A 57-year-old male farmer sees his physician complaining of fever, night sweats, and lethargy that come and go over the past three months. The patient's history reveals that he raises sheep for wool and meat and goats for milk. The physician suspects undulant fever. What is the optimal specimen(s) for culture of this suspected organism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The optimal specimens for culture of the organism causing undulant fever, which is Brucella, include blood, bone marrow, and lymph node biopsy. Brucella is a blood-borne pathogen, and its detection can be enhanced by sampling from multiple sites, including blood for bacteremia, bone marrow for a potentially higher yield of the organism, and lymph nodes if they are involved.

A 57-Year-Old Male Farmer Sees His Physician Complaining of Fever