Latest Diseases General Knowledge(GK) Questions and answers

1 .

Which country was the first to approve the world's first needle-free, inhaled version of the Covid-19 vaccine?

A)

US

B)

China

C)

Russia

D)

India

Correct Answer : China

China became the first country to approve a needle-free, inhaled version of a Covid-19 vaccine made by Tianjin-based CanSino Biologics Inc., pushing the company’s shares up as much as 14.5% Monday(5th Sep 2022) morning in Hong Kong.

China’s National Medical Products Administration approved CanSino’s Ad5-nCoV for emergency use as a booster vaccine, the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sunday(4th Sep 2022)..

Source : Business Standard

2 .

Which pharmaceutical company will launch Indiaâ€™s first cervical cancer vaccine?

A)

Serum Institute of India

B)

Dr. Reddyâ€™s Laboratories

C)

Aurobindo Pharma

D)

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals

Correct Answer : Serum Institute of India

India will get its indigenous vaccine for cervical cancer on Thursday(1st Sep 2022). The vaccine is expected to make treatment easier for the patients. The vaccine will be launched by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India on 1 September 2022.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) had given market authorization for the vaccine on 12 July 2022.

* This is India's first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer.

* This vaccine will be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII)..

Source : Zeebiz

3 .

India's first indigenously developed RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox disease has been developed by which company?

A)

Embio Limited

B)

AGD Biomedicals Pvt. Ltd

C)

Transasia Bio-Medicals

D)

Calantha Biotech Pvt. Ltd

Correct Answer : Transasia Bio-Medicals

India’s first indigenously developed RT-PCR testing fit for Monkeypox made by Erba-Transasia was launched on August 19, 2022, at the Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone. India has reported 9 cases of Monkeypox. At present, countries have been using the repurposed smallpox vaccines to treat Monkeypox.

4 .

Who has given permission for the "Imvanex vaccine" to be marketed as protection against monkeypox?

A)

US Commission

B)

European Commission

C)

Australian commission

D)

Russian commission

Correct Answer : European Commission

Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic said on Monday(25th July 2022) the European Commission had given permission for its Imvanex vaccine to be marketed as protection against monkeypox, as recommended last week by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries.

In the current outbreak in countries and amongst the reported monkeypox cases, transmission appears to be occurring primarily through close physical contact, including sexual contact. Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linens, bedding, electronics, and clothing, that have infectious skin particles.

Imvanex is a non-replicating smallpox vaccine developed in collaboration with the U.S. government to ensure the supply of a smallpox vaccine for the entire population, including immunocompromised individuals.

The vaccine gained regulatory approvals in Canada (marketed as Imvamune) and the U.S. (marketed as Jynneos) where the approvals have been extended to include the monkeypox indication as the only vaccine obtained this to-date.

The vaccine was approved by the European Commission in 2013 for immunization against smallpox in adults aged 18 years and older.

Imvanex can be used as active immunisation against smallpox, monkeypox and disease caused by the vaccinia virus in adults..

Source : Mint

5 .

Which West African country has reported its first outbreak of deadly Marburg virus?

A)

Mali

B)

Niger

C)

Gambia

D)

Ghana

Correct Answer : Ghana

Ghana, a country in West Africa, has officially confirmed two cases of the deadly Marburg virus. The two patients, both deceased, tested positive for the highly infectious virus in the southern Ashanti region of Ghana. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the same in a statement on July 17, 2022. The two Malburg cases in Ghana were unrelated.

Marburg is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever, which belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus disease and has a fatality ratio of up to 88 percent. Marburg virus symptoms include high fever, severe headache and malaise.

6 .

Which country launches its first COVID-19 vaccine for animals On June 9th 2022?

A)

USA

B)

China

C)

India

D)

Russia

Correct Answer : India

On June 9th 2022, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Anocovax, India's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine for animals, produced by the ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Haryana. The vaccine uses Alhydrogel as an adjuvant and contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen. It is also safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and bunnies, according to the company.

