Virus Quiz : Test your knowledge

1. “Tropism” of a virus primarily refers to its:

1. Ability to cause systemic illness.
2. Preference for infecting particular cell types or tissues.
3. Capacity to survive in the external environment.
4. Potential to integrate into host genome.

2. With reference to “viral load” dynamics, which of the following patterns is typical for many acute self-limiting viral infections?

1. Persistent low viral load for years without clearance.
2. Rapid rise in viral load followed by decline coinciding with adaptive immune response.
3. No detectable viral load at any stage of illness.
4. Constantly increasing viral load until host death.

3. Which of the following statements about “latent viral infection” is/are correct?

1. Viral genome persists in host cells with minimal or no production of infectious virions.
2. Latent infections may reactivate under conditions such as immunosuppression or stress.
3. Latent viruses are completely eliminated as soon as antibodies appear.

Select the correct answer using the code below:

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

4. In the context of viral evolution, a “recombinant virus” is best defined as one that:

1. Arises from reassortment of segmented genomes only.
2. Contains genetic material derived from different parental viruses through exchange or crossover.
3. Cannot infect any new host species.
4. Is always non-viable and non-infectious.

5. With reference to “infection fatality rate” (IFR) for a viral disease, which of the following is correct?

1. It uses only hospitalized cases in the denominator.
2. It considers all infections (symptomatic and asymptomatic) in the denominator.
3. It is always equal to the case fatality rate (CFR).
4. It excludes deaths occurring outside hospitals.

6. In evaluating a new antiviral drug, which of the following outcomes best indicates its effectiveness at the individual level?

1. Increase in duration of viral shedding.
2. Reduction in progression to severe disease and hospitalization.
3. Increase in viral load peaks.
4. Longer infectious period compared to no treatment.

7. “Index case” in an outbreak investigation of a viral disease refers to:

1. The very first person ever infected in history.
2. The first case identified by health authorities that draws attention to the outbreak.
3. Any randomly chosen case for detailed study.
4. The person with the most severe disease in the cluster.

8. With reference to viral “shedding routes”, which of the following combinations is correctly matched?

1. Respiratory viruses – Shed via respiratory secretions.
2. Enteric viruses – Shed via faeces.
3. Blood-borne viruses – Shed via blood and certain body fluids.

Select the correct answer using the code below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

9. In assessing the impact of a vaccination programme against a viral disease, which of the following indicators most directly reflects success?

1. Increase in reported vaccine side effects.
2. Decline in incidence of the target disease over time.
3. Increase in sales of antiviral drugs.
4. Stable or rising incidence despite high coverage.

10. For a zoonotic viral infection where bats are the primary reservoir but humans are infected via an intermediate animal host, which of the following interventions most directly targets the “spillover interface”?

1. Banning the sale and slaughter of the intermediate host in live animal markets.
2. Chlorinating municipal water supplies.
3. Using insecticide-treated bed nets.
4. Only increasing ICU bed capacity in hospitals.