Shigellosis is common in travelers to developing countries.

Infection is commonly acquired through the*

Gastrointestinal tract
Skin
Respiratory tract
Genital tract

Pathogenic mechanisms involved in tuberculosis can be

primarily attributed to which of the following?

Toxin production by the mycobacteria

Specific cell adhesion sites
Cell-mediated hypersensitivity
Humoral immunity
Clogging of alveoli by large numbers of acid-fast mycobacteria

The most common portal of entry for C. tetani, the cause of

tetanus, is the*

Skin
Gastrointestinal tract
Respiratory tract
Genital tract

CTA results are as follows: Glucose: (+) Maltose: (+)

Lactose: (- ) Identify the organism.*

N. gonorrhoeae
N. meningitidis
N. lactamica
N. sicca

A 2-year-old child was admitted to the hospital with acute

meningitis. The Gram stain revealed Gram-positive short rods,
and the mother indicated that the child had received “all” of
the meningitis vaccinations. What is the most likely cause of
the disease?

N. meningitidis, group A
N. meningitidis, group C
Listeria
 S. pneumoniae

Match the following mycobacteria other than tuberculosis

(MOTT) with their corresponding Runyon classification.*

Group 1 (photochromogens)

Group 2 (scotochromogens)

Group 3 (nonphotochromogens)

Group 4 (rapid growers)

None of the above

M. avium-intracellulare complex

M. leprae

M. gordonae

M. fortuitum

M. kansasii

M. avium-intracellulare complex

M. leprae

M. gordonae

M. fortuitum

M. kansasii

Match the following virus families with their characteristics. *

ssDNA

dsDNA with complex capsid

dsRNA

Non-encapsulated dsDNA

ssRNA

Covid-19 (Coronaviridae)

Parvoviridae

Poxviridae

Reoviridae

Orthomyxoviridae

Covid-19 (Coronaviridae)

Parvoviridae
Poxviridae

Reoviridae

Orthomyxoviridae

Match the following microorganisms with their cultural

characteristics.*

Molar tooth colonies

Alpha prime colonies

Grape-like/ corn tortilla-like odor

Pitting of agar

Fried egg colonies

E. corrodens

Actinomyces spp.

P. aeruginosa

M. pneumoniae

C. perfringens

E. corrodens

Actinomyces spp.

P. aeruginosa

M. pneumoniae

C. perfringens

Hemolytic pattern produced by C. perfringens*

Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Alpha prime

Which of the following is used as mordant in the gram stain?*

Heat
Gram's iodine
Phenol
Alcohol-acetome
Match the following microorganisms with their associated
microscopic characteristics.*

Darting motility

Satelliting appearance

Gliding motility

Schools of fish arrangement

Bamboo fishing pole appearance

Capnocytophaga spp.

H. influenzae

Campylobacter spp.

H. ducreyi

B. anthracis

Capnocytophaga spp.

H. influenzae

Campylobacter spp.

H. ducreyi

B. anthracis

Which of the following enzymes is/are produced by aerobes?*

catalase
superoxide dismutase
cytochrome c oxidase
two of these
all of these

Which of the following bacteria are NOT motile at 37 °C ?

I - Klebsiella oxytoca II - Shigella boydii III -
Yersinia enterocolitica IV - Hafnia alvei*

I and II
I, II and III
III and IV
I, II, III and IV

Pneumococci that are resistant to penicillin should be tested

for:*
 production of beta-lactamase
Bile solubility
Growth in NaCl
Resistance to bacitracin

