A one-year-old boy was listless,irritable,and sleepy.Encapsulated Gram-negative rods were cultured from his cerebrospinal fluid.His symptoms were caused by
A)Neisseria meningitidis.
B)rabies.
C)Clostridium tetani.
D)Haemophilus influenzae.
E)a prion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The encapsulated Gram-negative rods cultured from the cerebrospinal fluid indicate that the cause of the symptoms is likely Haemophilus influenzae, a bacterium that can cause meningitis in children. Symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, and sleepiness are common in cases of bacterial meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis can also cause meningitis, but it typically presents with more severe symptoms such as fever, headache, and a stiff neck. Rabies, Clostridium tetani (the bacteria that causes tetanus), and prion diseases would not present with these symptoms or show this type of bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid culture.

A One-Year-Old Boy Was Listless,irritable,and Sleepy