ICVA Zoonotic Diseases Public Health 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which zoonotic pathogen is responsible for Q fever and is classified as a Category B bioterrorism agent by the CDC?
- Coxiella burnetii (Correct answer)
- Francisella tularensis
- Brucella melitensis
- Rickettsia rickettsii
Correct answer: Coxiella burnetii
Coxiella burnetii, transmitted primarily through infected livestock aerosols, causes Q fever and is a Category B bioterrorism agent due to its environmental stability.
Question 2: A veterinarian suspects a herd of cattle has foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). What is the correct public health action regarding zoonotic risk?
- Immediately notify state and federal animal health officials as a reportable foreign animal disease (Correct answer)
- Treat affected animals with antiviral medication to prevent human transmission
- Quarantine the farm but do not notify authorities since FMD rarely infects humans
- Euthanize all animals within a 1-mile radius to prevent human cases
Correct answer: Immediately notify state and federal animal health officials as a reportable foreign animal disease
FMD is a reportable foreign animal disease requiring immediate notification to state and federal authorities, even though human infection is rare.
Question 3: Which surveillance system is used in the US to track zoonotic diseases at the human-animal-environment interface?
- One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (Correct answer)
- NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System)
- NAHMS (National Animal Health Monitoring System)
- USDA APHIS Veterinary Biologics
Correct answer: One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization
The One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) tool helps countries identify and prioritize zoonotic diseases of greatest national concern for a coordinated response.
Question 4: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the US is most commonly transmitted to humans through which route?
- Inhalation of aerosolized rodent urine, feces, or saliva (Correct answer)
- Direct bite from infected deer mice
- Consumption of undercooked rodent meat
- Contact with rodent blood during field necropsies
Correct answer: Inhalation of aerosolized rodent urine, feces, or saliva
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted by inhaling aerosolized particles contaminated with infected rodent excreta, particularly from deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the One Health concept as applied to zoonotic disease control?
- A collaborative approach integrating human, animal, and environmental health to achieve optimal health outcomes (Correct answer)
- A federal mandate requiring veterinarians to report all animal diseases to CDC
- An international treaty obligating countries to share zoonotic disease surveillance data
- A vaccination protocol targeting both livestock and their owners simultaneously
Correct answer: A collaborative approach integrating human, animal, and environmental health to achieve optimal health outcomes
One Health recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration to prevent zoonotic diseases.
Question 6: A dog returns from a tropical region and presents with a sandfly bite wound. The veterinarian identifies Leishmania infection. What is the primary public health concern in a non-endemic US area?
- Risk of establishing a new vector-competent sandfly population and enzootic cycle (Correct answer)
- Direct person-to-person transmission from the owner to other family members
- Contamination of the local water supply with Leishmania promastigotes
- Airborne transmission of Leishmania amastigotes in the veterinary clinic
Correct answer: Risk of establishing a new vector-competent sandfly population and enzootic cycle
The primary concern is whether local sandfly vectors (Lutzomyia spp.) could establish a transmission cycle if they feed on the infected dog, potentially creating a new endemic focus.
Question 7: Which zoonotic bacterium causes cat scratch disease and is primarily transmitted to humans through cat scratches or bites?
- Bartonella henselae (Correct answer)
- Pasteurella multocida
- Capnocytophaga canimorsus
- Streptobacillus moniliformis
Correct answer: Bartonella henselae
Bartonella henselae, carried asymptomatically by cats (especially kittens), causes cat scratch disease in humans following inoculation through scratches or bites.
ICVA Zoonotic Diseases Public Health 2
Which zoonotic pathogen is responsible for Q fever and is classified as a Category B bioterrorism agent by the CDC?