Problem 1
A 20-year-old, sexually-active female presents at her family physician's office with fever, painful arthritis of the right knee, and several small pustules on her extremities. Material from the pustules and joint fluid were collected for culture on modified Thayer-Martin medium. Which of the following results are consistent with a diagnosis of gonococcal infection? A. Growth of small colonies consisting of gram-negative diplococci. Bacteria grown on plates are catalase and oxidase positive. B. Growth of small colonies consisting of gram-positive cocci. Bacteria growth on plates are catalase and oxidase positive. C. Growth of small colonies consisting of gram-negative diplococci. Bacteria growth on plates are catalase and oxidase negative. D. Growth of large mucoid colonies consisting of gram-negative bacilli. Bacteria growth on plates are catalase and oxidase negative. E. Growth of gram-negative diplococci within polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Bacteria can utilize glucose and maltose as a carbon sources.
Problem 2
Which of the following neisserial virulence factors is subject to high- frequency antigenic variation by a mechanism involving recombination between silent and expressed chromosomal loci? A. Lipooligosaccharide B. Capsule C. Porin D. Pilin E. Opacity proteins
Problem 3
Which of the following neisserial virulence factors is part of the tetravalent vaccine that protects against some but not all serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis? A. Lipooligosaccharide B. Capsule C.Porin D. Pilin E. Opacity proteins
