A person in England arrives at a medical clinic with a fever...

A person in England arrives at a medical clinic with a fever and swollen lymph nodes shortly after returning from a visit to New Mexico. For which bacteria should the doctor test the patient?
a. Salmonella enterica
b. Borrelia burgdorferi
c. Clostridium botulinum
d. Yersinia pestis

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Key Concepts

Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis is a gram?negative bacterium that causes plague, most notably the bubonic form. It is transmitted primarily through flea bites and is closely associated with rodent reservoirs. An understanding of this bacterium is critical in infectious disease diagnosis and epidemiology, particularly when clinical symptoms align with its known manifestations.

Bubonic Plague

Bubonic plague is an acute infectious disease characterized by sudden fever and painful, swollen lymph nodes, known as buboes. Recognizing these hallmark symptoms helps in correlating clinical findings with exposure to the causative agent, Yersinia pestis, and is crucial for prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Zoonotic Transmission

Zoonotic transmission refers to diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. In the context of infectious diseases, recognizing that certain pathogens, such as Yersinia pestis, are maintained in animal reservoirs and can be vectored to humans (often by fleas) underscores the importance of a patient’s travel and exposure history when evaluating symptoms.

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