Diseases Causes

Diseases & Their Causes – 60-Second Crash Sheet

1. Bullet-Bites

  • Bacteria → Typhoid (Salmonella), Cholera (Vibrio), TB (Mycobacterium), Diphtheria, Plague, Leprosy
  • Virus → COVID-19, Measles, Mumps, Rabies, Dengue, Yellow-Fever, Polio, Hepatitis-A/B/C, Influenza, AIDS
  • Protozoa → Malaria (Plasmodium), Amoebic dysentery (Entamoeba), Sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma), Kala-azar (Leishmania)
  • Fungus → Ringworm, Athlete’s foot
  • Worm → Elephantiasis (Wuchereria), Tape-worm, Pin-worm
  • Deficiency → Night-blindness (Vit-A), Scurvy (Vit-C), Rickets (Vit-D), Beri-beri (Vit-B1), Anaemia (Iron), Goitre (Iodine)

2. Memory Mnemonics

Mnemonic Expansion
Bacteria = “Tubby Cat Died Playing Ludo” T–Typhoid, B–Bacterial dysentery, C–Cholera, D–Diphtheria, P–Plague, L–Leprosy
Virus = “MRP of CHINA” Measles, Mumps, Rabies, Polio, COVID, Hepatitis, Influenza, AIDS
Protozoa = “MALT shop” Malaria, Amoebic dysentery, Leishmaniasis, Trypanosomiasis

3. Quick-Compare Table

Disease Causative Agent Vector / Mode
Malaria Plasmodium spp. Female Anopheles mosquito
Dengue Dengue virus Aedes aegypti mosquito
Cholera Vibrio cholerae Contaminated water/food
TB Mycobacterium tuberculosis Air-borne droplets
AIDS HIV Blood, sexual contact, mother-to-child
Typhoid Salmonella typhi Contaminated water/milk
Rabies Rabies virus Bite/scratch of infected dog
Scurvy Vit-C deficiency
Goitre Iodine deficiency

4. Rapid-Fire MCQs

1. Which vitamin deficiency causes Scurvy? **Ans:** Vitamin C
2. Kala-azar is caused by which protozoan? **Ans:** *Leishmania donovani*
3. The vector of Dengue fever is? **Ans:** *Aedes aegypti* mosquito
4. TB is caused by which bacteria? **Ans:** *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*
5. Night-blindness is due to deficiency of? **Ans:** Vitamin A
6. Which disease is NOT caused by bacteria – Typhoid, Rabies, Cholera? **Ans:** Rabies (Virus)
7. Elephantiasis is caused by which worm? **Ans:** *Wuchereria bancrofti*
8. Hepatitis-B is transmitted through? **Ans:** Blood & body fluids
9. Rickets in children is due to lack of? **Ans:** Vitamin D
10. Sleeping sickness is caused by? **Ans:** *Trypanosoma gambiense* (Protozoa)