Which of the following is not characteristic of Listeria

monocytogenes?*

Catalase negative
CAMP test postive
Esculin hydrolysis positive
Motile

Match the following sterilization techniques with their

corresponding parameters*

Flowing steam for 30 minutes on 3 successive days

75-80 °C for 2 hours on 3 successive days

121 °C at 15 psi for 15-30 minutes

100 °C for 15-30 minutes

160-180 °C for 1-2 hours

Autoclaving

Inspissation

Tyndallization

Boiling

Dry heat

Autoclaving

Inspissation

Tyndallization

Boiling

Dry heat

Match the following fungal media with their corresponding

use.*

Primary isolation and maintenance of cultures

Stimulate chlamydospore production for C. albicans

Species identification of aspergilli

 Differentiate M. audouinii from M. canis

Separate T. mentagrophyte from T. rubrum

Cornmeal agar

Rice agar

Saboraud Dextrose Agar

Urease test medium

Czapek’s agar

Cornmeal agar

Rice agar

Saboraud Dextrose Agar

Urease test medium

Czapek’s agar

Which hemolysin produced by beta-hemolytic streptococci, is

oxygen stable and non antigenic?

Streptolysin A
Streptolysin S
Streptolysin G
Streptolysin O

Hippurate hydrolysis is used to differentiate:*

Group B streptococci from enterococci

Group A from group B streptococci
Listeria from streptococci
Pneumococci from other viridans

Sterilization with the autoclave method

*

uses 15 lb of pressure to reach a temperature of 121 degrees Celcius

uses 15 lb of pressure to reach a temperature of 100 degrees Celcius
uses 121 lb of pressure to reach a temperature of 15 degrees Celcius
uses 100 lb of pressure to reach a temperature of 15 degrees Celcius

An isolate from a wound culture is a Gram-negative rod

identified as Bacteroides fragilis. Anaerobic infection with B.
fragilis is characterized by*
 A foul-smelling discharge
A black exudate in the wound
An exquisite susceptibility to penicillin
A heme-pigmented colony formation
Severe neurologic symptoms

CAMP is a factor produced by group B beta-hemolytic

streptococci that:*

Reduces the zone of lysis formed by the streptococci

Hydrolyzes the B factor
Causes a change in color
Enlarges the zone of lysis formed by staphylococcal beta-hemolysin

Why is a first morning urine specimen preferred for urine

cultures?*

Specimen is diluted
Bacteria are all motile
Specimen is more concentrated
All of these

Nocardia can be differentiated from Actinomyces based on *

Nocardia being catalase positive

The production of sulfur granules in cases of nocardiosis
The partial-acid fast staining reaction of Actinomyces
Nocardia being an obligate anaerobe

Encapsulated bacteria whose capsule is comprised of poly-D-

glutamic acid instead of polysaccharide.*

Streptococcus pneumoniae
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Bacillus anthracis
Salmonella typhi

A patient was hospitalized after an automobile accident. The

wounds became infected and the patient was treated with
tobramycin, carbenicillin, and clindamycin. Five days after
antibiotic therapy was initiated, the patient developed severe
diarrhea and pseudomembranous enterocolitis. Antibiotic
associated diarrhea and the more serious pseudomembranous
enterocolitis can be caused by*

Clostridium sordellii
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium difficile
S. aureus

Most members of Enterobacteriaceae usually have _____

flagella.*

monotrichous
peritrichous
amphitrichous
lopotrichous

Phase in the bacterial growth curve where growth ceases

because nutrients are exhausted or toxic metabolic products
have accumulated.*

Lag phase
Log phase
Stationary phase
Death phase

Which of the following should NOT be done during specimen

collection?*

Collecting sufficient amounts of specimen (avoid “QNS”)

Collecting from actual site of infection
Keeping actual time of collection and plating to media to a minimum
Obtaining cultures after the initiation of antibiotic therapy

Match the following fungi with their correct description*

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Cryptococcus neoformans

Candida albicans

Trichophyton schoenleinii

Sporothrix schenckii

A mucinous capsule may be demonstrated

Positive germ tube test

Asteroid bodies seen in infected tissue

Yeast form have pilot’s wheel appearance

Causes the favus type of tinea capitis

A mucinous capsule may be demonstrated

Positive germ tube test

Asteroid bodies seen in infected tissue

Yeast form have pilot’s wheel appearance

Causes the favus type of tinea capitis

Match the following culture media with their corresponding

use.*

Buffered-Charcoal-Yeast Extract (BCYE) agar

Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin (CIN) agar

New York City Agar

Regan Lowe Medium

Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salt (TCBS) agar

Enrichment and selective medium for isolation of B. pertussis

Selective and differential for Vibrio spp.

