Q.68 Match the diseases given in Group I with their causative agents from Group II.
Group I
(P) Plague
(Q) Rabies
(R) Q fever
(S) Malaria
Group II
(I) Coxiella burnetii
(II) Plasmodium spp.
(III) Yersinia pestis
(IV) Lyssavirus
(A) P-III, Q-IV, R-I, S-II
(B) P-III, Q-I, R-II, S-IV
(C) P-IV, Q-III, R-I, S-II
(D) P-III, Q-I, R-IV, S-II
Plague, rabies, Q fever, and malaria represent key infectious diseases tested in exams like NEET, each linked to specific pathogens. The correct matching identifies Yersinia pestis for plague, Lyssavirus for rabies, Coxiella burnetii for Q fever, and Plasmodium spp. for malaria.
Correct Answer
Option (A) P-III, Q-IV, R-I, S-II is correct.
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Plague (P) – Yersinia pestis (III): This bacterium causes bubonic and pneumonic plague, transmitted via flea bites from infected rodents.
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Rabies (Q) – Lyssavirus (IV): A neurotropic RNA virus from the Rhabdoviridae family, spread through animal saliva, leading to fatal encephalitis.
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Q Fever (R) – Coxiella burnetii (I): An obligate intracellular bacterium causing zoonotic fever, often from inhaling contaminated animal particles.
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Malaria (S) – Plasmodium spp. (II): Protozoan parasites transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, causing cyclic fevers via erythrocyte invasion.
Why Other Options Fail
Option (B) P-III, Q-I, R-II, S-IV mismatches rabies with Coxiella burnetii (a bacterium, not a virus) and malaria with Lyssavirus.
Option (C) P-IV, Q-III, R-I, S-II incorrectly pairs plague with Lyssavirus and rabies with Yersinia pestis.
Option (D) P-III, Q-I, R-IV, S-II wrongly assigns Coxiella burnetii to rabies and Lyssavirus to Q fever.
Exam Preparation Tips
Master pathogen-disease links through mnemonics like “Plague Pestis, Rabies Lyssavirus” for quick recall. Practice similar match-the-following questions from NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 8 to score high in NEET microbiology sections.


