What's Up Doc? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Whooping cough

Pertussis, or whooping cough is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is known for its coughing fits in which the patient finds it hard to breathe and can also cause spasms in the airways. The characteristic 'whoop' can be heard in young children but it is not so often apparent in adults. It is sometimes referred to as the 100 day flu, as the cough can persist for that long.

Answer: German measles

Rubella is a mild, infectious viral disease in most people, but is dangerous for women in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is known to cause miscarriages, blindness, deafness or other serious congenital abnormalities. For this reason women should routinely have their antibody levels checked when they become pregnant regardless of whether they have previously been vaccinated against or have contracted the disease.

Answer: Glandular fever

Also called 'mono', infectious mononucleosis is generally caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Since it is often spread by contact with infected saliva and is common in teenagers, it is sometimes called the kissing disease. Mono is manifested by a sore throat, fever and enlarged lymph nodes, primarily in the neck and occasionally the liver or spleen may be involved. Patients usually recover spontaneously in a few weeks.

Answer: Roseola

Roseola, or roseola infantum, is a very common illness primarily in children under two years of age. It is caused by the human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) or HHV-7 and is characterised by a high fever for a few days followed by a rash. No treatment is necessary other than rest and fluids, although paracetamol may be needed for the fever. Roseola is also known as sixth disease, for its place on the list of childhood rashes.

Answer: Cold sores

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and primarily attack the area around the lips. Once the first attack abates, the virus remains dormant in the facial nerve but periodically reactivates due to a stimulus of some kind. Generally, sunlight, stress or fever are enough to trigger another outbreak. Contact with the lips of a person with an active cold sore may spread the virus, and contact with the genitals may cause genital herpes.

Answer: Leprosy

While Hansen's disease has been around for hundreds of years, it wasn't known what caused it until 1873 when Gerhard Hansen identified the Mycobacterium leprae as the causative agent. The disease is curable with the World Health Organisation recommending that a single dose of combination therapy will treat a single lesion illness, although severe cases may require up to twelve months of treatment. The incidence of leprosy world-wide is dropping, with India still accounting for more than half of all new cases.

Answer: Middle ear infection

Middle ear infections are extremely common in young children and they are frequently associated with the common cold. The child often has pain, some deafness and a bulging tympanic membrane. Acute cases may require antibiotics and in the case of chronic otitis media or frequent attacks, grommets may be inserted.

Answer: Slapped cheek syndrome

Erythema infectiosum is a mild viral illness with a distinctive rash most prevalent on the cheeks, which is why it's also called 'slapped cheek syndrome'. The rash then spreads into a lacy pattern over the rest of the body. Slapped cheek syndrome is caused by the Parvovirus B19 and is highly contagious, but children usually recover within a few days needing nothing more than rest and fluids.

It is also known as fifth disease as it's the fifth of the viral rashes of childhood. The other diseases are measles, scarlet fever, rubella and roseola. There is some debate over the veracity of fourth disease (Filotow-Dukes disease) as an individual illness or as part of the other illnesses.

Answer: Measles

Rubeola is caused by the measles virus Morbillivirus. It is extremely contagious, is spread through coughing and sneezing and can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours. If someone touches the contaminated surface and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, they will become infected unless they have been vaccinated or have had exposure to the virus before. Measles begins with fevers and cold symptoms for several days before the rash appears, so patients can spread measles without knowing they are infected.

Answer: Chicken pox

Chicken pox is a contagious illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus and is characterised by itchy blisters that cover the body. While generally mild in healthy, young children, it can be deadly in adults. A subsequent attack of varicella manifests as shingles, a line of painful blisters along a nerve.

The varicella virus is spread by the blister fluid, coughing or sneezing in the case of chickenpox, or contact with blister fluid in the case of shingles.