Selective for N. gonorrhoeae

Enrichment for Legionella spp.

Selective for Yersinia spp.

Enrichment and selective medium for isolation of B. pertussis

Selective and differential for Vibrio spp.

Selective for N. gonorrhoeae

Enrichment for Legionella spp.

Selective for Yersinia spp.

A man who has a penile chancre appears in a hospital’s

emergency service. The VDRL test is negative. The most
appropriate course of action for the physician in charge would
be to*

Send the patient home untreated

Repeat the VDRL test in 10 days
 Perform dark-field microscopy for treponemes
Swab the chancre and culture on Thayer-Martin agar
Perform a Gram stain on the chancre fluid

Cystine-tellurite blood agar plates are recommended for the

isolation of*

Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Streptococcus agalaciae
Streptococcus pyogenes
Group D streptococci

Match the following tests with their corresponding positive

results*

Bile Esculin Agar

CAMP Test

Catalase test

Citrate utilization test

Hippurate test

Deep purple coloration

Growth with color change from green to blue

Enhanced hemolysis indicated by an arrowhead shaped zone of beta hemolysis

Blackening of the agar slant

Copious bubbles produced

Deep purple coloration

Growth with color change from green to blue

Enhanced hemolysis indicated by an arrowhead shaped zone of beta hemolysis

Blackening of the agar slant

Copious bubbles produced

Staphylococcus aureus can be isolated from stool cultures by

the use of:*

Potassium tellurite medium

MacConkey agar
Medium with 7.5% salt concentration
LJ medium
Which of the following is a selective medium for C. difficile? *

Cycloserine cefoxitin fructose egg yolk agar (CCFA)

Egg-yolk agar (EYA)
Thioglycollate broth (THIO)
Phenylethyl alcohol agar (PEA)

What is the resulting color of acid-fast organisms such as

Mycobacterium tuberculosis?*

Violet
Red
Blue
Green

Which of the following should be used to remove

antimicrobials before culturing?*

Antimicrobial Removal Device

Isolator
Septic-Chek
All of these

A 30-year-old male patient was seen by the emergency service

and reported a 2-week history of a penile ulcer. He noted that
this ulcer did not hurt. Which one of the following
conclusions/actions is most valid?*

Draw blood for a herpes antibody test

Perform a dark-field examination of the lesion
Prescribe acyclovir for primary genital herpes
Even if treated, the lesion will remain for months
Failure to treat the patient will have no untoward effect, as this is a self-limiting
infection

The bile esculin test is used to differentiate:*

Enterococci from other group D streptococci

Streptococcus faecalis from Listeria
Group D streptococci from other strep
Group A from Group B strep

The diagnosis of gonorrhoeae in males can be made from:*

 Positive urethral smear
Symptoms
History
All of these

Which of the following staphylococci is the cause of UTI in

young females?*

S. epidermidis
S. saprophyticus
S. hominis
S. aureus

Which of the following members of Enterobacteriaceae is non-

motile at 37°C?*

Y. enterocolitica
Klebsiella
Shigella
All of these

What is the medium of choice for culturing gonococci and

meningococci?*

Lowesntein-Jensen
Modified Thayer Martin
Sheep Blood Agar
Potassium tellurite

Why must blood agar plates for throat cultures be incubated

aerobically and anaerobically when beta-hemolytic
streptococci are suspected?*

All of these
Streptococci only grow under anaerobic conditions
Streptococci only grow under aerobic conditions
Some may produce beta-hemolysis under aerobic conditions

