Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Sabouraud's peptone agar. This agar is specifically designed for the isolation of yeast and molds due to its low pH and high sugar content, creating an environment conducive for their growth. Yeast-like fungi thrive in this selective medium, while inhibiting the growth of bacteria and other contaminants. Summary: - Sabouraud's peptone agar is ideal for cultivating yeast-like fungi. - Endo agar is used for isolation of gram-negative bacteria, not fungi. - Milk-salt agar is used for lactobacilli and streptococci, not fungi. - Meat infusion agar is a general-purpose medium for cultivation of a wide range of microorganisms, not specifically for yeast-like fungi.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Vibrio cholerae. This bacterium is commonly associated with foodborne illnesses caused by contaminated water due to its ability to survive and multiply in water sources. Vibrio cholerae causes cholera, a severe gastrointestinal infection transmitted through contaminated food and water. Clostridium difficile, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are not typically associated with foodborne illnesses caused by contaminated water. Clostridium difficile causes gastrointestinal infections linked to antibiotic use, Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis through respiratory transmission, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes sexually transmitted infections.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Proteus vulgaris. This is because Proteus species are non-lactose-fermenting, Gram-negative rods that produce gas in nutrient broth. They are known to cause severe abdominal pain due to their ability to invade the intestinal mucosa. A: Salmonella enterica is a lactose-fermenting organism and typically does not produce gas in nutrient broth. B: Shigella dysenteriae is a lactose-negative organism but does not produce gas in nutrient broth. C: Escherichia coli is a lactose-fermenting organism and does not typically produce gas in nutrient broth. In summary, the presence of non-lactose-fermenting, gas-producing Gram-negative rods points towards Proteus vulgaris as the most likely causative agent of the severe abdominal pain.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Rationale: 1. Psychrophilic: Grow best in cold temperatures 2. Mesophilic: Grow best in moderate temperatures 3. Thermophilic: Grow best in high temperatures - Choice A is incorrect as "thermophobic" is not a recognized term. - Choice B is incorrect as "psychophobic" is not a recognized term. - Choice D is incorrect as "mesophobic" is not a recognized term.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: pertussis toxin. This toxin is the most important virulence factor of Bordetella pertussis because it plays a key role in causing the characteristic symptoms of whooping cough. Pertussis toxin interferes with the host's immune response, leading to inflammation and tissue damage in the respiratory tract. The other choices (A: the flagellum, C: P fimbriae, D: mannose-resistant adhesins) are important for bacterial attachment and colonization, but they do not directly contribute to the severity of the disease like pertussis toxin does.