MIC 205A EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1. Escherichia coli - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Short rod/random
- Often part of normal human mircobiome
- Mild: intestinal cramps, UTI
- Moderate: diarrhea
- Severe: bloody diarrhea, HUS, renal failure
2. Ebola virus - ANSWER - Double strand RNA virus
- Causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever: flu-like symptoms, to bloody vomit and diarrhea
- Transmitted through body fluids
- Circulates in animals
- Spread between humans: poor PPE, unsafe burial practices
3. Staphylococcus aureus - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Round, grape-like clusters
- Frequently found in normal human biome (nasal passages)
- Can cause infection, even fatal infections
- At risk: already sick and immune deficient patients
4. Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Round, chains
- "Pyo" = pus
- Spread through bodily fluids, usually respiratory droplets
- Minor: strep throat, skin infections
- Major: scarlet fever, severe infections, toxic shock syndrome, rheumatic fever
- Risk: contact with infected people
,5. Clostridium tetani - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Rod-shaped, anaerobic
- Infect through open wounds: causes tetanus
- Found mostly in soil, dust
- Harmful to nervous system: causes muscle spasms, or even seizures
- Prevention: vaccination
6. Leptospira spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Long, helical, hooked ends
- Causes leptospirosis: fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, then kidney failure, liver
failure, or meningitis
- Infected animal urine gets into soil and/or water
- Risk: farmers, miners, outdoor workers
7. Clostridium botulinum - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Rod-shaped, anaerobic
- Causes botulism: blurred vision, slurred speech, dry mouth (muscle paralysis from
toxin)
- Usually don't cause harm but under certain conditions spores grow and create lethal
toxins
- Spread by food, improperly canned foods
8. Cyanobacterium spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Can be round, rod-shaped, or spiral
- Blu-green algae
- Produces toxins that taint water: infect through consumption or swimming in
contaminated water
- Causes gastroenteritis and skin irritation, can cause deadly liver damage
9. Rickettsia rickettsii - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Small, rod-shaped
- Causes: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
- Spread by infected tics
,- Symptoms: Fever, headache, rash (red spots)
- Severe: Amputations, paralysis, can be deadly if not treated with antibiotics
- No vaccine to prevent, just be aware and check for tics
10. Klebsiella pneumoniae - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Encapsulated, rod-shaped, anaerobic
- Causes: Infections! - blood, pneumonia, wound/surgical sites, meningitis
- Normally found in human intestines and stool
- Spread from person to person or from hospital machines like ventilators or intravenous
catheters
- Treatment: antibiotics - when not resistant
- Prevention: sterile hospital environments
11. Yellow fever virus - ANSWER - Single strand RNA virus
- Causes: mosquitos acquire virus from primates and spread to other primates
- Yellow fever - majority have no illness, others get sudden fever, chills, nausea,
headache
- Africa and South America
- Severe: jaundice, bleeding, shock, MODS
- Treatment: hospitalization for supportive care
- Vaccine: live virus, single dose, given when older than 9 months
12. Helicobacter pylori - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Curved or spiral
- 2/3 of people have the bacteria in their stomachs with no problems
- Can cause ulcers in the stomach or even cancer
- Causes: contaminated food, water, utensils - usually rural and poor locations
- Treatment: antibiotics, other meds to decrease stomach acid
13. Epstein Barr virus (EBV or Human Herpesvirus 4) - ANSWER - Doubled strand DNA
virus
- Herpes virus family
, - Most people get infected at some point in their life
- Spread through bodily fluids - usually saliva
- Causes: mononucleosis
- Symptoms: fatigue, fever, swollen neck lymph nodes, inflamed throat
- Virus lives latent in body after infection
- No vaccine for prevention
14. Vibrio fischeri - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, marine, bioluminescent
- Causes: Vibriosis - infection through consumption of raw of undercooked shellfish
- Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fever - not severe
- Can also get vibriosis from exposed open wound in contaminated seawater
15. Rhizobium spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, in soil
- Symbiotic relationship with legumes
- Plant gives bacteria energy, bacteria fixes nitrogen for the plant
- Can contaminate water systems
16. Burkholderia mallei - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, aerobe
- Causes: Glanders - most commonly affects horses
- Transmission to humans through contact with infected animal body tissues/fluids
- Can be localized (skin), pulmonary, bloodstream, or chronic
- Antibiotic treatment, no vaccine
17. Nitrosomonas spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, obligate aerobes
- Oxidize ammonia to nitrite
- Important for providing nitrogen to plants, found in soil or water
- Important in wastewater treatment plans
