An outbreak of food poisoning was recorded in an urban settlement. The illness was diagnosed as botulism on the grounds of clinical presentations. What foodstuffs should be chosen for analysis in the first place in order to confirm the diagnosis?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Tinned food. Botulism is often caused by the botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which can be present in improperly canned foods. Analyzing tinned food allows for direct detection of the toxin or bacteria, confirming the diagnosis. Potatoes, pasteurized milk, and boiled meat are less likely sources of botulism compared to tinned food, making them less suitable for initial analysis in this case.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because all three bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae) can cause bacterial meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis is a common cause of meningococcal meningitis, Haemophilus influenzae can cause H. influenzae meningitis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumococcal meningitis. Therefore, all of the above choices are correct. The other choices are incorrect because each of the bacteria listed can independently cause bacterial meningitis, so none of them alone can be the sole correct answer.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Ziehl-Neelsen staining method was applied. 1. Ziehl's solution is used as a primary stain in Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid-fast organisms like Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 2. Sulfuric acid is used as a decolorizer to remove excess stain. 3. Methylene blue is not part of the Ziehl-Neelsen staining method. 4. Burri's, Gram's, and Peshkov's staining methods are not used for acid-fast staining.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Rationale: Choice C is correct because Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. are common causative agents of nosocomial infections due to their presence on the skin, in the gut, and in healthcare settings. S. aureus and L. monocytogenes (Choice A) are also important pathogens but are less common in nosocomial infections. Enterobacteriaceae (Choice B) are a large family of bacteria that can cause infections but are not as commonly associated with nosocomial infections compared to the organisms in Choice C. The correct answer (Choice C) encompasses pathogens commonly found in healthcare settings, making it the most suitable option.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because antigens can be composed of lipids, proteins, or polysaccharides. Antigens are molecules that can elicit an immune response in the body. They can be diverse in their chemical composition, leading to the recognition and response by the immune system. Therefore, the correct choice is D as antigens can be any of these chemical components. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they each represent a possible chemical composition of antigens, but the flexibility of antigens to be made up of any of these components makes D the most accurate choice.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Vibrio cholerae. Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae, a gram-negative bacterium that produces a toxin leading to severe watery diarrhea. Shigella dysenteriae causes dysentery, not cholera. Salmonella enterica causes salmonellosis, not cholera. Clostridium perfringens is associated with food poisoning, not cholera. In summary, Vibrio cholerae is the correct answer because it is the specific bacterium known to cause cholera, while the other choices are associated with different diseases.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The presence of acid-fast bacilli stained red against a blue background indicates mycobacteria, specifically Mycobacterium tuberculosis in this case. Ziehl-Neelsen staining is commonly used to detect tuberculosis. Diphtheria is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which does not stain with Ziehl-Neelsen. Pneumonia is a general term for lung infections caused by various pathogens. Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which requires special staining methods different from Ziehl-Neelsen.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Jenner. Edward Jenner performed the first vaccination against smallpox in 1796 by using cowpox virus to immunize individuals. He observed that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox did not get smallpox, leading to the development of the smallpox vaccine. Pasteur is known for germ theory, Semmelweis for handwashing in healthcare, and Koch for identifying the causative agents of diseases. However, none of them performed the first smallpox vaccination like Jenner.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Acid-fast bacteria have a unique cell wall component called mycolic acid, making them resistant to decolorization by acid-alcohol during staining. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is acid-fast, as it retains the stain due to its high lipid content. Streptococcus pyogenes (A), Clostridium perfringens (C), and Bacillus subtilis (D) do not possess mycolic acid in their cell walls, so they are not acid-fast.