1. A classic symptom of pertussis is
a. labored breathing
*b. paroxysmal coughing
c. convulsions
d. headache

2. The bubo of bubonic plague is a/an
a. ulcer where the flea bite occurred
b. granuloma in the skin
*c. enlarged lymph node
d. infected sebaceous gland

3. Which of the following represents a major difference between Salmonella and Shigella infections?
a. mode of transmission
*b. likelihood of septicemia
c. the portal of entry
d. presence/absence of fever and diarrhea

4. Which gram negative disease can you be a carrier of and have no signs of the disease?
a. Shigella
*b. Typhoid
c. Yersinia pestis
d. Serratia

5. This bacteria was the cause of the recall on the 2004 flu vaccine.
*a. Serratia marcescens
b. Proteus
c. E.coli 0157:H7
d. Klebsiella pneumoniae

6. This opportunistic bacteria will swarm on the surface of moist agar in certain intervals and produce patterns of rings (wave-like patterns) due to their motility.
a. Serratia marcescens
b. Klebsiella pneumonae
*c. Proteus
d. Shigella

7. This type of bacteria has accuired the gene for shiga toxin from Shigella. The toxin enters the host cell, binds to ribosomes, and disrupts protein synthesis, leading to death and shedding of intestinal cells.
*a. E-coli O157:H7
b. Citrobacter
c. Serratia
d. Providencia

8. Noncoliform opportunists include all of the following except
a. Proteus
b. Morganella
*c. Serratia
d. Providencia

9. Infection that imparts a bright pink tinge to the sclera is a result of which of the following?
*a. Haemophilus aegyptius
b. Haemophilus chancroid
c. Pasteurella multocida
d. Typhoid fever

10. Which of the following is the bacteria that is the majority of nosocomial infections?
a. Salmonella
b. Klebsiella
*c. Escherichia coli
d. Enterobacter

11. A unique characteristic of many isolates of Pseudomonas useful in identification is
a. fecal odor
*b. fluorescent green pigment
c. drug resistance
d. motility

12. Complications of typoid fever are
a. neurological damage
b. intestinal perforation
c. liver abcesses
*d. b and c

13. For the past several weeks, Josh has been suffering from chills, profuse sweating, and headaches. He works in a small-town veterinary clinic that specializes in treating farm animals. What species has he probably been infected with? Brucella

14. Jebediah recently traveled to Mexico. After drinking the tap water there, he became sick with diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. What species has he been infected with? Escherichia coli


15. Just in case you were tempted to do so … don’t eat foods contaminated by rodent feces! They may carry this pathogenic species, which is also associated with poorly cooked beef, unpasteurized fresh milk, homemade ice cream made with raw eggs, and Caesar salad. What is it? Salmonella

16. Jack works as a janitor at the local hospital. His main duty is to clean the bathrooms, including disinfect the sinks and soap dishes and mop the floors. What contaminant may he come into contact with from the bathroom fixtures, the soap dishes, and the mop? Pseudomonas aeruginosa

17. Almost all cases of this infection occur in developing countries, especially in babies under one year old. What infection is it? Pertussis, or whooping cough

18. Joe is a 60-year-old male who works as a produce manager at the local grocery store. As part of his job he regularly sprays down the fruits and vegetables in the produce section. Recently he’s been out sick with a rising fever, cough, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. What species may he have been infected with? Legionella pneumophilia

19. This opportunistic pathogen forms a mucus-y and stringy colony due to its thick capsule. It’s a normal inhabitant of respiratory tract, and a frequent cause of nosocomial pneumonia. What is it? Klebsiella pneumoniae

20. This species is not highly invasive, and is rather an opportunistic pathogen. That’s why it likes to prey on people having invasive medical procedures, and grows biofilms on ventilators, IVs, and anesthesia equipment. What is it? Pseudomonas aeruginosa

21. Jeremiah’s favorite food is a big, juicy hamburger. He cooks himself one every day. Yesterday he forgot to wash his hands after handling the meat. He cooked his burger, ate it, then licked his fingers hungrily to enjoy the taste there, too. Today he’s been experiencing a high fever, watery diarrhea and severe cramps. What species has he likely been infected with? Escherichia coli O157:H7

