PLE Category: Microbiology

PLE-3458

A 3-year-old girl, with an unknown immunization history, presented to the emergency room due to difficulty of breathing. She has a high-grade fever accompanied by drooling and hoarseness. Auscultation revealed the presence of stridor. She was immediately intubated and started on intravenous antibiotics. What is the most likely causative agent in this case?

PLE-3459

A 46-year-old female, who is a chronic alcoholic, presented with a 4-day history of cough with a characteristic thick and blood-tinged sputum, fever, and dyspnea. Physical exam showed crackles on both right and left lower lung fields. Sputum GS and CS were done. The gram stain showed numerous gram-negative bacilli. Culture yielded growth of pinkish mucoid colonies in the MacConkey Agar. Which of the following is the likely causative agent?

PLE-3460

What is the primary reason for the relative resistance of Bacillus anthracis spores to antibacterial agents?

PLE-3453

A 25-year-old man suffered major injuries to his right leg after a motorcycle accident. He was brought to the ER after 2 days due to a high-grade fever. On examination, he was febrile at 39.6°C and tachycardic at 128 bpm. His right leg is swollen and tense, with thin, dark serous fluid draining from the wound. The skin is cool, pale, and shining. Crepitus can also be felt. What is the most likely causative agent?

PLE-3454

What animal appears to be the principal reservoir or mixing bowl for the antigenic shift variants of the influenza virus?

PLE-3455

A 19-year-old female complains of persistent abdominal pain, bloatedness, and frequent loose stools. She has recently returned, a month ago, from a 3-week hiking and camping trek. Which of the following is most likely responsible for the illness of the patient?

PLE-3450

A 35-year-old woman with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection comes to the ER due to dysuria, accompanied by frequency and urgency. Urinalysis was done, which showed an alkaline urine, pyuria, and the presence of numerous struvite crystals. The cause of her UTI is likely to be which of the following?

PLE-3451

In the presence of which complement component are antigen-antibody complexes phagocytosed more effectively?

PLE-3452

What is the most common cause of acute infective endocarditis among known intravenous drug abusers?