Malaria MCQ Quiz | Infectious Diseases – Protozoal

Welcome to this specialized multiple-choice quiz on Malaria, designed for MBBS students navigating the complexities of protozoal infectious diseases. This assessment covers critical aspects of Malaria, including its life cycle, causative agents, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and modern treatment protocols. You will be tested on key concepts such as the role of different Plasmodium species, the significance of hypnozoites in relapses, and the mechanisms of severe malaria. This quiz serves as an excellent tool for self-assessment and reinforcing your knowledge base. After submitting your answers, you will see your score and a detailed breakdown of correct and incorrect responses. You can also download all the questions with their correct answers in a PDF format for future revision.

1. Which Plasmodium species is primarily responsible for malignant tertian malaria and cerebral complications?

2. The dormant liver stage, responsible for relapses in certain types of malaria, is known as:

3. Which drug is essential for the radical cure of P. vivax and P. ovale malaria by targeting hypnozoites?

4. The characteristic fever pattern of “quartan malaria,” occurring every 72 hours, is caused by which species?

5. In a peripheral blood smear, the presence of multiple ring-stage trophozoites in a single erythrocyte and appliqué forms is highly suggestive of:

6. The primary mechanism behind the severe complications of P. falciparum malaria, such as cerebral malaria, is:

7. A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for malaria that detects Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (HRP2) is specific for which Plasmodium species?

8. Which of the following is the definitive host in the life cycle of the malaria parasite?

9. “Blackwater fever,” a severe complication characterized by massive intravascular hemolysis and hemoglobinuria, is most commonly associated with:

10. The infective stage of the Plasmodium parasite transmitted from the mosquito to humans is the:

11. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the first-line treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. What is the primary role of the artemisinin component?

12. A patient returning from Southeast Asia presents with daily fever spikes and a high parasitemia. Which zoonotic Plasmodium species, with a 24-hour erythrocytic cycle, should be suspected?

13. Schüffner’s dots are characteristic morphological features seen in erythrocytes infected with which of the following species?

14. For a non-immune traveler going to a chloroquine-resistant area, which of the following is an appropriate chemoprophylactic agent?

15. The stage of the Plasmodium life cycle that is taken up by the mosquito during a blood meal to continue the transmission cycle is the:

16. In the context of malaria diagnosis, what is the main advantage of a thick blood smear over a thin blood smear?

17. The binding of infected erythrocytes to uninfected erythrocytes, a phenomenon known as rosetting, is a virulence factor primarily associated with:

18. A 30-year-old male is diagnosed with P. vivax malaria. He is treated with chloroquine. What is the most critical next step in his management to prevent relapse?

19. Which of the following is NOT a typical clinical feature of severe malaria according to WHO criteria?

20. The pre-erythrocytic schizogony (exo-erythrocytic cycle) of the malaria parasite occurs in which human organ?

21. What is the primary target of the sporozoite once it enters the human bloodstream?

22. In P. falciparum malaria, banana-shaped or crescent-shaped gametocytes are a characteristic finding in the peripheral blood. Why are they significant?

23. The periodic fever paroxysms in malaria (chill, fever, sweat) correspond to which event in the parasite’s life cycle?

24. Which antimalarial drug is generally contraindicated in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, due to a theoretical risk of teratogenicity and lack of safety data?

25. A patient with severe P. falciparum malaria is treated with intravenous artesunate. What is its primary mechanism of action?