Ace the NOCTI Small Animal Science Challenge 2025 – Unleash Your Inner Animal Expert!

Heatstroke is classified as an environmental disease because it occurs due to extreme environmental conditions, specifically prolonged exposure to high temperatures, which leads to the body's inability to regulate its internal temperature. Environmental diseases are those that arise from various external factors, including climate, toxins, and other physical surroundings.

In the case of heatstroke, the environmental factor is heat, and it significantly affects the body's physiological functions, leading to symptoms such as confusion, seizures, and even loss of consciousness. This condition is preventable by managing exposure to heat and ensuring adequate hydration and cooling measures, illustrating its connection to environmental circumstances.

The other options represent diseases that have different underlying causes. Bacterial diseases arise from infections with pathogenic bacteria, autoimmune disorders are related to malfunctions of the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues, and genetic disorders result from anomalies in an individual's DNA. While these conditions may be influenced by the environment, they are not classified primarily as environmental diseases.