Virology Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Antiviral Drugs”.
1. Which of the following antiviral drug is used to treat influenza A?
a) Dextran sulfate
b) Amantadine
c) Ganciclovir
d) Cidofovir
Answer: b
Clarification: Amantadine is an antiviral drug that is used to treat the infection from influenza virus. It is used to treat and prevent the respiratory infections and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
2. Which of the following is used to treat eye infection?
a) Rimantadine
b) Ganciclovir
c) TFT
d) ACV
Answer: c
Clarification: Trifluoro thymidine (TFT) is used to treat the infection of the eye with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is also called as trifluridine and its eye drops are used to keratitis and keratoconjunctivitis. It may irritate eyelids.
3. Which of the following is not used in the HIV-1 treatment?
a) Delavirdine
b) Zidovudine
c) Rimantadine
d) Stavudine
Answer: c
Clarification: Rimantadine is not used in the treatment of infection of HIV-1. It is used to treat the infection of influenza A virus. Delavirdine, zidovudine, stavudine, etc. are the antiviral drugs used for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
4. Which of the following is used to treat CMV infections?
a) Foscarnet
b) Saquinavir
c) Ritonavir
d) Nelfinavir
Answer: a
Clarification: Foscarnet is an antiviral drug that is used for the treatment of cytomegalovirus infections. It is also used to control eye infections in person with AIDS. Saquinavir, ritonavir, nelfinavir, etc. are used in HIV treatment.
5. Which of the following is used to treat poxvirus?
a) Zalcitabine
b) Cidofovir
c) Penciclovir
d) Zanamivir
Answer: b
Clarification: Cidofovir is an antiviral substance used to treat the infection from poxvirus. It is also used to treat the infection of the retina of an eye. The esters of cidofovir reduce the renal toxicity that is used for poxvirus treatment.
6. Which of the following is used to treat genital herpes infections?
a) Penciclovir
b) Pleconaril
c) Oseltamivir
d) Efavirenz
Answer: a
Clarification: Penciclovir is a licensed antiviral drug that is used to treat the genital infections of the herpes virus. It targets the DNA polymerase of the virus and does not allow it to replicate the virus.
7. Which of the following is easily blocked by antivirals?
a) Virus penetration
b) Nucleic acid replication
c) Virus absorption
d) Removal of the virus from the cell
Answer: b
Clarification: Nucleic acid replication, that is DNA or RNA replication is easily blocked by antiviral compounds because nucleoside and nucleotide analogs are easily discovered antivirals.
8. Why antiviral drugs cannot cure HIV?
a) They do not block viral replication
b) They cannot block viral translation
c) They cannot block viral transcription
d) They do not penetrate the cells
Answer: c
Clarification: The current antiviral drugs are not able to block the viral transcription of mRNA. This is why HIV is not cured. If the drugs prevent transcription then, no protein will be formed and hence translation does not occur.
9. Which of the following cannot be treated by antiviral drugs?
a) Tuberculosis
b) Smallpox
c) Hepatitis
d) Warts
Answer: a
Clarification: Tuberculosis cannot be treated with antiviral drugs as tuberculosis is a bacterial disease. Smallpox, hepatitis, warts, etc. can be cured and treated with antiviral drugs.
10. The mutations in the M2 gene is responsible for drug resistance in influenza A virus.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The mutations in the M2 gene is responsible for drug resistance in the influenza A virus. The influenza A virus gets resistant to drugs such as amantadine, zanamivir, etc.
11. Relenza is an anti-influenza drug.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: Relenza is an anti-influenza drug that is administered by a dry powder inhaler. Relenza along with Tamiflu binds to the active site of neuraminidase enzyme and inhibits influenza A and influenza B.