Microscopy of a smear taken from the film that appeared on the peptone water 6 hours after seeding and culturing of a fecal sample in a thermostat revealed mobile gram-negative bacteria curved in form of a comma that didn't make spores or capsules. What microorganisms were revealed?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Vibrios. Vibrios are gram-negative curved bacteria that are motile and do not form spores or capsules. The description of the bacteria in the question fits the characteristics of Vibrios. Vibrios are commonly found in aquatic environments and some species can cause gastrointestinal infections in humans. B: Spirochetes are also gram-negative curved bacteria, but they are spiral-shaped and have unique axial filaments for motility. The description in the question does not match the characteristics of spirochetes. C: Clostridia are gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria. The question specifically states that the bacteria are gram-negative and do not form spores, ruling out Clostridia. D: Corynebacteria are gram-positive, non-spore-forming bacteria. The description in the question does not match the characteristics of Corynebacteria.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D (All of the above) because all three bacteria listed produce exotoxins that cause severe gastrointestinal illness. Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin causing botulism. Vibrio cholerae produces cholera toxin leading to cholera. Escherichia coli can produce various exotoxins causing different types of severe gastrointestinal illnesses like E. coli O157:H7 causing bloody diarrhea. Therefore, all choices A, B, and C are correct in this case as they all produce exotoxins causing severe gastrointestinal illness.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: non-spore forming encapsulated gram-negative bacterium. Francisella tularensis is a non-spore forming bacterium, which rules out choices A and D. It is encapsulated, which eliminates choice C. The encapsulation of the bacterium helps it evade the host immune system, leading to its pathogenicity. This encapsulated bacterium is responsible for causing the zoonotic disease tularemia in humans.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Flaviviridae. Dengue virus belongs to the Flaviviridae family because it is a flavivirus. Flaviviruses are a group of RNA viruses known to cause diseases in humans, such as dengue fever, Zika virus, and yellow fever. This family is characterized by its single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome and enveloped virion structure. Hepadnaviridae (choice A), Parvoviridae (choice B), and Picornaviridae (choice D) are all different families of viruses that do not include the dengue virus. Hepadnaviridae includes hepatitis B virus, Parvoviridae includes parvoviruses, and Picornaviridae includes enteroviruses like poliovirus.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Mycolic acid in the cell wall. Mycolic acid is a unique component of the cell wall of Mycobacterium species, including the causative agent of tuberculosis. The Ziehl-Neelsen method uses acid-fast staining, where mycolic acid confers resistance to decolorization by acid-alcohol, causing the bacteria to retain the red stain. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as capsules, flagella, and peptidoglycan layers do not directly contribute to acid-fast staining characteristic of Mycobacterium species.