Phenylethyl alcohol is used in media to:*

Inhibit gram-positive bacteria

Inhibit gram-negative bacteria
Stimulate gram-positive bacteria
 Stimulate gram-negative bacteria

Required agar depth in the Kirby-Bauer Disk Diffusion Test *

8 mm
2 mm
6 mm
4 mm

From a bronchial washing, organisms are seen on a Gram

stain, but no growth occurs aerobically and anaerobically. This
is most likely:*

Anaerobes
Inhibition by antibiotic therapy
Uncultivatable bacteria e.g., rickettsia, mycoplasma, M. leprae
The specimen being incubated instead of refrigerated

A 2-year-old infant is brought to the emergency room with

hemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombocytopenia. Which one
of the following bacteria would most likely be isolated from a
stool specimen?*

E. coli 0157/H7
Shigella
Salmonella
Aeromonas
Enterobacter

A patient complained to his dentist about a draining lesion in

his mouth. A Gram’s stain of the pus showed a few Gram-
positive cocci, leukocytes, and many branched Gram-positive
rods. The most likely cause of the disease is

Actinomyces israelii
Actinomyces viscosus
C. diphtheriae
Propionibacterium acnes

Stain for endospores*

Wirtz-Conklin
Methylene blue
 India ink
Dienes

Mycobacterium avium is a major opportunistic pathogen in

AIDS patients. M. avium from AIDS patients can be best
characterized by which one of the following statements?*

The majority of M. avium isolates from AIDS patients are nonpigmented

M. avium isolates from AIDS patients are of multiple serovars
Few isolates from AIDS patients are acid-fast
Most isolates from AIDS patients are sensitive to isoniazid and streptomycin
M. avium can be isolated from the blood of AIDS patients

Which of the following is required when labeling specimens?

I - Clinical Data II - Patient’s identifying data
III - Requesting physician’s name IV - Physician’s
contact information*

III and IV
I, II and III
I and II
I, II, III and IV
Option 5

Babes-Ernst granules are found in*

M. tuberculosis
C. diphtheriae
Y. pestis
None of these

Plates should be incubated for ______________ in the Kirby-Bauer

Disk Diffusion Test*

35°C for 16 to 18 hours

35°C for 22 to 24 hours
37°C for 22 to 24 hours
37°C for 16 to 18 hours

Which of the following are found in the gram positive cell wall?
I - Thick peptidoglycan layer II - Thin peptidoglycan
layer III - Endotoxin IV - Teichoic acid*
 I and II
I and IV
II and III
II and IV

Which of the following bacteria are gram-negative bacilli?

I - Erysipelothrix II - Actinomyces III -
Pseudomonas IV - Yersinia*

I and II
III and IV
I, II and III
I, II, III and IV

Which of the following is encapsulated and is a fungi at the

same time?*

N. meningitidis
K. pneumoniae
S. pneumoniae
C. neoformans

Match the following bacterial identification tests with their

use*

Differentiate Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp.

Differentiate S. aureus and other common staphyloccocal spp

Differentiate S. saphrophyticus and CoNS

Identify group A and group B beta hemolytic streptococci

Distinguish Group D Streptococcus and Enterococcus from other Lancefield groups

Coagulase test

Catalase test

Novobiocin susceptibility

Bile Esculin Agar

Bacitracin-SXT

Coagulase test

Catalase test

Novobiocin susceptibility
Bile Esculin Agar

Bacitracin-SXT

A 9-year-old child is brought to the emergency room with the

chief complaint of enlarged, painful axillary lymph nodes. The
resident physician also notes a small, inflamed, dime-sized
lesion surrounding what appears to be a small scratch on the
forearm. The lymph node is aspirated and some pus is sent to
the laboratory for examination. A Warthin-Starry silver
impregnation stain reveals many highly pleomorphic, rod-
shaped bacteria. The most likely cause of this infection is*

Y. pestis
Yersinia enterocolitica
Mycobacterium scrofulaceum
B. canis
Bartonella henselae