Spirochetes Quiz

Question 1

The most common routine laboratory testing for Treponema pallidum is:

a. Culturing
b. Serological analysis
c. Acid fast staining
d. Gram staining

Answer 1

b. Serological analysis

Question 2

Spirochetes sometimes detected in the Hematology laboratory are:

a. Borrelia spp.
b. Treponema spp.
c. Campylobacter spp.
d. Leptospira spp.

Answer 2

a. Borrelia spp.

Question 3

Which of the following organisms is the cause of Lyme disease?

a. T. pallidum
b. N. meningitidis
c. Babesia microti
d. Borrelia burgdorferi

Answer 3

d. Borrelia burgdorferi

Question 4

The diagnostic method most commonly used for the identification of Lyme disease is:

a. Culture
b. Serology
c. Gram Stain
d. Acid fast stain

Answer 4

b. Serology

Question 5

Examples of Treponemal tests (specific) include:

a. FTA-ABS
b. RPR
c. VDRL
d. Gram Stain

Answer 5

a. FTA-ABS

Question 6

In contrast to both Treponema and Borrelia organisms, spirals of Leptospira are:

a. tightly coiled and can appear like a chain of cocci
b. loosely coiled and can appear like filamentous rods
c. palisading
d. pleomorphic and can appear like Corynebacteria

Answer 6

a. tightly coiled and can appear like a chain of cocci

Question 7

The causative agent of pinta is:

a. Treponema pallidum
b. Treponema carateum
c. Borrelia burgdorferi
d. Borrelia recurrentis

Answer 7

b. Treponema carateum

Question 8

This stage of syphilis is characterized by a skin rash, lesions filled with treponemes, and is infectious:

a. Primary syphilis
b. Secondary syphilis
c. Latent syphilis
d. Tertiary syphilis

Answer 8

b. Secondary syphilis

Question 9

In this stage of syphilis there is seroreactivity, but no clinical manifestations. The infection can still be passed from mother to infant.

a. Primary syphilis
b. Secondary syphilis
c. Latent syphilis
d. Tertiary syphilis

Answer 9

c. Latent syphilis

Question 10

A 10 year old male presents to the ED with a recurring fever, headache, and pain in his joints. Upon examination a tick is found embedded in his neck. What is the most likely source of his illness?

a. B. recurrentis - relapsing fever
b. P. vivax - malaria
c. L. interrogans- leptospirosis
d. R. typhi- typhus

Answer 10

a. B. recurrentis - relapsing fever

Question 11

Anaerobic bacteria are routinely isolated from all of the following types of infections except:

a. lung abscesses
b. brain abscesses
c. dental infections
d. urinary tract infections

Answer 11

d. urinary tract infections

Question 12

All of the following Mycobacterium spp. produce the enzyme required to convert niacin to niacin ribonucleotide except:

a. M. kansasii
b. M. tuberculosis
c. M. avium-intracellulare complex
d. M. szulgai

Answer 12

b. M. tuberculosis

Question 13

Acid-fast staining of a smear prepared from a digested sputum showed slender, slightly curved, beaded, red rods (acid fast positive). Growth on Middlebrook 7H10 slants produced buff-colored microcolonies after 14 days at 37C. Niacin and nitrate reduction tests were positive.

What is the most probable presumptive identification?

a. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
b. Mycobacterium ulcerans
c. Mycobacterium kansasii
d. Mycobacterium avium

Answer 13

a. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

Question 14

Iodine staining of a McCoy cell monolayer culture of a cervical swab reveals a large brown intracytoplasmic inclusion.

What is the most likely infecting organism?

a. Rickettsia prowazekii
b. Chlamydia trachomatis
c. Ehrlichia chaffeensis
d. Ureaplasma

Answer 14

b. Chlamydia trachomatis

Question 15

Cold agglutinins are associated with:

a. Chlamydia infections
b. Rickettsia infections
c. Borrelia infections
d. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections

Answer 15

d. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections