Read the given passage and answer the following question:
The term health is very frequently used by everybody. How do we define it? Health does not simply mean ‘absence of disease’ or ‘physical fitness’. It could be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. When people are healthy, they are more efficient at work. This increases productivity and brings economic prosperity. Health also increases longevity of people and reduces infant and maternal mortality. When the functioning of one or more organs or systems of the body is adversely affected, characterised by appearance of various signs and symptoms, we say that we are not healthy, i.e., we have a disease. Diseases can be broadly grouped into infectious and non-infectious. A wide range of organisms belonging to bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, helminths, etc., could cause diseases in man. Such disease-causing organisms are called pathogens. Most parasites are therefore pathogens as they cause harm to the host by living in (or on) them. The pathogens can enter our body by various means, multiply and interfere with normal vital activities, resulting in morphological and functional damage. Pathogens have to adapt to life within the environment of the host. For example, the pathogens that enter the gut must know a way of surviving in the stomach at low pH and resisting the various digestive enzymes.
Which of the following diseases is caused by a round worm?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Ascariasis
Roundworms are helminths. The common roundworm is Ascaris, an intestinal parasite. The disease it causes is named after it: ascariasis. Its eggs pass out with the faeces of an infected person. A healthy person gets infected through contaminated water, vegetables and fruits.
Option (1) Chikungunya — Incorrect. Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by the bite of the Aedes mosquito. It is not caused by a worm.
Option (2) Pneumonia — Incorrect. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, which infect the alveoli of the lungs.
Option (3) Ascariasis — Correct. Ascariasis is caused by Ascaris, the common round worm. Its symptoms include internal bleeding, muscular pain, fever, anaemia and blockage of the intestine.
Option (4) Beriberi — Incorrect. Beriberi is a deficiency disease caused by lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine). No pathogen causes it.
NCERT Extract:
Common Diseases in Humans – “… Ascaris, the common round worm and Wuchereria, the filarial worm, are some of the helminths which are known to be pathogenic to man. Ascaris, an intestinal parasite causes ascariasis. Symptoms of these disease include internal bleeding, muscular pain, fever, anemia and blockage of the intestinal passage. The eggs of the parasite are excreted along with the faeces of infected persons which contaminate soil, water, plants, etc.”