoniasis (“blackhead”) in poultry. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba that can cause a rare and fatal brain infection in humans. Angomonac is not a recognized parasitic genus.

4. Which one of the following organisms is responsible for sleeping sickn

Which one of the following organisms is responsible for sleeping sickness ?

Leishmania
Trypanosoma
Ascaris
Helicobacter
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2019
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Sleeping sickness, also known as African trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease caused by flagellate protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma. Specifically, *Trypanosoma brucei* subspecies are responsible for the disease in humans. The parasite is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected tsetse flies (Glossina species).
Sleeping sickness is caused by parasites of the genus *Trypanosoma* and is transmitted by the tsetse fly.
Leishmania causes leishmaniasis, Ascaris is a genus of parasitic roundworms causing ascariasis, and Helicobacter (specifically *Helicobacter pylori*) is a bacterium causing stomach infections.

5. Which one among the following is a free living animal ?

Which one among the following is a free living animal ?

Liver fluke
Wuchereria
Plasmodium
Planaria
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2021
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A free-living animal is an organism that is not parasitic or sessile (attached to a substrate), but lives independently. Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), Wuchereria (Wuchereria bancrofti), and Plasmodium are all internal parasites that require a host organism to survive and reproduce. Planaria, a type of flatworm (Platyhelminthes), is commonly found in freshwater environments and is a free-living predator/scavenger.
Free-living organisms are independent and not parasitic or sessile. Planaria is a well-known example of a free-living flatworm.
Parasites live on or inside a host organism and benefit at the host’s expense. Sessile organisms are fixed in one place.

6. ‘Sleeping sickness’ is caused by

‘Sleeping sickness’ is caused by

Trypanosoma
Leishmania
Plasmodium
Paramecium
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2021
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Sleeping sickness, also known as Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma. Specifically, it is caused by Trypanosoma brucei, transmitted through the bite of infected tsetse flies.
Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei.
Leishmania causes leishmaniasis, Plasmodium causes malaria, and Paramecium is a harmless freshwater protozoan.
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