UPSC Prelims 2015 GS Paper I · Q17 of 100 Current Events easy

Among the following, which were frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of Ebola virus recently?

  1. (a) Syria and Jordan
  2. (b) Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) Philippines and Papua New Guinea
  4. (d) Jamaica, Haiti and Surinam

Why the answer is (b)

• The 2014–16 Ebola epidemic, the largest in history with over 11,000 deaths, centred on three West African countries — Guinea (where it began), Sierra Leone and Liberia — option (b).

• WHO declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in August 2014.

• The other option groups were not affected.

• Hence option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) Syria and Jordan
Syria and Jordan had no Ebola outbreak.
(c) Philippines and Papua New Guinea
The Philippines and PNG were not affected.
(d) Jamaica, Haiti and Surinam
The Caribbean countries were not affected.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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