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Disease and Causative Organism: How to Match Them (Bacteria, Virus, Protozoan, Fungus, Worm)

Biology · Human Health and Diseases · NEET

To match a disease with its cause, learn the pathogen GROUP first (bacteria, virus, protozoan, fungus, or worm), then the exact organism name. NEET asks this almost every year as a "Match the Column" question, so a quick table saves marks. Memory hook: "Rings are Fungi, Worms cause Filaria, Amoeba is a Protozoan" — the disease name often hints at its group.
Match the Disease to its Pathogen GroupBACTERIATyphoidPneumoniaCholeraTetanusPlagueVIRUSCommon coldInfluenzaChickenpoxAIDS (HIV)PROTOZOANMalariaAmoebiasisSleepingsicknessKala-azarFUNGUSRingworm(Trichophyton,Microsporum)NOT a worm!WORMFilariasisAscariasisWuchereria,Ascaris
The five pathogen groups with their NEET diseases. Learn the small groups first (Fungus = only Ringworm; Protozoan = 4 diseases; Worm = Filariasis and Ascariasis), then Bacteria and Virus cover the rest.

Your doubts, answered

Is ringworm caused by a worm?

No. Ringworm is a FUNGAL disease, even though the name has 'worm' in it. It is caused by fungi of the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. The name comes from the ring-shaped red patch on the skin, not from any worm. NEET loves this trap, so remember: Ringworm = fungus.

Which NEET diseases are caused by protozoans?

Four protozoan diseases from NCERT: Malaria (Plasmodium), Amoebiasis/amoebic dysentery (Entamoeba histolytica), Sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma), and Leishmaniasis/kala-azar (Leishmania). Memory hook: 'Ma-Am Tries Leish' = MAlaria, AMoebiasis, TRYpanosoma, LEISHmania.

Is typhoid caused by a bacterium or a virus?

Typhoid is a BACTERIAL disease caused by Salmonella typhi. It is confirmed by the Widal test. Students confuse it with viral diseases because the symptoms (fever, weakness) look similar, but the pathogen is a bacterium that lives in the intestine.

How do I remember disease and causative organism quickly?

Use the disease name as a clue, then fix the group. Malaria/Amoebiasis = protozoan; Filariasis/Ascariasis = worm (helminth); Ringworm = fungus; Typhoid/Pneumonia/Plague/Cholera/Diphtheria/Tetanus = bacteria; Common cold/Influenza/Chickenpox/AIDS = virus. Learn the small groups (fungus has only ringworm; protozoa has 4) first, then everything left is mostly bacteria or virus.

Is filariasis caused by a worm or a protozoan?

Filariasis (elephantiasis) is caused by a WORM, the filarial nematode Wuchereria bancrofti (and W. malayi). It is NOT a protozoan. Malaria is the protozoan mosquito disease; filariasis is the worm mosquito disease. Both spread by mosquitoes, which is why NEET pairs them to confuse you.

Which human diseases are caused by fungi in the NCERT chapter?

In the Human Health and Disease chapter, the main fungal disease is Ringworm, caused by Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. These fungi grow in warm, moist skin folds and cause dry, scaly, ring-shaped lesions with itching. Ringworm is the only fungal disease you must match here.

⚠️ The NEET trap
✗ Ringworm is caused by a worm (nematode), so it belongs with Ascariasis and Filariasis.
✓ Ringworm is a FUNGAL disease (Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton). The worms cause Ascariasis (Ascaris) and Filariasis (Wuchereria).
🧠 'Ringworm' has 'worm' in its name but is a fungus — NEET sets this trap almost every matching question. Say it aloud: Ring = Fungus.

