Nasty Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ebola Virus

Ebola was first identified in 1976 in Zaire. It is transmitted by coming into contact with bodily fluids. It is one of the deadliest in the group of viruses known as hemorrhagic fevers. Whilst there have been very few mass outbreaks of Ebola those that there have been have claimed many lives.Intensive barrier nursing is required to stop the spread of this incurable disease during an outbreak, and some people do recover of their own accord. Most deaths are due to massive blood loss.

Answer: Laburnum

Laburnum thrives in gardens all over Europe. When in bloom it is a beautiful tree with long, densely packed chains of bright yellow flowers. The seeds resemble peas, but anyone eating them, or the leaves or flowers can expect vomiting, convulsions, frothing at the mouth and in severe cases coma.

In 1979 "The Lancet" reported 3000 hospital admissions in the United Kingdom due to laburnum poisoning, but no fatalities. Pet owners with a laburnum in the garden normally take great care to clear up fallen seeds and leaves to avoid ingestion by an over curious animal.

Answer: Brazilian Wandering Spider

There are many venomous spiders in the world. Of all of them the Brazilian wandering spider is, according to the "Guinness Book of Records", the most venomous with a mere 0.006mg of venom being sufficient to kill a mouse. The best known is probably the Black Widow spider, thanks to the rather unsavoury habit it has of eating its mate.

The other spiders listed do have a venomous bite, and have been known to bite humans, but they do not cause human fatalities. The results are not normally any worse than a wasp sting.

Answer: Electroejaculation technician

If animal semen is required for artificial insemination or analysis of any sort this person is the one to collect it. This can be done by use of artificial vaginas, electric prods in the anus, or even by hand. The work of these people enables prize female animals to be impregnated by equally impressive males without the two ever coming into actual contact.

They could be thousands of miles away from each other. The technique is not restricted to cattle or horses, it is also widely used in intensive farming procedures, especially those involving the mass breeding of poultry, where it is regarded as more efficient than nature.

Answer: Rotting flesh

The dragon arum has a long purple to black spike and emits a strong smell of rotting flesh that wafts for many yards. It is native to the East Asian area, where it is used as a high fibre diet food. It has been grown and forced to flower indoors in Britain, and there have been instances of it flowering outside in hot summers.

Another downside to it is that it is pollinated by flies, that swarm to it in vast clouds.

Answer: Mosquito

The mosquito is a cause of disease in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and the West Indies. If accidentally transported into other areas by returning holidaymakers or in cargo ships its disease carrying capabilities do not lessen.

In 1999 cases of West Nile fever occurred in New York, and these were believed to have been caused by mosquito bites. In 1793 around four thousand people died in Philadelphia due to an outbreak of yellow fever caused by mosquitoes transported on ships coming from the West Indies.

Answer: Nicotine

Nicotine is very harmful to health, and, as any smoker or ex-smoker will testify, very hard to kick.

Answer: One hundred

The Inland Taipan, also known as the Fierce Snake, lives in the Central Australian region, and is one of, if not the, most venomous snakes known to man. Fortunately it is a reclusive animal preferring to move away rather than bite if threatened. It eats mainly rodents, and birds, killing with a single bite.

It lives in holes and produces by egg laying, the clutches being between one and two dozen, depending on the availability of food. According to the University of Adelaide's Toxinology research (www.toxinology.com) one bite produces an average of 44mg dry weight of venom, whilst the School of Chemistry at Bristol University states the maximum recorded amount of venom produced by one bite is 110mg. With only two drops of venom being sufficient to kill a man in around ten seconds this is enough to kill over 100 people.

Answer: Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is marked by headaches, intense muscle and joint pains and a rash, as well as a rapid rise in temperature. After a few days there is a drop in temperature and the fever appears to have gone, but this is swiftly followed by a second phase where the temperature rises again accompanied by a painful rash over the full body. Spread by mosquitoes it is found in the tropics, including developed areas such as Singapore and Taiwan, and Africa. Fortunately it is rarely fatal although full recovery may take several weeks.

Answer: Sap

The sap of Euphorbia is latex like and can cause intense skin irritation. More worrying is that if it comes into contact with the eyes it causes severe irritation and can, in severe circumstances, lead to permanent blindness. If it comes into contact with mucus membranes in the nose or mouth it causes inflammation in those areas. If cutting the plants in a confined area, such as a greenhouse, vapours from the sap can cause irritation to eyes and inflame airways in people several metres away.

It should always be handled with care and children and pets should be kept away from contact with it.