Question

Under which of the following conditions is a person most likely to fall sick and why?
[2 marks]
[NCERT]
[Disease and Its Types]

• A. When she is on a four-day fast after recovering from malaria and taking care of someone suffering from chicken pox.​
• B. When she is has recovered from malaria and taking care of someone suffering from chicken pox
• C. When she is recovering from malaria.

Answer 1

The correct option is A When she is on a four-day fast after recovering from malaria and taking care of someone suffering from chicken pox.​

Solution:
The correct answer is option D. (2 marks)
Out of the given options, a person would be most likely to fall sick when he/she is on a four-day fast after recovering from malaria and taking care of someone suffering from chickenpox because of the following reasons:​

1. She was suffering from malaria, which is caused by the protozoan Plasmodium. It must have had a detrimental effect on her immune system and other organ systems.​
2. While recovering from malaria, if she is on a four-day fast, then she will be extremely fatigued and poorly nourished. It will slow down the recovery process.​
3. ​Simultaneously, she is also in contact with someone suffering from chickenpox which is an infectious viral disease. It is likely, that she might get infected with the chicken pox virus (especially, if she has not suffered from chicken pox before). Moreover, her weak immune system and poorly functioning body systems further add to the reasons of getting infected with the chicken pox virus.​
4. If she has suffered through chicken pox before, then she will not fall ill because, in that case, she has gained acquired immunity against the chicken pox virus. In this case, she might fall sick from a disease other than chicken pox because of already poor functioning of body systems and weak immune system. ​