Infectious Diseases

About Infectious Diseases

Test your knowledge of infectious diseases throughout history! Infectious Diseases packs 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 8 medium, 6 easy, 1 hard questions into a relaxed session of roughly 7 minutes — no sign-up, no timer pressure. An explanation appears after every answer, and finishing once a day keeps your streak alive.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What pandemic killed an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide in 1918-1919?

   Answer: The Spanish Flu

   The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic was one of the deadliest in history, infecting about one-third of the world's population and killing an estimated 50-100 million people.

2. 2. What insect is the primary carrier of malaria?

   Answer: Mosquito

   Malaria is transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites that infect and destroy red blood cells.

3. 3. The Black Death, which devastated Europe in the 14th century, was caused by what?

   Answer: The bacterium Yersinia pestis

   The Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, spread by fleas on rats. It killed an estimated 25-50 million Europeans between 1347 and 1351.

4. 4. Which disease was known as the 'White Plague' due to the pallor of its victims?

   Answer: Tuberculosis

   Tuberculosis (TB) was called the 'White Plague' because of the extreme pallor of its sufferers. It was a leading cause of death in the 19th century.

5. 5. What type of pathogen causes influenza (the flu)?

   Answer: Virus

   Influenza is caused by influenza viruses. There are four types: A, B, C, and D. Types A and B cause seasonal epidemics, while Type A can cause pandemics.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓John Snow identified a contaminated water pump on Broad Street as the source of a cholera outbreak, helping establish the waterborne theory of disease transmission.
• ✓HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). It was first identified in 1983 and attacks the immune system's CD4 cells.
• ✓African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, is caused by Trypanosoma parasites transmitted by the tsetse fly. It disrupts the sleep cycle and can be fatal if untreated.