Question

Which one is a protozoan disease
(a)AIDS
(b)Taeniasis
(c)Polio
(d)Malaria

Answer 1

Hint: Diseases are classified into many types based on the pathogen which causes the disease. The protozoan disease is caused by Plasmodium which can be of different types depending on the species of Plasmodium attacking.

Complete answer:
The protozoan disease is malaria which is caused by the protozoa Plasmodium. It is carried by the vector female Anopheles mosquito and enters the body of a human through a mosquito bite. Initially, the infectious sporozoite form of the parasite enters the liver cell and RBC and grows in them resulting in their rupture. The rupture of RBC results in the release of hemozoin which causes chill and high fever recurring every 3-4 days. When a female Anopheles mosquito bites this infected person, these parasites enter its body and undergo further development. The sporozoite stage of the parasite is stored in the salivary gland of the mosquito and is passed on to a human through a bite.

Additional Information: AIDS: AIDS stands for Acquired ImmunoDeficiency syndrome which means deficiency of the immune system acquired during the lifetime of an individual. AIDS was first reported in 1981 and in the last 25 years has resulted in the death of more than 25 million people. It is caused by a retrovirus known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It is transmitted by the sharing of blood or fluids with an infected person.
Taeniasis: It is an infection of the digestive system caused by tapeworms caused by eating undercooked beef or pork that contains tapeworm eggs. Taenia solium and Taenia saginata are responsible for causing this disease. Symptoms include stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, etc.
Polio: It is also known as poliomyelitis and is caused by the poliovirus. It causes paralysis in people who become ill, but most people do not become ill because of this virus. It is transmitted by contaminated food or water.
So, the correct option is ‘Malaria’.

Note: -Retroviruses are a group of viruses that have an RNA genome and use reverse transcription to convert their RNA genome to DNA.
-Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malaria, and Plasmodium falciparum are the different species of Plasmodium that cause malaria.
-The most fatal kind of malaria is malignant malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.