Q 01/05

Which bacterium causes bubonic plague?

A) Yersinia pestis

B) Bacillus anthracis

C) Vibrio cholerae

D) Salmonella typhi

Answer · why

A) Yersinia pestis

It was originally named Pasteurella pestis and was renamed in 1944 after its discoverer.

Q 02/05

How many types of plague does the bacterium cause, depending on the route of infection?

A) Five

B) Three

C) Four

D) Two

Answer · why

B) Three

Bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic, depending on whether the bacteria settle in the lymph nodes, blood or lungs.

Q 03/05

What is the swollen, painful lymph node that gives bubonic plague its name called?

A) A carbuncle

B) A bubo

C) A goitre

D) A pustule

Answer · why

B) A bubo

They usually appear in the groin, armpit or neck nearest the flea bite and can grow until they burst.

Q 04/05

The word "bubonic" comes from a Greek word meaning what?

A) Fever

B) Groin

C) Swelling

D) Black

Answer · why

B) Groin

The buboes most commonly appear in that area because flea bites are usually on the legs.

Q 05/05

Which insect species is the most effective transmitter of bubonic plague?

A) The Oriental rat flea

B) The human flea

C) The common bed bug

D) The body louse

Answer · why

A) The Oriental rat flea

Xenopsylla cheopis regurgitates infected blood into its bite because the bacteria clog its gut.