The goal of this assignment is to learn more about the aerobic Gram positive bac

Question

The goal of this assignment is to learn more about the aerobic Gram positive bacillus When reading this case study, consider the following: 1. patient history 2. site of infection 3. disease state and symptoms 4. specimen taken 5. media used in isolation of bacteria 6. general characteristics of the isolated bacteria (e.g, colony morphology, Gram reaction, catalase reaction, oxidase reaction, etc.) In this assignment you are expected to: 1. Read the case study 2. Write and submit a short summary (paragraph or two,

Explanation / Answer

The organism responsible is Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is a Gram positive, non motile, rod shaped bacterium. Those who are immunocompromised, and are unimmunised are at higher risk of contracting this bacteria. The infection mainly affects the upper respiratory tract. A thick gray colored coating us formed in the palate, tonsils and pharynx making it difficult for the individuals to breath and swallow. The bacteria spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets. The toxin produced by the bacteria can affect heart, kidneys and nerves leading to severe complications like multi organ damage ultimately leading to death. The only preventive measure available is to get immunised with diphtheria toxoid vaccine. Erythromycin may be somewhat effective in treatment.

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