Question

a first year pa student fails to use proper disinfection techniques with his microbiology experiment. two weeks later, he has spiking fevers, cramping abdominal pain with diarrhea, a palpable spleen and leukopenia. what organism was he using in his experiment:

Answer 1

The organism used in the microbiology experiment could be Listeria monocytogenes, which causes listeriosis and presents with symptoms like fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, palpable spleen, and leukopenia.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described by the student indicate that the organism used in his microbiology experiment could be Listeria monocytogenes. This bacteria can cause a disease called listeriosis, which presents with symptoms like spiking fevers, cramping abdominal pain with diarrhea, a palpable spleen, and leukopenia. Listeria monocytogenes is commonly associated with foodborne infections in humans.

Answer 2

The student's symptoms and context suggest a Salmonella infection, often associated with serious systemic symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, and leukopenia, particularly in the setting of a microbiology laboratory exposure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described by the student (spiking fevers, cramping abdominal pain with diarrhea, a palpable spleen, and leukopenia) suggest a serious infection. The student's failure to use proper disinfection techniques in a microbiology experiment two weeks prior to symptom onset is a critical clue.

One organism that fits this clinical picture, particularly in the setting of a microbiology laboratory, is Salmonella. Salmonella can lead to significant systemic infection, particularly in immunocompromised individuals or in situations where there has been a high inoculum exposure, which could happen if a culture of this bacterium were mishandled in a lab.

Other bacteria that can cause serious infections and might also be used in microbiology experiments include Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridioides difficile. However, the specific symptom combination of leukopenia and palpable spleen is not typically associated with C. difficile, which often causes pseudomembranous colitis, nor with Listeria, which causes meningitis and other central nervous system symptoms. Considering the context of laboratory exposure and the presentation of the symptoms, Salmonella is the most likely organism responsible for the student's illness.