Question

An outbreak of pneumonia has occurred. This outbreak appears to involve a family who had attended a family gathering and wedding ceremony. The samples from the patients were then tested by PCR using the primers for 16S rRNA and RT-PCR using primers for SARS and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses. Select statements that are TRUE pertaining to the case involving this family. The sequence of the amplified fragment from the PCR is provided here: AACACGGAGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAGAACTAACGCTGGCGGCGCGTCTTAAACATGCAAGTCAAGCGGAGTAGCAATACTCAGCGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTGGGTAATCTTCCTCTGAGTCTGGGATAACTTTCCGAAAGGGAAGCTAATACTGGATGGTCCCGAGAGATCACAAGATTTTTCGGGTAAAGATTTATTGCTCGGAGATGAGCCCGCGTCCGATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAAAGGCTCACCAAGGCGACGATCGGTAGCCGGCCTGAGAGGGTGTTCGGCCACAATGGAACTGAGACACGGTCC ATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTTAAGAATCTTGCTCAATGGGGGGAACCTGAAGCAGCGACGCCGCGTGAACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTTCAGTAAGCAGGGAAAAATAAGCAGCAATGTGATGATGGTACCTGCCTAAAGCCACCGGCTAACTACGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAAAACGTATGGTGCAAGCGTTGTTCGGAATCATTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGCGGACATGTAAGTCAGGTGTGAAAACTGCGGGCTCAACTCGCAGCCTGCACTTGAAACTATGTGTCTGGAGTTTGGGAGAGGCAAGTGGAATTCCAGGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATCTGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGACTTGCTGGCCTAAAACTGACCCTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGTAGTGAACGGGATTAGATACCCCGGTAATCCACGCCCTAAACGTTGTCTACCAGTTGTTGGGGGTTTTAACCCTCAGTAACGAACCTAACGGATTAAGTAGACCGCCTGGGGACTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGGGTCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGGTGGTTTAATTCGATGATACGCGAAAAACCTCACCTAG GCTTGACATGGAGTGGAATCATGTAGAGATACATGAGCCTTCGGGCCGCTTCACAGTTGCTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTCACCTTATGTTGCCATCATTCAGTTGGGCACTCGTAAGGAACTGCCGGTGACAAACCGGAGGAAGGCGGGGATGACGTCAAATCCTCATGGCCTTTATGTCTAGGGCAACACACG *

• The pathogen is a type of coronavirus.
• The physician can inform the family that they are suffering from a disease called leptospirosis.
• The patients should be quarantined because they have COVID-19
• The pneumonia is due to a bacterial infection.
• The pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics.

Answer 1

The PCR will only amplify a sequence if the complementary sequence of the primer given is in the DNA being tested. Two separate PCR was done using two primers : (1) One using a 16s rRNA of bacteria, and the (2) other using viral primers specific for SARS and SARS-CoV-2.

By doing a BLAST search for the amplified sequence, it was found that the sequence belong to the bacterium Leptospira interrogans. Hence the following statements are true:

True statements	Reason
The physician can inform the family that they are suffering from a disease called leptospirosis	The amplified sequence belongs to Leptospira interrogans. , which is the causative agent of leptospirosis
The pneumonia is due to a bacterial infection.	Leptospira interrogans is a bacterium.
The pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics	Antibiotics kill bacteria. Since its a bacterial disease, it can be treated with antibiotics.

answered by: anonymous