MCQs on Vaccines and antiviral therapy (antiviral drugs): Medical microbiology, Pharmacology

                                   Vaccines and antiviral therapy 

 

1. Which type of antiviral drug works by inhibiting the replication of viral genetic material, such as        DNA or RNA?
a) Fusion inhibitor
b) Entry inhibitor
c) Protease inhibitor
d) Reverse transcriptase inhibitor  

2. Which class of antiviral drugs is commonly used to treat HIV infections by targeting the viral enzyme that converts viral RNA into DNA?
a) Fusion inhibitors
b) Neuraminidase inhibitors
c) Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)   
d) Protease inhibitors

3. Which of the following antiviral drug class interferes with the final assembly and release of mature virus particles from infected cells?

a) Entry inhibitors

b) Fusion inhibitors

c) Neuraminidase inhibitors

d) Protease inhibitors   

4. Rotavirus vaccines are used to prevent infections that cause which common childhood ailment?

a) Diarrhea   

b) Ear infections

c) Malaria

d) Pneumonia

5. The varicella vaccine is administered to prevent which viral disease in children?

a) Chickenpox    

b) Measles

c) Mumps

d) Polio

6. Which of the following is a factor that can affect the reliability and standardization of antiviral susceptibility testing?

a) Laboratory technician's experience

b) Patient's vaccination status

c) Patient's ethnicity

d) Viral strain mutations

7. Which antiviral medication is commonly used to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms in influenza infections by inhibiting the release of newly formed virus particles from infected cells?

a) Acyclovir (Zovirax)

b) Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)   

c) Ribavirin

d) Zanamivir (Relenza)

8. What is the primary target of neuraminidase inhibitors like oseltamivir and zanamivir in the treatment of influenza?

a) Viral RNA replication

b) Viral entry into host cells

c) Viral protein synthesis

d) Viral release from infected cells   

9. Which antiviral drug class interferes with the binding of the virus to host cell receptors, preventing viral entry into the host cell?

a) Entry inhibitors  

b) Fusion inhibitors

c) Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)

d) Protease inhibitors

10. Ribavirin is an antiviral drug used in the treatment of which viral infections?

a) Influenza

b) Hepatitis C   

c) HIV

d) Herpes simplex

11. Which antiviral medication is commonly used to treat herpes simplex and varicella-zoster virus infections by inhibiting viral DNA synthesis?

a) Acyclovir (Zovirax)    

b) Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)

c) Ribavirin

d) Zanamivir (Relenza)

12. What is the primary mechanism of action of fusion inhibitors in antiviral therapy?

a) Blocking viral entry into host cells   

b) Inhibiting viral reverse transcription

c) Interfering with viral RNA synthesis

d) Preventing viral budding and release

13.Which type of antiviral therapy aims to boost the body's immune response against viral infections rather than directly targeting the virus itself?

a) Antiretroviral therapy (ART)

b) Entry inhibitor therapy

c) Fusion inhibitor therapy

d) Interferon therapy    

14.What type of immune prophylaxis involves the administration of vaccines to stimulate the host's immune system to produce protective antibodies?

a) Active immune prophylaxis    

b) Antiviral treatment

c) Antibiotic therapy

d) Passive immune prophylaxis

15. Which viral disease was globally eradicated in 1980 through a vaccination campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO)?

a) Influenza

b) Measles

c)  Polio

d) Smallpox    

16. Which viral diseases are currently not targeted for global eradication but have ongoing efforts to control and reduce their impact?

