Textbook Question
How might phage conversion provide a bacterium with an evolutionary advantage?
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Ch. 6 - Viruses and Prions
Norman-McKay2nd EditionMicrobiology: Basic and Clinical PrinciplesISBN: 9780137661619
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Introduction to Microbiology22
- Ch. 2 - Biochemistry Basics19
- Ch. 3 - Introduction to Prokaryotic Cells17
- Ch. 4 - Introduction to Eukaryotic Cells16
- Ch. 5 - Genetics25
- Ch. 6 - Viruses and Prions12
- Ch. 7 - Fundamentals of Microbial Growth20
- Ch. 8 - Microbial Metabolism16
- Ch. 9 - Principles of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology11
- Ch. 10 - Host Microbe Interactions and Pathogenesis19
- Ch. 11 - Innate Immunity24
- Ch. 12 - Adaptive Immunity22
- Ch. 13 - Immune System Disorders15
- Ch. 14 - Biomedical Applications: Vaccines, Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Molecular Method14
- Ch. 15 - Antimicrobial Drugs18
- Ch. 16 - Respiratory System Infections16
- Ch. 17 - Skin and Eye Infections19
- Ch. 18 - Nervous System Infections12
- Ch. 19 - Digestive System Infections20
- Ch. 20 - Urinary and Reproductive System Infections10
- Ch. 21 - Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Infections15
Norman-McKay2nd EditionMicrobiology: Basic and Clinical PrinciplesISBN: 9780137661619Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 6, Problem 9
Which of the following could inform you if your patient had a previous infection with a nonpersistent virus and recovered? Select all that apply.
a. A PCR test
b. A plaque assay
c. An ELISA test
d. An agglutination assay
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the nature of the virus and the tests. A nonpersistent virus is one that the immune system clears completely after infection, so the virus itself is no longer present in the body after recovery.
Step 2: Consider what each test detects. A PCR test detects viral genetic material, which would only be present if the virus is currently in the body, not after recovery from a nonpersistent virus.
Step 3: A plaque assay measures active, infectious virus particles by counting plaques formed on a cell layer, so it also indicates current infection rather than past infection.
Step 4: An ELISA test detects antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the virus. Since antibodies can remain after the virus is cleared, ELISA can indicate previous infection and recovery.
Step 5: An agglutination assay also detects antibodies or antigens by clumping reactions, so it can be used to detect antibodies indicating past infection as well.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Nonpersistent Viral Infection and Immune Memory
Nonpersistent viruses cause infections that the immune system clears completely, leaving no ongoing infection. However, the body often retains immune memory through antibodies, which can be detected to indicate past exposure and recovery.
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Acute Viral Infections
PCR Test for Viral Detection
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) detects viral genetic material, indicating current infection. It cannot confirm past infections once the virus is cleared, as no viral DNA or RNA remains in the body.
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Serological Tests (ELISA and Agglutination Assays)
Serological tests like ELISA and agglutination detect antibodies produced in response to infection. These antibodies persist after recovery, making these tests useful for identifying previous infections with nonpersistent viruses.
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04:21Plaque Assays
Related Practice
Textbook Question
A young man comes into your clinic and asks for an HIV test. He had unprotected sex two weeks ago and is nervous. His best option would be a(n):
a. ELISA of anti-HIV antibodies
b. Test that detects HIV genes
c. Latex agglutination test
d. Cell culture of blood sample
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Textbook Question
Which of the following is a potential feature of an animal virus? Select all that apply.
a. Presence of an envelope
b. Presence of a naked icosahedral capsid
c. Ability to inject naked RNA into the host cell
d. Ability to integrate into the host cell’s genome
e. Ability to cause host cell lysis
f. Ability to build DNA from an RNA template
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Textbook Question
The patient has a viral titer of 200 on day four after infection, 30 at 4 weeks after infection, 600 at 8 months after infection, and 23 after 1 year of infection. This is likely a(n) _______________ infection.
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Textbook Question
Why don’t bacteriophages undergo an “uncoating” step during replication?
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Textbook Question
Match the following terms.
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