BIOD 102 Biology II Module 6 Exam
Portage Learning (2026/2027)
Section 1: Epidemiology Fundamentals
Q1: Which of the following best defines epidemiology?
A. The study of the molecular mechanisms of disease within a single organism
B. The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in
specified populations [CORRECT]
C. The clinical diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in hospital settings
D. The study of pharmaceutical interventions and their side effects
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Epidemiology is fundamentally the study of how diseases are distributed in
populations and the factors that determine this distribution, rather than focusing on individual
clinical cases or molecular pathology.
Q2: A public health nurse is investigating a sudden increase in flu-like illnesses in a localized
area. They record the age, sex, and occupation of the affected individuals, as well as the exact
location and time of symptom onset. This aspect of the investigation is known as:
A. Analytic epidemiology
B. Experimental epidemiology
C. Descriptive epidemiology [CORRECT]
D. Clinical epidemiology
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Descriptive epidemiology characterizes health events by person, place, and time to
understand the scope of the problem and identify patterns, whereas analytic epidemiology tests
hypotheses about why the disease occurred.
.
,Q3: In a city of 100,000 people, 500 individuals are diagnosed with diabetes in a given year, and
50 individuals die from diabetes during that same year. What is the mortality rate for diabetes in
this city for the year?
A. 500 per 100,000
B. 50 per 100,000 [CORRECT]
C. 5 per 100,000
D. 0.5 per 100,000
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mortality rate measures the frequency of deaths from a specific cause. Here, there are
50 deaths in a population of 100,000, yielding a rate of 50 per 100,000. Morbidity would be
represented by the 500 new diagnoses.
Q4: Applying lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2026), which term best
describes a disease that occurs at a baseline, expected level within a specific geographic area,
such as seasonal influenza?
A. Endemic [CORRECT]
B. Epidemic
C. Pandemic
D. Sporadic
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: An endemic disease is consistently present in a population at a predictable baseline
rate. Epidemics are sudden increases above that baseline, and pandemics are worldwide
epidemics.
Q5: Which of the following is an example of a passive public health surveillance system?
A. A state health department mandating that all hospitals report daily COVID-19 admissions
B. Physicians voluntarily submitting case reports for a rare disease to the CDC [CORRECT]
C. Public health officials actively calling schools to ask about absenteeism rates
D. A mobile clinic setting up in a community to actively screen for hypertension
Correct Answer: B
.
, Rationale: Passive surveillance relies on healthcare providers or laboratories to voluntarily
report data to health authorities. Active surveillance involves health officials systematically
reaching out to collect data.
Q6: An outbreak of gastroenteritis occurs following a company picnic. Out of the 200 people
who attended, 100 developed symptoms. What is the attack rate?
A. 50% [CORRECT]
B. 100%
C. 200%
D. 0.5%
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The attack rate is the proportion of the population at risk that becomes ill during a
specific outbreak. It is calculated as (New cases / Population at risk) x 100 = () x 100 =
50%.
Q7: During a severe viral outbreak, 1,000 individuals are confirmed to be infected, and 100 of
those individuals die from the infection. What is the case fatality rate (CFR)?
A. 10% [CORRECT]
B. 100%
C. 0.1%
D. 1%
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The CFR measures the severity of a disease by calculating the proportion of
diagnosed cases that die from the disease. (100 deaths / 1,000 cases) x 100 = 10%. It does not
include undiagnosed cases.
.
Portage Learning (2026/2027)
Section 1: Epidemiology Fundamentals
Q1: Which of the following best defines epidemiology?
A. The study of the molecular mechanisms of disease within a single organism
B. The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in
specified populations [CORRECT]
C. The clinical diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in hospital settings
D. The study of pharmaceutical interventions and their side effects
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Epidemiology is fundamentally the study of how diseases are distributed in
populations and the factors that determine this distribution, rather than focusing on individual
clinical cases or molecular pathology.
Q2: A public health nurse is investigating a sudden increase in flu-like illnesses in a localized
area. They record the age, sex, and occupation of the affected individuals, as well as the exact
location and time of symptom onset. This aspect of the investigation is known as:
A. Analytic epidemiology
B. Experimental epidemiology
C. Descriptive epidemiology [CORRECT]
D. Clinical epidemiology
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Descriptive epidemiology characterizes health events by person, place, and time to
understand the scope of the problem and identify patterns, whereas analytic epidemiology tests
hypotheses about why the disease occurred.
.
,Q3: In a city of 100,000 people, 500 individuals are diagnosed with diabetes in a given year, and
50 individuals die from diabetes during that same year. What is the mortality rate for diabetes in
this city for the year?
A. 500 per 100,000
B. 50 per 100,000 [CORRECT]
C. 5 per 100,000
D. 0.5 per 100,000
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mortality rate measures the frequency of deaths from a specific cause. Here, there are
50 deaths in a population of 100,000, yielding a rate of 50 per 100,000. Morbidity would be
represented by the 500 new diagnoses.
Q4: Applying lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2026), which term best
describes a disease that occurs at a baseline, expected level within a specific geographic area,
such as seasonal influenza?
A. Endemic [CORRECT]
B. Epidemic
C. Pandemic
D. Sporadic
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: An endemic disease is consistently present in a population at a predictable baseline
rate. Epidemics are sudden increases above that baseline, and pandemics are worldwide
epidemics.
Q5: Which of the following is an example of a passive public health surveillance system?
A. A state health department mandating that all hospitals report daily COVID-19 admissions
B. Physicians voluntarily submitting case reports for a rare disease to the CDC [CORRECT]
C. Public health officials actively calling schools to ask about absenteeism rates
D. A mobile clinic setting up in a community to actively screen for hypertension
Correct Answer: B
.
, Rationale: Passive surveillance relies on healthcare providers or laboratories to voluntarily
report data to health authorities. Active surveillance involves health officials systematically
reaching out to collect data.
Q6: An outbreak of gastroenteritis occurs following a company picnic. Out of the 200 people
who attended, 100 developed symptoms. What is the attack rate?
A. 50% [CORRECT]
B. 100%
C. 200%
D. 0.5%
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The attack rate is the proportion of the population at risk that becomes ill during a
specific outbreak. It is calculated as (New cases / Population at risk) x 100 = () x 100 =
50%.
Q7: During a severe viral outbreak, 1,000 individuals are confirmed to be infected, and 100 of
those individuals die from the infection. What is the case fatality rate (CFR)?
A. 10% [CORRECT]
B. 100%
C. 0.1%
D. 1%
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The CFR measures the severity of a disease by calculating the proportion of
diagnosed cases that die from the disease. (100 deaths / 1,000 cases) x 100 = 10%. It does not
include undiagnosed cases.
.