Real NEET questions

2021

Match list I with list II. List I: (a) Filariasis (b) Amoebiasis (c) Pneumonia (d) Ringworm. List II: (i) Haemophilus influenzae (ii) Trichophyton (iii) Wuchereria bancrofti (iv) Entamoeba histolytica

A · (a)-(i); (b)-(ii); (c)-(iv); (d)-(iii)
B · (a)-(ii); (b)-(iii); (c)-(i); (d)-(iv)
C · (a)-(iv); (b)-(i); (c)-(iii); (d)-(ii)
D · (a)-(iii); (b)-(iv); (c)-(i); (d)-(ii) ✓
Solution: Filariasis = Wuchereria bancrofti (worm), Amoebiasis = Entamoeba histolytica (protozoan), Pneumonia = Haemophilus influenzae (bacterium), Ringworm = Trichophyton (fungus). So (a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii). Fix each pathogen group first, then the pairing is forced.
2024

Match List I with List II. List I: A. Typhoid B. Leishmaniasis C. Ringworm D. Filariasis. List II: I. Fungus II. Nematode III. Protozoa IV. Bacteria

A · A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II ✓
B · A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
C · A-II, B-IV, C-III, D-I
D · A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
Solution: Typhoid = Bacteria (Salmonella typhi), Leishmaniasis = Protozoa (Leishmania), Ringworm = Fungus (Microsporum/Trichophyton), Filariasis = Nematode/worm (Wuchereria). So A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II. This is the group-matching version of the same idea.
2020

Match the diseases with the causative organism. Column-I: (a) Typhoid (b) Pneumonia (c) Filariasis (d) Malaria. Column-II: (i) Wuchereria (ii) Plasmodium (iii) Salmonella (iv) Haemophilus

A · (a)-(ii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv)
B · (a)-(iv), (b)-(i), (c)-(ii), (d)-(iii)
C · (a)-(i), (b)-(iii), (c)-(ii), (d)-(iv)
D · (a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii) ✓
Solution: Typhoid = Salmonella (iii), Pneumonia = Haemophilus (iv), Filariasis = Wuchereria (i), Malaria = Plasmodium (ii). So (a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii). Note both Filariasis and Malaria are mosquito-borne but one is a worm and one is a protozoan.

Solved Human Health and Diseases NEET PYQs

Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.

See all 45 Human Health and Diseases NEET PYQs ›
Next concept: How Infectious Diseases Spread →Keep learning — 2 minFeeling ready? Solve the Human Health and Diseases NEET PYQs ›Or practice on your phone — get the free MedicNEET app ›

Frequently asked

What are the five groups of pathogens I must match?

Bacteria, Virus, Protozoan, Fungus and Worm (helminth). Every disease in this NCERT chapter belongs to one of these five groups, so first decide the group, then name the exact organism.

Which diseases are caused by bacteria in NEET?

Typhoid (Salmonella typhi), Pneumonia (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae), and also plague, cholera, diphtheria and tetanus listed in NCERT. Bacteria is the largest group, so if a disease is not protozoan, fungal, worm or viral, it is usually bacterial.

Which diseases are caused by viruses?

Common cold (Rhinoviruses), Influenza, Chickenpox/Smallpox, Mumps, Herpes and AIDS (HIV, a retrovirus). Viral diseases often spread through air or body fluids.

How is malaria different from filariasis if both come from mosquitoes?

Malaria is caused by a protozoan (Plasmodium) spread by female Anopheles mosquito. Filariasis is caused by a worm (Wuchereria bancrofti) spread by Culex mosquito. Same vector type, different pathogen group — a classic NEET confusion.

Why does NEET ask this as a matching question so often?

Because it tests whether you know both the disease AND its pathogen group in one shot, which is high-yield and easy to set traps in (like Ringworm vs worms). Learning one clean table gives you a near-guaranteed mark almost every year.

Related concepts:
What Is a Pathogen? Meaning and Common ExamplesMalaria: Plasmodium Life Cycle, Sporozoite and HaemozoinRingworm: Fungal Disease (Trichophyton, Microsporum)Ascariasis and Elephantiasis: Ascaris and WuchereriaHow Infectious Diseases Spread: Modes of Transmission
Practise Biology for NEET:
Biology MCQs (free, chapter-wise)Human Health and Diseases PYQs