Anocovax is a SARS-CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) vaccine for animals that is inactivated. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the immunity elicited by Anocovax neutralises both the Delta and Omicron versions of SARS-CoV-2..

Source : Mint

7 .

Two cases of Norovirus have been discovered in which Indian state?

A)

Kerala

B)

Karnataka

C)

Tamil Nadu

D)

Telangana

Correct Answer : Kerala

The Kerala government confirmed two cases of Norovirus in children on June 5, 2022. Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed that norovirus infection has been detected in two children in the Vizhinjam area of capital Thiruvananthapuram and their health condition is stable.

Norovirus, which spreads through contaminated food and water, is known to be 'highly contagious'.

What is Norovirus?

Norovirus is a contagious virus that induces vomiting and diarrhea upon infection. Due to its impact on the gastrointestinal system of the body, the virus is also called as stomach flu or stomach bug. Not just kids, anyone can get affected by the Norovirus. These viruses are notorious in spreading quickly through contaminated foods and surfaces. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that one can get Norovirus infection several times in life as there are different types of these viruses and infection from one, does not provide protection against the rest of them. As per a research study, "human norovirus, previously known as Norwalk virus, was first identified in stool specimens collected during an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Norwalk, OH, and was the first viral agent shown to cause gastroenteritis. Illness due to this virus was initially described in 1929 as “winter vomiting disease” due to its seasonal predilection and the frequent preponderance of patients with vomiting as a primary symptom. "The virus was identified following an outbreak in 1968. During that time, 98% of the infected individuals complained of nausea, 92% of vomiting, 58% had abdominal cramps, 52% complained of lethargy, 38% had diarrhea, and 34% had fever.

Source : Times of India

8 .

A 47-year-old man died of "West Nile Fever" in which state on May 29th 2022?

A)

Assam

B)

Kerala

C)

Maharashtra

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Kerala

A 47-year-old man died on Sunday(29th May 2022) because of the West Nile Virus in Kerala’s Thrissur district, the first death in the state caused by the vector-borne infection in the last three years. It has sent authorities in the state into a tizzy with the health department issuing directions to eliminate mosquito breeding to prevent the disease.

The man developed fever and other symptoms on 17 May and after getting treatment from various hospitals, he was admitted to the government medical college in Thrissur, where he was diagnosed with West Nile fever.

Kerala health minister Veena George said that controlling the growth of mosquitoes and carrying out a source destruction are essential to prevent this illness.

Source : First Post

9 .

Which country has become the first country to introduce compulsory monkeypox quarantine?

A)

Spain

B)

Belgium

C)

Germany

D)

Denmark

Correct Answer : Belgium

Belgium has become the first country in the world to make 21-day quarantine compulsory for the Monkeypox patients. The decision came after four cases of the disease were reported last week in the country. The Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine said that the risk of a larger outbreak in the country is low.

10 .

Which Indian state has reported the first case of BA.4 Omicron Variant?

A)

Kerala

B)

Gujarat

C)

Maharashtra

D)

Telangana

Correct Answer : Telangana

The very first confirmed case of the BA.4 Omicron variant in India has been reported from Hyderabad, Telangana, as per the recent data available with the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). The group of genetic laboratories are currently working to identify new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from Indian Covid-19 positive patients. This is first the first time that the BA.4 variant of Omicron has been reported in India.

It is important to note that the BA.4 Omicron variant was identified by geneticists from the sample of a Covid positive individual in Hyderabad, which was collected on May 9th, 2022. Since January, both the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron have been associated with the fifth Covid wave in South Africa, a fresh wave of infections in the US and Europe.

New omicron sublineages, discovered by South African scientists this month, are likely able to evade vaccines and natural immunity from prior infections, the head of gene sequencing units that produced a study on the strains said.

As per reports, the BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages appear to be more infectious than the earlier BA.2 lineage, which itself was more infectious than the original omicron variant, said Tulio de Oliveira, the head of the institutes at the universities of KwaZulu-Natal and Stellenbosch, as per Bloomberg report..

Source : Mint