Environmental health: rodent and flea control in plague: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Environmental health: rodent and flea control in plague

Sample item

During a plague outbreak in a village with heavy rat mortality, the correct sequence of vector control is to:

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Kill the rat fleas with insecticide dusting first and then control the rats

If rats are killed first, hungry infected fleas leave the carcasses and bite humans, increasing human cases. Insecticide dusting of burrows and runs against fleas should therefore precede rodent control.

Option by option

  • A. Poison the rats first and then dust for fleas

    Killing rats first releases infected fleas onto humans.

  • B. Control rats only

    Rat control alone ignores the flea vector.

  • C. Vaccinate rats

    Rat vaccination is not practised.

  • D. Kill the rat fleas with insecticide dusting first and then control the rats (correct)

    Correct. Flea control comes before rodent control.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is D, Kill the rat fleas with insecticide dusting first and then control the rats. If rats are killed first, hungry infected fleas leave the carcasses and bite humans, increasing human cases.

Why is "Poison the rats first and then dust for fleas" not the answer?

Killing rats first releases infected fleas onto humans.

Why is "Control rats only" not the answer?

Rat control alone ignores the flea vector.

Why is "Vaccinate rats" not the answer?

Rat vaccination is not practised.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Environmental health: rodent and flea control in plague in PSM. Insecticide dusting of burrows and runs against fleas should therefore precede rodent control.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Environmental health: rodent and flea control in plague?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.