Which disease comprises TORCH syndrome?

• A. Toxoplasmosis, other diseases, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex
• B. Toxoplasmosis, rubella, varicella, cytomegalovirus
• C. Tuberculosis, other diseases, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex
• D. Toxic shock syndrome, other diseases, rubella, CMV, herpes simplex

Answer: (A)

TORCH refers to a set of perinatal infections that can cross the placenta and cause congenital disease. The acronym stands for Toxoplasma gondii (toxoplasmosis), Other infections (such as syphilis, varicella-zoster, parvovirus B19, etc.), Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus. The option that lists toxoplasmosis, the “other” category, rubella, CMV, and herpes simplex matches this grouping exactly, which is why it’s the best answer.

Other options fail because they omit or replace components of the TORCH group. For example, excluding toxoplasmosis or herpes simplex breaks the complete TORCH set, while swapping in diseases like tuberculosis or toxic shock syndrome introduces infections that are not part of TORCH.