A 10 year old boy presented to the outpatient medical clinic with complaints of
ID: 173978 • Letter: A
Question
A 10 year old boy presented to the outpatient medical clinic with complaints of diarrhea and abdominal pain. A patient history revealed that the boy had three to four loose bowel movements per day for 3 days prior to evaluation. The child’s mother indicated that the boy had a low-grade fever, abdominal cramping, and blood in his stool.
On examination, the patient was febrile and demonstrated mild lower abdominal tenderness. The fecal specimen submitted was a greenish watery stool that was positive for occult blood.
Laboratory evaluation included a complete blood count and urinalysis which were normal.
Microscopic examination of the fecal specimen showed many segmented neutrophils and red blood cells. The organism recovered on culture was a small, cured gram negative rods that resembled seagull wings.
1.What is the suggested causative organism?
2.Is the recovery of this organism consistent with the clinical and laboratory findings?
3.Discuss the transmission of this organism.
Explanation / Answer
The 10 year old boy presented in the outpatient medical clinic with complaints of diarrhea and abdominal pain. The patient history revealed that the boy had three to four loose bowel movements per day from 3 days. The child’s mother indicated that the boy had a low-grade fever, abdominal cramping, and blood in his stool.
According to the above symptoms in the boy, he is suffering with foodborne illness.
Foodborne diseases:
It is an illness that is result from consuming contaminated food with presence of pathogens or toxic compounds which is released by microorganisms.
The disease causing pathogens are most often caused by bacteria and Foodborne diseases are also caused by viruses, protozoans and fungi.
Microbes that cause foodborne diseases:
Bacteria: Bacillus cereus, salmonella spp, Escherichia coli spp, Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens.
1. ANS: Campylobacter jejuni is a causative organism develops foodborne illness in this boy. It is a small, cured gram negative rod shaped bacteria. It contains curved wings. After exposing to this bacteria symptoms may develop within 2 or 3 days.
2. ANS:
Clinical and laboratory finding:
Microscopic examination of the fecal specimen showed many segmented neutrophils and red blood cells.
Blood agar culture is used.
Incubation at 42 degree C in a micro aerophilic atmosphere which contains 5% oxygen and 10% CO2.
Skirrows medium (which contains vancomysin, trimethoprim, polymyxin and amphotericin B) is used.
3. ANS:
Transmission:
It is most commonly found in animal feces.
It is present in the alimentary canal of the poultry animals and birds.
Campylobacter jejuni can also present in the contaminated water and unpasteurized milk.
Improperly prepared meat also contains these bacteria.
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