When Lyme Disease Was First Being Investigated, the Observation That

question 31

Multiple Choice

When Lyme disease was first being investigated, the observation that frequently only 1 person in a household was infected was a clue leading to the discovery that the disease was spread by arthropod bites. Why was this so?

• A) Mosquitoes (an example of arthropods) are never inside a house. They are strictly outdoor animals, so they couldn't spread the infection inside the household.
• B) Mosquitoes (an example of arthropods) only bite once in their life cycle. As such, they can only transmit the illness once before they die. Even if an infected mosquito was inside a house, it could therefore only infect one human.
• C) If the infection is spread by the bite of an arthropod, it wouldn't spread easily by respiratory secretions, direct contact, or sexual contact between individuals within the family.
• D) Arthropods lose their mechanical ability to bite a human after a single bite, much like certain bees that lose their stinger after a single sting. This prevents them from transmitting the infection to more than one individual in a household.

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Definitions:

Oxytocin

A hormone released by the pituitary gland that causes increased contraction of the uterus during labor and stimulates the ejection of milk into the ducts of the breasts.

Uterine Smooth Muscle

The muscle tissue in the uterus, responsible for the contractions during menstruation and childbirth.

Digestive System

A group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body.

Body Weight

The measure of a person's mass or heaviness.