MI3.10-13 | Blood & Tissue Parasites and HIV/AIDS — Practice Quiz

A 28-year-old male from Assam presents with fever spiking every 48 hours, anaemia, and splenomegaly. Peripheral blood smear shows enlarged red blood cells with Schüffner's dots and amoebioid-form trophozoites. Which Plasmodium species is most likely responsible?

A physician prescribes primaquine to a patient with P. vivax malaria for radical cure. Before starting, which investigation is MOST important to perform?

Which of the following peripheral smear features is MOST diagnostic of Plasmodium falciparum infection?

A 35-year-old woman from Bihar presents with prolonged fever, progressive weakness, and massive splenomegaly. Bone marrow biopsy reveals intracellular oval bodies (2–4 μm) within macrophages showing a large nucleus and a rod-shaped kinetoplast. What is the diagnosis?

Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for malaria detect histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP-2) as a specific antigen. Which Plasmodium species does HRP-2 specifically identify?

A 32-year-old HIV-positive patient has a CD4+ count of 180 cells/μL. He develops headache, fever, and neck stiffness. CSF India ink preparation shows encapsulated yeast cells. Which opportunistic infection is most likely?

HIV replication depends on the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Which property of reverse transcriptase MOST contributes to rapid viral mutation and drug resistance?

In India, the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) recommends 4th-generation ELISA as the primary screening test for HIV. What does a 4th-generation assay detect that distinguishes it from 3rd-generation assays?

A 6-year-old child from Kerala presents with fever and scrotal swelling. Blood smear taken at midnight shows sheathed microfilariae 244–296 μm long with a clear, nuclei-free tail tip. Which parasite is most likely?

Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) is a recognised complication of starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). Which statement about IRIS is CORRECT?