Textbook Question
Historical journals have described gummas on patients. What disease most likely caused these lesions?
a. Ornithosis
b. Syphilis
c. Trachoma
d. Pneumonia
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Ch. 21 - Rickettsias, Chlamydias, Spirochetes, and Vibrios
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - A Brief History of Microbiology31
- Ch. 2 - The Chemistry of Microbiology28
- Ch. 3 - Cell Structure and Function39
- Ch. 4 - Microscopy, Staining, and Classification25
- Ch. 5 - Microbial Metabolism51
- Ch. 6 - Microbial Nutrition and Growth37
- Ch. 7 - Microbial Genetics51
- Ch. 8 - Recombinant DNA Technology21
- Ch. 9 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Environment36
- Ch. 10 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Body: Antimicrobial Drugs21
- Ch. 11 - Characterizing and Classifying Prokaryotes29
- Ch. 12 - Characterizing and Classifying Eukaryotes34
- Ch. 13 - Characterizing and Classifying Viruses, Viroids, and Prions23
- Ch. 14 - Infection, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology35
- Ch. 15 - Innate Immunity34
- Ch. 16 - Adaptive Immunity21
- Ch. 17 - Immunization and Immune Testing29
- Ch. 18 - Immune Disorders22
- Ch. 19 - Pathogenic Gram-Positive Bacteria25
- Ch. 20 - Pathogenic Gram-Negative Cocci and Bacilli28
- Ch. 21 - Rickettsias, Chlamydias, Spirochetes, and Vibrios25
- Ch. 22 - Pathogenic Fungi47
- Ch. 23 - Parasitic Protozoa, Helminths, and Arthropod Vectors44
- Ch. 24 - Pathogenic DNA Viruses23
- Ch. 25 - Pathogenic RNA Viruses30
- Ch. 26 - Applied and Industrial Microbiology29
- Ch. 27 - Microbial Ecology and Microbiomes22
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 21, Problem 11
Two weeks after a backpacking trip in Tennessee, a hiker experienced flulike symptoms and noticed a red rash on his thigh. What is the likely cause of his illness?
a. Treponema pallidum pertenue
b. Borrelia burgdorferi
c. Borrelia recurrentis
d. Leptospira interrogans
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Identify the key clinical features and epidemiological context in the problem. The hiker developed flu-like symptoms and a red rash on the thigh two weeks after a backpacking trip in Tennessee, which is an area known for certain tick-borne diseases.
Step 2: Recall the characteristics and transmission of each organism listed: (a) Treponema pallidum pertenue causes yaws, a tropical disease not associated with tick bites or Tennessee; (b) Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, transmitted by Ixodes ticks, common in the northeastern and midwestern United States including Tennessee; (c) Borrelia recurrentis causes relapsing fever, typically transmitted by lice, not ticks; (d) Leptospira interrogans causes leptospirosis, transmitted through contact with contaminated water, not typically associated with a rash or tick bites.
Step 3: Connect the clinical presentation to the most likely pathogen. Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi often presents with flu-like symptoms and a characteristic expanding red rash called erythema migrans, which fits the description of the rash on the thigh.
Step 4: Understand the incubation period. Lyme disease symptoms typically appear 3 to 30 days after a tick bite, which aligns with the two-week timeline in the problem.
Step 5: Conclude that the most likely cause of the illness is Borrelia burgdorferi, given the clinical signs, geographic location, and mode of transmission.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Lyme Disease and Borrelia burgdorferi
Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through tick bites, commonly in wooded areas like Tennessee. Early symptoms include flu-like signs and a characteristic red rash called erythema migrans, often appearing at the bite site within days to weeks.
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Communicable vs. Noncommunicable Diseases
Differentiation of Spirochete Bacteria
Spirochetes are a group of spiral-shaped bacteria including Borrelia, Treponema, and Leptospira species. Each causes distinct diseases: Treponema pallidum pertenue causes yaws, Borrelia recurrentis causes relapsing fever, and Leptospira interrogans causes leptospirosis, which have different transmission modes and clinical presentations.
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Tick-borne Illness Epidemiology and Symptoms
Tick-borne illnesses often present with nonspecific flu-like symptoms and sometimes characteristic rashes. Understanding the geographic distribution, incubation period, and clinical signs helps identify the causative agent, as seen with Lyme disease in the eastern US, where tick exposure and rash are key diagnostic clues.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Which of the following is not true of cholera?
a. The causative agent lives naturally in marine water.
b. There is an effective vaccine for cholera.
c. Strain 01 El Tor has been responsible for several pandemics.
d. Rice-water stool is a symptom.
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Textbook Question
Which of the following organisms is transmitted via sexual contact?
a. Treponema pallidum endemicum
b. Treponema pallidum pertenue
c. Treponema pallidum pallidum
d. Treponema carateum
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Textbook Question
The most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States is __________.
a. Vibrio parahaemolyticus
b. Campylobacter jejuni
c. Helicobacter pylori
d. Vibrio cholerae
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Textbook Question
During which stage of syphilis is penicillin ineffective?
a. Primary syphilis
b. Secondary syphilis
c. Tertiary syphilis
d. All of the above
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