Environmental health: Culex and bancroftian filariasis: 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: Culex and bancroftian filariasis

Sample item

In a town with open drains and cesspools, many residents have chyluria and hydrocele, and larvae are found in polluted water. Which mosquito is the principal vector of the infection in India?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Culex quinquefasciatus

Culex quinquefasciatus breeds in polluted stagnant water such as drains and cesspools and transmits Wuchereria bancrofti, the commonest cause of filariasis in India. Source reduction by improving drainage is an important component of vector control.

Option by option

  • A. Aedes aegypti

    Aedes aegypti breeds in clean water containers and transmits dengue.

  • B. Anopheles stephensi

    Anopheles stephensi breeds in clean water and transmits urban malaria.

  • C. Culex quinquefasciatus (correct)

    Correct. Culex quinquefasciatus breeds in dirty water and transmits bancroftian filariasis.

  • D. Mansonia annulifera

    Mansonia is the vector of brugian filariasis in weed-choked ponds.

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.

More PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, Culex quinquefasciatus. Culex quinquefasciatus breeds in polluted stagnant water such as drains and cesspools and transmits Wuchereria bancrofti, the commonest cause of filariasis in India.

Why is "Aedes aegypti" not the answer?

Aedes aegypti breeds in clean water containers and transmits dengue.

Why is "Anopheles stephensi" not the answer?

Anopheles stephensi breeds in clean water and transmits urban malaria.

Why is "Mansonia annulifera" not the answer?

Mansonia is the vector of brugian filariasis in weed-choked ponds.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Environmental health: Culex and bancroftian filariasis in PSM. Source reduction by improving drainage is an important component of vector control.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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: Culex and bancroftian filariasis?

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.