Ch. 14 - Principles of Disease and Epidemiology

Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition

Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook

Tortora 14th Edition

Ch. 14 - Principles of Disease and Epidemiology

Problem 5

Chapter 14, Problem 5

Which one of the following diseases is not correctly matched to its reservoir?
a. Influenza-animal
b. Rabies-animal
c. Botulism-nonliving
d. Anthrax-nonliving
e. Toxoplasmosis-cats

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the concept of a reservoir in infectious diseases. A reservoir is the natural habitat where a pathogen normally lives, grows, and multiplies. It can be living (animals, humans) or nonliving (soil, water).

Step 2: Review each disease and identify its commonly known reservoir: Influenza typically has humans as the main reservoir, although some strains can be found in animals; Rabies is primarily maintained in animal reservoirs; Botulism is caused by Clostridium botulinum, which is found in nonliving reservoirs like soil; Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis, which also persists in nonliving reservoirs such as soil; Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, with cats as the definitive host and reservoir.

Step 3: Compare the given matches to the known reservoirs: (a) influenza-animal, (b) rabies-animal, (c) botulism-nonliving, (d) anthrax-nonliving, (e) toxoplasmosis-cats.

Step 4: Identify which pairing is incorrect by checking if the reservoir listed matches the typical reservoir for that disease. For example, influenza is primarily a human reservoir disease, so 'influenza-animal' may be incorrect.

Step 5: Conclude which option is not correctly matched based on the above analysis.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Disease Reservoirs

A disease reservoir is the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies. Reservoirs can be living organisms like animals or humans, or nonliving environments such as soil or water. Understanding reservoirs helps identify sources of infection and control disease spread.

Zoonotic Diseases

Zoonotic diseases are infections transmitted from animals to humans. Many pathogens have animal reservoirs, such as rabies in mammals or toxoplasmosis in cats. Recognizing zoonotic reservoirs is crucial for preventing cross-species transmission.

Nonliving Reservoirs in Microbial Diseases

Some pathogens persist in nonliving reservoirs like soil, water, or decaying matter. For example, anthrax spores survive in soil, and botulism toxin is produced in improperly stored food. Identifying nonliving reservoirs aids in environmental control measures.

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