A previously healthy 23-year-old man comes to the office due to abrupt-onset high fever, myalgia, and swelling in his left groin after a recent camping trip in northern California. He appears acutely ill. Physical examination shows tender, left-sided inguinal lymphadenopathy and an enlarged, tender lymph node in the right axilla that is draining bloody necrotic material. Microscopic examination of a lymph node aspirate shows gram-negative coccobacilli with bipolar staining and a safety-pin appearance. This patient's condition is most likely caused by an organism with which of the following reservoirs?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Bubonic plague is a zoonotic infection that causes febrile illness with regional inflammatory lymphadenopathy (buboes).  The underlying pathogen is Yersinia pestis, a gram-negative coccobacillus that exhibits bipolar staining (resembling a closed safety pin).  The major environmental reservoir is rodents, and transmission usually occurs via rodent flea bite.

A Previously Healthy 23-Year-Old Man Comes to the Office Due