Treatment of leptospirosis with penicillin or other bactericidal antibiotic sometimes results in a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, characterized by fever, chills,
headache, malaise, tachycardia and rarely, death. What might be the cause of this reaction?
Sultiple Choice
There is no reasonable explanation for this reaction; some people just have it for unknown reasons.
The causative organism of leptospirosis is a Gram-negative bacterium the observed reaction is caused by resistance to the antibiotic used
to treat the disease.
The causative organism of leptospirosis is a Gram-positive bacterium when the bacterium is killed by antibiotic, phospholipid is released
into the bloodstream, causing the observed reaction.
The causative organism of leptospirosis is a Gram-negative bacterium, when the bacterium is killed by antibiotic, endotoxin is released into
the bloodstream, causing the observed reaction.
The causative organism of leptospirosis is a fungus: the observed reaction is caused by a type ill reaction to the fungal cell wall component
chitin that is released when the drug kills the fungus.