MCQs on Herpes Viruses: Medical microbiology

                                              MCQs on Herpes Viruses

1. A 32-year-old male presents with a painful blister on his lip that he noticed a few days ago. He reports a burning sensation and itching around the blister. The patient mentions that he has experienced these symptoms before. He is concerned about whether it is a herpes outbreak, as he has heard about it.

Upon clinical examination, a small cluster of vesicles with clear fluid is observed on the patient's upper lip. The lesions are typical of a herpes labialis (cold sore) outbreak. The patient also mentions occasional cold sores in the past.

Viral Culture is performed to confirm the presence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and identify the virus type. 

Which of the following type collection method is commonly used for the Herpes virus culture?

a. Blood sample collection

b. Sputum sample collection

c. Swab sample collection

d. Urine sample collection

2. What is the defining characteristic associated with herpes infection?
a. Generalized myalgias
b. Orolabial lesions
c. Recurrence of ulcerative anogenital skin lesions    
d. Systemic symptoms

3. Which herpes simplex virus (HSV) is associated with mucosal lesions that resemble small vesicles?
a. HSV-1
b. HSV-2
c. HSV-3
d. HSV-4

4. What is a common term for lesions caused by both HSV-1 and HSV-2 on or around the lips?
a. Anogenital lesions
b. Cold sores
c. Ulcerative lesions
d. Vesicular lesions

5. What is the primary mode of spread for HSV-1 leading to central nervous system (CNS) infection?
a. Hematogenous spread
b. Lymphatic spread
c. Viral neurotropic spread through the olfactory bulb
d. Direct transmission

6. Without treatment, what can the mortality rate associated with HSV infection be in newborns?
a. 5%
b. 15%
c. 20%
d. 80%   

7. What is the gold standard for herpes virus identification through laboratory diagnosis?
a. Cell culture
b. Direct antigen detection
c. Nucleic acid amplification assay
d. Serologic assay  

8. What is the preferred tissue type for cell culture used for the growth of the herpes virus?

a. Animal tissue

b. Bacterial cells

c. Human diploid cells

d. Plant tissue

9. What type of cell lines are commonly used for growing herpes virus in cell culture?
a. A-549, MRC-5, or Vero cell lines   
b. B-lymphocyte cell lines
c. HeLa cell lines
d. Keratinocyte cell lines

10. Which diagnostic method for herpes virus detection is rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive?
a. Cell culture
b. Direct antigen testing    
c. Nucleic acid amplification assay
d. Serologic assay

11. What is the benefit of using immunoassays for herpes virus detection?
a. Adaptability to automation
b. High sensitivity
c. Quantitative measurement
d. Rapid results

12. Which type of testing is more sensitive than cell culture and antigen detection for herpes virus identification?
a. Direct antigen testing
b. Immunofluorescent staining
c. Nucleic acid amplification assay (PCR)
d. Serologic assay

13. How does the ELVIS (enzyme-linked viral-induced system) detect HSV in 24 hours?

a. It accumulates beta-galactosidase in infected cells.

b. It uses a proprietary amplification technology.

c. It stains cells with a blue color.

d. It relies on serological markers.

14. The FDA-approved cobas HSV 1 and 2 Test uses which technology to detect and differentiate these viruses in genital lesions?

a. Beta-galactosidase staining

b. ELVIS

c. PCR

d. Serology testing

15. What are HSV-1 and HSV-2 responsible for, respectively?

a. HSV-1 causes genital herpes, and HSV-2 causes oral herpes.

b. HSV-1 causes oral herpes, and HSV-2 causes genital herpes.   

c. HSV-1 and HSV-2 both cause chickenpox.

d. HSV-1 and HSV-2 both cause infectious mononucleosis.

16. Which of the following is a characteristic feature of herpesviruses?

a. Enveloped RNA genomes

b. Latent infections with periodic reactivation    

c. Rapid replication cycles

d. Single-stranded DNA

17. Which of the following herpesvirus causes chickenpox, and can later reactivate to cause shingles?

a. Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

b. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)

c. Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2)

d.Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV)  

18. Which of the following antiviral medication is commonly used for the reduction of severity and duration of symptoms?

a. Acyclovir and valacyclovir 

b. Azithromycin and erythromycin 

c. Ceftriaxone and Vancomycin

d. Rifampin and isoniazid

19. What is the primary type of nucleic acid found in herpes viruses?

a. Single-stranded RNA

b. Single-stranded DNA

c. Double-stranded RNA

d. Double-stranded DNA

20. Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) or Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a rare form of cancer that primarily affects the skin and mucous membranes and is associated with which of the following viral infection?

a. Ebola virus

b. HIV

c. Hepatitis C virus

d. Polio virus

Answers:

1. c. Swab sample collection

2. c. Recurrence of ulcerative anogenital skin lesions 

3. a. HSV-1

4. b. Cold sores

5. c. Viral neurotropic spread through the olfactory bulb

6. d. 80% 

7. a. Cell culture

8. c. Human diploid cells

9. a. A-549, MRC-5, or Vero cell lines   
10. b. Direct antigen testing

11. c. Adaptability to automation
12. b. Nucleic acid amplification assay (PCR)
13. a. It accumulates beta-galactosidase in infected cells.
14. c. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

15. b. HSV-1 causes oral herpes, and HSV-2 causes genital herpes.

16. b. Latent infections with periodic reactivation    

17. d. Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV)  

18. a. Acyclovir and valacyclovir 
19. d. Double-stranded DNA