a) HIV/AIDS and Influenza

b) Hepatitis B and C   

c) Polio and Measles

d) Smallpox and Guinea Worm Disease

17. What is the primary objective of antiviral susceptibility testing in clinical practice?

a) To select the most cost-effective antiviral drug

b) To determine the optimal duration of antiviral therapy

c) To guide the choice of antiviral drugs for individual patients    

d) To assess the patient's overall immune function

18. What is the primary outcome measured in antiviral susceptibility testing?

a) Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)

b) Patient's tolerance to the antiviral drug

c) Patient's clinical response to antiviral therapy

d) Viral replication rate

19. In antiviral susceptibility testing, what does the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) represent?

a) The maximum tolerable dose of the antiviral drug

b) The concentration of the antiviral drug needed to inhibit viral growth     

c) The duration of time required for complete viral clearance

d) The patient's viral load at the start of treatment

20. Which of the following is a situation where passive immune prophylaxis is commonly used?

a) Routine childhood vaccinations

b) Influenza prevention in healthy adults

c) Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis     

d) Tuberculosis treatment

21. What is the typical route of administration for most vaccines?

a) Intravenous infusion

b) Intramuscular injection

c) Oral ingestion

d) Topical application

22. At what age is the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine typically administered to infants?

a. At birth

b. 6 months

c. 12 months

d. 18 months

23. Which of the following is a vaccine-preventable disease?

a. Common cold

b. Malaria

c. Polio

d. Allergies

Answers with Explanation:

1. d) Reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Reverse transcriptase inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs used primarily in the treatment of retroviral infections, including HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and certain other retroviruses. These inhibitors target an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which plays a crucial role in the replication of retroviruses.  

2. c) Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Common NRTIs zidovudine (AZT), lamivudine (3TC), and tenofovir are antiretroviral drugs (HIV). NRTIs are analogs of the building blocks of DNA and RNA. When the virus incorporates NRTIs into its genetic material during replication, it cannot complete the replication process properly, leading to the termination of viral DNA synthesis. 

3. d) Protease inhibitors. Protease inhibitors are a class of antiretroviral drugs used primarily in the treatment of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection. They play a crucial role in combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) by inhibiting the activity of the HIV protease enzyme. This inhibition disrupts the maturation of newly formed HIV virions (virus particles), preventing them from becoming infectious.

4. a) Diarrhea 

5. a) Chickenpox. The varicella vaccine, often referred to as the chickenpox vaccine, is a preventive vaccine used to protect against the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox.

 

6. d) Viral strain mutations. 

7. b) Oseltamivir (Tamiflu).  Administered orally as a capsule or liquid suspension, oseltamivir is used for both treatment and prevention of influenza in individuals over one year of age. It is a primary Neuraminidase inhibitors (class of antiviral drugs) that target the neuraminidase enzyme on the surface of influenza viruses. These drugs inhibit the activity of neuraminidase, which is essential for the release of newly formed virus particles from infected host cells thus preventing the spread of the virus to other host cells.

   

8. d) Viral release from infected cells

9. a) Entry inhibitors 

 

10. b) Hepatitis C. Ribavirin exerts its antiviral activity by inhibiting viral RNA synthesis. It can interfere with the replication and transcription of RNA viruses.  It is a nucleoside analogue, meaning it resembles the building blocks of RNA and DNA, and it interferes with the replication of Hepatitis C virus.

11. a) Acyclovir (Zovirax) 

12. a) Blocking viral entry into host cells 

13. d) Interferon therapy

14. a) Active immune prophylaxis    

15. d) Smallpox    

16. b) Hepatitis B and C  

17. c) To guide the choice of antiviral drugs for individual patients 

18. a) Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)

19. b) The concentration of the antiviral drug needed to inhibit viral growth   

 

20. c) Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis. Passive immune prophylaxis is often used to prevent disease after a known or suspected exposure to a pathogen. It is a form of immunization that provides immediate, temporary protection against a specific disease or pathogen by transferring pre-formed antibodies or immune cells from one individual (or an animal) to another. Individuals exposed to rabies may receive passive immunization with rabies immune globulin (RIG) to prevent the development of rabies.

21. b) Intramuscular injection

22. a) At birth. Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for a wide range of individuals, including infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Newborns are often vaccinated shortly after birth. 

23. c. Polio. The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is administered during the childhood, the vaccines has been crucial in the global efforts to eradicate the disease.