22. This species can enter through damaged skin or mucous membranes of the digestive tract, conjunctiva, and respiratory tract. It manifests itself in a fluctuating pattern of fever, giving the illness its common name, undulant fever. What species is it? Brucella

23. This species loves moist environments, such as sponges, washcloths, contact lenses, and mascara wands. What is it? Pseudomonas aeruginosa

24. The likelihood of being infected by this species may be lessened by chlorinating drinking water and regularly cleaning swimming pools and other artificial aquatic habitats. What species is it? Legionella pneumophilia

25. Jackie has a urinary tract infection that has progressed to kidney stones. Her doctor sent a urine specimen to the lab, where a culture of it produced rings in a distinct concentric pattern. What species caused her UTI and kidney stones? Proteus

26. This species is used as an indicator of fecal contamination in water, food, and dairy products. The rationale is that if this species is present, then fecal pathogens like Salmonella, viruses, or even pathogenic protozoa may also be present. What species is it? Escherichia coli

27. Which species doesn’t belong in this group: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus?
Answer: Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the others are enterics.

28. Joni is a six-year-old girl who has caught a case of conjunctivitis, which has caused redness in her sclera. Her doctor prescribed her with antibiotics drops to place in the infected area. What is the common name of her illness, and what species has she been infected with? Pinkeye, Haemophilus aegypticus

29. The vaccine for this gram-negative species is administered in a five-dose series with the DT vaccine. What species is it? Bordetella pertussis

30. This disease causes 25,000 death/year worldwide. Humans are its exclusive hosts, and asymptomatic carriers are important in spreading the disease. Even six weeks after convalescence, the bacillus is still shed by half of recovered patients. A woman named Mary, who worked as a cook in New York in the early 1900s, was one such asymptomatic carrier. What is the disease, and what species causes it? Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella typhi

31. Along with cholera and yellow fever, what disease is one of the internationally quarantinable diseases? Plague
32. On a selective medium called rainbow agar, this strain produces black colonies, while other strains of the same species do not. What species is it? E. coli O157:H7

33. Jason is an alcoholic and was hospitalized recently for a liver transplant. The day after the surgery, the nurse noticed an intense red pigment discoloring some of Jason’s ventilator tube. What enteric species is he in danger of being infected by? Serratia marcescens

34. Which of the following is mis-matched?
a. Pseudomonas aeruginosa – contaminates IVs and ventilators
b. Bordetella pertussis – transmitted through inhaled droplets or aerosols
c. Legionella pneumophilia – transmitted through eating fecally contaminated foods
d. E. coli O157:H7 – most likely found in raw hamburger
Answer: c. Legionella pneumophilia – transmitted through eating fecally contaminated foods. L. pneumophilia is transmitted through infected water.

35. Characteristics of this opportunistic pathogen species include a single polar flagellum, a grape-like odor, and a greenish-blue pigment called pyocyanin that glows under UV light. What is it? Pseudomonas aeruginosa

36. Both Janet and Jonathan had bladder catheters put in during a hospital visit. Which of them is more likely to develop a urinary tract infection, and what gram-negative species is most likely to cause it? Janet is more likely to develop a UTI, since women have shorter urethras than men. E. coli – the urethra’s own endogenous bacteria – is most likely to cause the infection.

37. Which of the following ways can humans NOT be infected with the plague?
a. By handling animal skins that carry the plague bacillus
b. Through sexual contact with a person infected with the plague
c. Through bites from infected human fleas
d. By inhaling droplets transmitted by an infected person
e. By handling infected animals
Answer: b. Through sexual contact with a person infected with the plague

38. Which of the following doesn’t belong in this group: Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella, and Enterobacter?
Salmonella. All the others are Enterobacteriaceae coliforms (ferment lactose). Salmonella is a non-coliform.