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1. Escherichia coli - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Short rod/random
- Often part of normal human mircobiome
- Mild: intestinal cramps, UTI
- Moderate: diarrhea
- Severe: bloody diarrhea, HUS, renal failure
2. Ebola virus - ANSWER - Double strand RNA virus
- Causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever: flu-like symptoms, to bloody vomit and diarrhea
- Transmitted through body fluids
- Circulates in animals
- Spread between humans: poor PPE, unsafe burial practices
3. Staphylococcus aureus - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Round, grape-like clusters
- Frequently found in normal human biome (nasal passages)
- Can cause infection, even fatal infections
- At risk: already sick and immune deficient patients
4. Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Round, chains
- "Pyo" = pus
- Spread through bodily fluids, usually respiratory droplets
- Minor: strep throat, skin infections
- Major: scarlet fever, severe infections, toxic shock syndrome, rheumatic fever
- Risk: contact with infected people
,5. Clostridium tetani - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Rod-shaped, anaerobic
- Infect through open wounds: causes tetanus
- Found mostly in soil, dust
- Harmful to nervous system: causes muscle spasms, or even seizures
- Prevention: vaccination
6. Leptospira spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Long, helical, hooked ends
- Causes leptospirosis: fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, then kidney failure, liver
failure, or meningitis
- Infected animal urine gets into soil and/or water
- Risk: farmers, miners, outdoor workers
7. Clostridium botulinum - ANSWER - Gram-positive bacterium
- Rod-shaped, anaerobic
- Causes botulism: blurred vision, slurred speech, dry mouth (muscle paralysis from
toxin)
- Usually don't cause harm but under certain conditions spores grow and create lethal
toxins
- Spread by food, improperly canned foods
8. Cyanobacterium spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Can be round, rod-shaped, or spiral
- Blu-green algae
- Produces toxins that taint water: infect through consumption or swimming in
contaminated water
- Causes gastroenteritis and skin irritation, can cause deadly liver damage
9. Rickettsia rickettsii - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Small, rod-shaped
- Causes: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
- Spread by infected tics
,- Symptoms: Fever, headache, rash (red spots)
- Severe: Amputations, paralysis, can be deadly if not treated with antibiotics
- No vaccine to prevent, just be aware and check for tics
10. Klebsiella pneumoniae - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Encapsulated, rod-shaped, anaerobic
- Causes: Infections! - blood, pneumonia, wound/surgical sites, meningitis
- Normally found in human intestines and stool
- Spread from person to person or from hospital machines like ventilators or intravenous
catheters
- Treatment: antibiotics - when not resistant
- Prevention: sterile hospital environments
11. Yellow fever virus - ANSWER - Single strand RNA virus
- Causes: mosquitos acquire virus from primates and spread to other primates
- Yellow fever - majority have no illness, others get sudden fever, chills, nausea,
headache
- Africa and South America
- Severe: jaundice, bleeding, shock, MODS
- Treatment: hospitalization for supportive care
- Vaccine: live virus, single dose, given when older than 9 months
12. Helicobacter pylori - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Curved or spiral
- 2/3 of people have the bacteria in their stomachs with no problems
- Can cause ulcers in the stomach or even cancer
- Causes: contaminated food, water, utensils - usually rural and poor locations
- Treatment: antibiotics, other meds to decrease stomach acid
13. Epstein Barr virus (EBV or Human Herpesvirus 4) - ANSWER - Doubled strand DNA
virus
- Herpes virus family
, - Most people get infected at some point in their life
- Spread through bodily fluids - usually saliva
- Causes: mononucleosis
- Symptoms: fatigue, fever, swollen neck lymph nodes, inflamed throat
- Virus lives latent in body after infection
- No vaccine for prevention
14. Vibrio fischeri - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, marine, bioluminescent
- Causes: Vibriosis - infection through consumption of raw of undercooked shellfish
- Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fever - not severe
- Can also get vibriosis from exposed open wound in contaminated seawater
15. Rhizobium spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, in soil
- Symbiotic relationship with legumes
- Plant gives bacteria energy, bacteria fixes nitrogen for the plant
- Can contaminate water systems
16. Burkholderia mallei - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, aerobe
- Causes: Glanders - most commonly affects horses
- Transmission to humans through contact with infected animal body tissues/fluids
- Can be localized (skin), pulmonary, bloodstream, or chronic
- Antibiotic treatment, no vaccine
17. Nitrosomonas spp. - ANSWER - Gram-negative bacterium
- Rod-shaped, obligate aerobes
- Oxidize ammonia to nitrite
- Important for providing nitrogen to plants, found in soil or water
- Important in wastewater treatment plans
