PARASITOLOGY EXAM I QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
1) Which of the following organisms is invasive and therefore the most dangerous?
a) Giardia lamblia
b) Isospora hominis
c) Entamoeba histolytica
d) Dientamoeba fragilis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Entamoeba histolytica
2) A pathogenic disease that attacks many people in the same geographic region over a
short period of time is a/an:
a) endemic
b) epidemic
c) pathogenic
d) virulent -- Correct Answer ✔✔ b. epidemic
3) Which of the following may be found as a coinfection with Ascaris lumbricoides or
Enterobius vermicularis?
a) Chilomastix mesnili
b) Giardia lamblia
c) Pentatrichomonas hominis
d) Dientamoeba fragilis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ d. Dientamoeba fragilis
,4) Wearing shoes when walking in soil that may be contaminated or using mosquito
nets are examples of:
a) barrier control
b) chemical treatment
c) life cycle interruption
d) prophylactic treatment of hosts -- Correct Answer ✔✔ a. barrier control
5) Obligate parasites
a) are free living
b) need a host to complete life cycle
c) never have a complete life cycle
d) can live without a specific host -- Correct Answer ✔✔ b. need a host to
complete life cycle
6) Primary amoebic encephalitis may be caused by which of the following:
A) Endolimax nana
B) Acanthamoeba
C) Echinococcus granulosus
D) Naegleria species -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D - naegleria species
7) Duodenal aspirates and the Entero-Test are used most often to recover:
A) Entamoeba histolytica
B) Dientamoeba fragilis
C) Giardia lamblia
D) Chilomastix mesnili -- Correct Answer ✔✔ C. Giardia lamblia
8) Infection with Naegleria may be detected by examining which of the following
specimens:
A) CSF
B) Blood
C) Fecal material
D) Urine -- Correct Answer ✔✔ CSF
, 9) Specimens suspected of containing protozoans and flagellates should be transported
to the laboratory in:
A) Saline
B) Zinc sulfate
C) Ether
D) Polyvinyl alcohol -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D. PVA
10) Which of the following is used to describe the trophozoites of Entamoeba
histolytica?
A) Generally the same size as those of E. coli
B) Usually contain more than one nucleus
C) Eccentric karyosome
D) Cytoplasm always contains ingested RBCs -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D -
cytoplasm always contains ingested RBCs
11) A 12 YO boy was seen in the ER complaining of neck rigidity and severe headache.
He spent the previous week swimming in a neighbors pond. A spinal tap was
performed and the specimen was sent to the lab. Direct Exam of the CSF revealed
motile amoeba. This organism is most likely:
A) E. Histolytica
B) Giardia lamblia
C) Naegleria fowleri
D) Dientamoeba fragilis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ C- Naegleria fowleri
12) A weak iodine solution will destroy which of the following parasitic forms?
A) Protozoan cysts
B) Motile trophozoites
C) WBCs
D) Motile larvae -- Correct Answer ✔✔ B. Motile trophs
SOLUTIONS
1) Which of the following organisms is invasive and therefore the most dangerous?
a) Giardia lamblia
b) Isospora hominis
c) Entamoeba histolytica
d) Dientamoeba fragilis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Entamoeba histolytica
2) A pathogenic disease that attacks many people in the same geographic region over a
short period of time is a/an:
a) endemic
b) epidemic
c) pathogenic
d) virulent -- Correct Answer ✔✔ b. epidemic
3) Which of the following may be found as a coinfection with Ascaris lumbricoides or
Enterobius vermicularis?
a) Chilomastix mesnili
b) Giardia lamblia
c) Pentatrichomonas hominis
d) Dientamoeba fragilis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ d. Dientamoeba fragilis
,4) Wearing shoes when walking in soil that may be contaminated or using mosquito
nets are examples of:
a) barrier control
b) chemical treatment
c) life cycle interruption
d) prophylactic treatment of hosts -- Correct Answer ✔✔ a. barrier control
5) Obligate parasites
a) are free living
b) need a host to complete life cycle
c) never have a complete life cycle
d) can live without a specific host -- Correct Answer ✔✔ b. need a host to
complete life cycle
6) Primary amoebic encephalitis may be caused by which of the following:
A) Endolimax nana
B) Acanthamoeba
C) Echinococcus granulosus
D) Naegleria species -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D - naegleria species
7) Duodenal aspirates and the Entero-Test are used most often to recover:
A) Entamoeba histolytica
B) Dientamoeba fragilis
C) Giardia lamblia
D) Chilomastix mesnili -- Correct Answer ✔✔ C. Giardia lamblia
8) Infection with Naegleria may be detected by examining which of the following
specimens:
A) CSF
B) Blood
C) Fecal material
D) Urine -- Correct Answer ✔✔ CSF
, 9) Specimens suspected of containing protozoans and flagellates should be transported
to the laboratory in:
A) Saline
B) Zinc sulfate
C) Ether
D) Polyvinyl alcohol -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D. PVA
10) Which of the following is used to describe the trophozoites of Entamoeba
histolytica?
A) Generally the same size as those of E. coli
B) Usually contain more than one nucleus
C) Eccentric karyosome
D) Cytoplasm always contains ingested RBCs -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D -
cytoplasm always contains ingested RBCs
11) A 12 YO boy was seen in the ER complaining of neck rigidity and severe headache.
He spent the previous week swimming in a neighbors pond. A spinal tap was
performed and the specimen was sent to the lab. Direct Exam of the CSF revealed
motile amoeba. This organism is most likely:
A) E. Histolytica
B) Giardia lamblia
C) Naegleria fowleri
D) Dientamoeba fragilis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ C- Naegleria fowleri
12) A weak iodine solution will destroy which of the following parasitic forms?
A) Protozoan cysts
B) Motile trophozoites
C) WBCs
D) Motile larvae -- Correct Answer ✔✔ B. Motile trophs
