UPSC Prelims 2015 · Question 92 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2015 question on H1N1 Swine Flu
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2015
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectScience and Technology
- TopicDiseases
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
H1N1 virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases?
Show answer
Answer: D. Swine flu
Verdict
The answer is swine flu. H1N1 is the influenza subtype responsible for swine flu.
Analysis
H1N1 is named for the haemagglutinin and neuraminidase surface proteins that classify influenza A viruses, and the 2009 pandemic strain and its descendants cause the illness commonly called swine flu. Bird flu is caused by other influenza A subtypes such as H5N1 and H7N9, which is the closest distractor because it shares the naming convention. AIDS is caused by HIV, a retrovirus, and dengue by a flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, so neither carries an H and N designation at all.
Source
The Hindu editorial on the spread of H1N1 in India.
How to crack it
The H and N naming convention belongs exclusively to influenza A viruses, so the moment you see that format you can discard every non influenza disease, which removes two options immediately. Then separate the subtypes by host: H1N1 is the swine origin pandemic strain and H5N1 is the avian one. Keep pathogen type paired with disease for the dozen names UPSC reuses, since virus family alone often settles the question.
More questions on Diseases
← Full 2015 question paper · All Science and Technology questions