Question

An elderly patient who lives in the Rocky Mountains presents with high fever, and blackened, swollen lymph nodes in her armpits and groin. The patient tells you that she has had difficulties keeping rodents out of her home. She also has many insect bites on her lower legs. Examination of fluid from the swollen lymph nodes reveals Gram-negative bacilli.

What is the proper name (Genus + specific epithet) of the bacterium that is most likely causing this patient’s illness?

Body lice are not only disgusting, but they can transmit a deadly bacterium. What is the proper name (Genus + specific epithet) of the bacterium?

Hint: this killed Anne Frank in the concentration camp.

How is the helminth parasite Dracunculus medinensis transmitted?

Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and is frequently prescribed before antibiotic sensitivity testing is performed. What is meant by the term “broad-spectrum” antibiotic with regard to Gram staining properties of a microbe?

Answer 1

Ans 1. The above mentioned symptoms are shown in bubonic plague. It is caused by bacterium Yersinia pestis.

Ans 2. The name of bacterium is Rickettsia prowazekii causing lice borne typhus.

Ans 3. Dracunculus medinensis is transmitted through drinking unsafe and stagnant water containing water fleas or copepods that contains tha larvae of the helminth parasite.

Ans 4. Broad-specteum antibiotics are those that acts on both the gram-positive and gram-negative bacterias. It is used when specific group of bacteria causing disease is unknown or infection with multiple group of bacteria are suspected.