A 70-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after suffering extensive third-degree burns. Three days later he spiked a fever and there was pus on the dressing that had blue-green colour. Gram stain of the pus revealed gram-negative rods. The most possible cause of these findings is:

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: The pyocyanin released by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pyocyanin is a blue-green pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of nosocomial infections in burn patients. The presence of blue-green pus and gram-negative rods in the wound along with fever suggests an infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The other choices are incorrect because E. Coli typically causes gastrointestinal infections and releases enterotoxins, Staphylococcus aureus releases hemolysins causing hemolysis of red blood cells, and Shigella dysenteriae releases shigatoxin causing bloody diarrhea, none of which match the clinical presentation described in the question.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Conjugation. Conjugation involves the transfer of genetic material from a donor cell to a recipient cell through direct cell-to-cell contact, typically mediated by a conjugative plasmid. During conjugation, a conjugative pilus forms a bridge between the donor and recipient cells, allowing the transfer of genetic material. A: Replication is the process of copying DNA to produce two identical DNA molecules. It does not involve the transfer of genetic material between cells. C: Transformation is the uptake and incorporation of foreign DNA from the environment by a bacterial cell. It does not require direct cell-to-cell contact. D: Transduction is the transfer of genetic material from one bacterium to another by a bacteriophage vector. It does not involve direct cell-to-cell contact between the donor and recipient cells.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Mesosomes. Mesosomes are infoldings of the prokaryotic cytoplasmic membrane that play a role in cell division and respiration. This structure is not found in eukaryotic cells. Cristae (A) are infoldings of the mitochondrial inner membrane in eukaryotic cells. Granum (B) refers to stacks of thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts. Flagella (C) are whip-like structures used for movement and are not related to cytoplasmic membrane invaginations. Therefore, the correct answer is D as mesosomes are unique to prokaryotic cells and are involved in various cellular processes.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Mycoplasma. Mycoplasma is the only bacteria among the choices that have sterols in their cytoplasmic membrane. This feature helps stabilize their membrane structure due to the lack of a cell wall. Legionella (A), Bacillus (B), and Rickettsia (C) do not contain sterols in their cytoplasmic membrane. Legionella has a unique lipid composition, Bacillus has peptidoglycan in its cell wall, and Rickettsia is an intracellular parasite lacking sterols in its membrane.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: A vaccine strain. Virus Fixe is a specific strain of rabies virus used in the production of rabies vaccines. This strain has been attenuated to be safe for use in vaccines. Choice B, a cell culture, is incorrect as it does not specifically refer to Virus Fixe. Choice C, a wild type of rabies virus, is incorrect as Virus Fixe is not a wild type but a modified strain. Choice D, an infectious disease, is incorrect as Virus Fixe is not a disease but a strain of virus used in vaccines.