Case Study 4:  A male textile worker in a fur store is admitted to the emergency room of a New York City hospital suffering from breathing difficulties and coughing spasmodically.  A chest x-ray reveals pleural effusions and widening of the mediastinum. The physician notices the presence of vesicular lesions and black, necrotic skin tissue on the man’s hands. A stat gram stain of vesicle fluid indicated the presence of large, gram-positive bacilli. Case Study 4.2:  How did the patient likely contract this organism?

All of the following describe the genus Mycobacterium EXCEPT:

The major groups of parasitic worms include all of the following except:

Provide one example of how to create an anaerobic environment for your cultures.

A rose gardener pricked himself and developed an ulcerating lesion that is spreading to subcutaneous tissue.  The causative fungus is most likely to be:

An elderly farmer began having a bad cough after working with some mildewed hay in his barn.  A chest radiograph showed a fungus-like ball growing in his right upper lobe. What microbe is the most likely suspect?

Transformation is the genetic process by which:

Which of the following has the most minimal growth requirements (is the easiest to grow)?

Which of the following is a common childhood disorder?

Case Study 2:  This 63-year-old alcoholic was taken to the emergency room of an outside hospital with obvious gangrene of both feet.  He was stuporous.  During that evening, he had a seizure and was treated with phenytoin and barbiturates.  By the night of transfer he was noted to have opisthotonic posturing and to have developed increasing respiratory distress and unresponsiveness.  On examination, he had a temperature of 41.7°C rectally, a blood pressure of 70/30 mmHg, a heart rate of 110 beats/min, and a respiratory rate of 40/min.  Examination was notable for marked trismus.  The neck was stiff and hyperextended.  Necrotic, blackened areas were present over both feet and several draining ulcers were noted on the heels and toes.  Neurologically the patient responded to deep pain with a grimace.  On the basis of these findings, specific therapy, in addition to supportive care, was initiated, and the patient ultimately recovered. Case Study 2.1:  What organism is most likely causing the infection which occurred secondarily to the gangrene?