39. This disease differs from salmonellosis in that it invades the large intestine rather than the small intestine. It causes an incapacitating dysentery marked by crippling abdominal cramps and frequent defecation of watery stool filled with mucus and blood. The small infectious dose of 100-200 cells is acquired primarily by eating fecally contaminated foods. What disease is it? Shigellosis

40. Which of the following pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli is mis-matched?
a. Enterotoxigen E. coli – has fimbriae to provide adhesion to the small intestine
b. Enteroinvasive E. coli – causes invasion and ulceration of the mucosa of the small intestine
c. Enteropathogenic E. coli – wasting form of infantile diarrhea
d. E. coli O157:H7 – causes hemorrhage that leads to kidney damage
Answer: b. Enteroinvasive E. coli – causes invasion and ulceration of the mucosa of the small intestine. Enteroinvasive E. coli causes damage to the LARGE intestine.

41. Although the name of this bacteria means “blood-loving,” it can’t grow on blood agar alone, rather it needs chocolate agar and Fildes medium. What is it? Haemophilus

42. What species doesn’t belong in this group: Bordetella pertussis, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Salmonella typhi,and Yersinia pestis?
Escherichia coli. E. coli is the only one that doesn’t have a vaccine available.

43. Cultivation of this species requires special media such as charcoal agar, where feathery growth is indicative of its motility. What is the species? Legionella pneumophilia

44. When a plague epidemic occurs, which of the following strategies is NOT used to control infection?
a. Quarantining infected individuals
b. Making the vaccine available widespread to the human population where infection is centered
c. Trapping and poisoning rodents near urban and suburban communities
d. Dusting rodent burrows with insecticide to kill fleas
Answer: b. Making the vaccine available widespread to the human population where infection is centered

45. John recently visited Lava Hot Springs, and spent some time soaking in the hot tubs. Afterwards he noticed his back had broken out in an itchy rash. What gram-negative species has he been infected by? Pseudomonas aeruginosa

46. Which of the following is E. coli O157:H7 NOT likely to be found in?
a. raw hamburger
b. unpasteurized fruit juices
c. lettuce
d. custards
e. dry-cured salami
d. custards


47. This species most commonly infects cattle, and when it’s transmitted to humans, it’s usually in people who work in slaughterhouses or handle livestock. What is it? Brucella

48. Jimmy is two years old and has developed a hacking cough that produces a “whooping” sound when he inhales. What species has been infected with? Bordetella pertussis

49. A unique characterisitic of many isolates of Pseudomonas useful in identification is
a. fecal odor
*b. fluorescent green pigment
c. drug resistance
d. motility

50. Human brucellosis is also known as
a. Bang disease
*b. undulant fever
c. rabbit fever
d. Malta fever

51. Francisella tularensis has which portal of entry?
a. tick bite
b. intestinal
c. respiratory
*d. all of the above

52. A classic symptom of pertussis is
a. labored breathing
*b. paraxysmmal coughing
c. convulsions
d. headache

53. The severe symptoms of pertussis are due to what effect?
a. irritation of the glottis by the microbes
b. pnumonia
c. the destruction of teh respiratory epithelium
d. blocked airways
*e. both c and d are involved

54. Eschericia coli displays which antigens?
a. capsular
b. somatic
c. flagelluar
*d. all of the above

55. Which of the following is not an opportunistic enteric bacterium?
a. E. coli
b. Klebsiella
c. Proteus
*d. Shingella

56. Which of th following represents a major difference between Salmonella and Shingella infections
a. mode of infection
*b. likelyhood of speticima
c. the portal of entry
d. pressence/ absence of fever and diarrhea

57. Complications of typhoid fever are
a. neurological damage
b. intestinal perforation
c. liver absecesses
*d. b ad c

58. Shigella is transmitted by
a. food
b. flies
c. feces
*d. all of the above

59. Haemophilus influenza is ___ and requires special ____ for growth.
a. motile, temperature
b. encapsulated, minerals
*c. intracelluslar, sample swabs
d. fastidious, blood factors

60. Which of the followins is not associatitedwith H. influenza infections?
a. fever
b. flu
c. stiff neck
*d. headache

61. Which of the following are primarily zoonoses?
a. tularemia
*b. salmonellosis
c. shigellosis
d. brucellosis
e. pasteuredllosis
f. bubonic plague