Question:
Which one of the following diseases CANNOT be eradicated?
Which one of the following diseases CANNOT be eradicated?
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Think about which disease can hide silently in the body for years before causing illness.
Updated On: Jul 7, 2026
- Leprosy
- Tuberculosis
- Measles
- Pertussis
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Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question.
We need to find which disease, among four that public health programs target, is considered impossible to eradicate completely with today's tools.
Step 2: Key Concept.
A disease is called eradicable when it has no animal reservoir, spreads only from person to person in a way we can interrupt, has a reliable test to find every case, and has a tool, like a vaccine or drug, that gives lasting protection or cure. Diseases that fail these conditions cannot be fully eradicated with current methods.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
Leprosy has a very long incubation period and needs multi-drug therapy, but the World Health Organization has targeted it for elimination as a public health problem, treating it as a realistic long-term target.
Measles has an effective, cheap vaccine, spreads only between humans, and is being pursued as an eradication target in many regions, similar to how smallpox was eradicated earlier.
Pertussis also has a vaccine and a human-only spread pattern, so it is technically considered within reach of eradication efforts, even if not yet achieved.
Tuberculosis, however, can hide in the body for decades as latent infection with no symptoms and can reactivate any time, so there is a huge hidden reservoir of infection in humans that cannot be found or cleared with current tests. The BCG vaccine also gives only partial and inconsistent protection against pulmonary TB, the most common and most infectious form. These gaps make tuberculosis a disease that cannot be eradicated with the tools available today.
Step 4: Final Answer.
Because of its long silent latent phase and imperfect vaccine, tuberculosis is the disease that cannot be eradicated, so the answer is tuberculosis.
We need to find which disease, among four that public health programs target, is considered impossible to eradicate completely with today's tools.
Step 2: Key Concept.
A disease is called eradicable when it has no animal reservoir, spreads only from person to person in a way we can interrupt, has a reliable test to find every case, and has a tool, like a vaccine or drug, that gives lasting protection or cure. Diseases that fail these conditions cannot be fully eradicated with current methods.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
Leprosy has a very long incubation period and needs multi-drug therapy, but the World Health Organization has targeted it for elimination as a public health problem, treating it as a realistic long-term target.
Measles has an effective, cheap vaccine, spreads only between humans, and is being pursued as an eradication target in many regions, similar to how smallpox was eradicated earlier.
Pertussis also has a vaccine and a human-only spread pattern, so it is technically considered within reach of eradication efforts, even if not yet achieved.
Tuberculosis, however, can hide in the body for decades as latent infection with no symptoms and can reactivate any time, so there is a huge hidden reservoir of infection in humans that cannot be found or cleared with current tests. The BCG vaccine also gives only partial and inconsistent protection against pulmonary TB, the most common and most infectious form. These gaps make tuberculosis a disease that cannot be eradicated with the tools available today.
Step 4: Final Answer.
Because of its long silent latent phase and imperfect vaccine, tuberculosis is the disease that cannot be eradicated, so the answer is tuberculosis.
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