Gram positive bacteria

Question 1

What is are 2 common aerobic spore forming bacilli species?

Answer 1

Bacillus cereus (food poisoning)
Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)

Question 2

What kind of bacteria is Corynebacterium diphtheriae? What does it cause?

Answer 2

A Gram positive, aerobic bacilli that does not form spores.

It causes diptheria

Question 3

Give 4 examples of anaerobic, spore forming bacilli

Answer 3

Clostridium difficle
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium tetani

Question 4

What bacteria causes diarrhoea?

Answer 4

Clostridium difficle

Question 5

What does clostridium perfringens cause?

Answer 5

Causes gas gangrene, a serious infection has to be treated with penicillin and/or metronidazole.
Is commensal in faeces.

Question 6

What does clostridium botulinum cause?

Answer 6

Botulism

it is the most potent neurotoxin but is rare in the UK.

Question 7

What causes tetanus?

Answer 7

Clostridium tetani

Question 8

What does bacillus cereus cause?

Answer 8

Food poisoning

Question 9

What form are staphylococci?

Answer 9

Cluster formation

Question 10

What shape are streptococci?

Answer 10

Chains of spherical bacteria

Question 11

Give an example of a staphylococci that gives a positive coagulation test result

Answer 11

Staphylococcus aureus

Question 12

What does staphylococcus aureus cause?

Answer 12

Causes endocarditis (infection of the myocardium) and osteomyelitis (infection of the bone).
Is a normal flora in nose and skin.

Question 13

Give 2 examples of staphylococci that are coagulase test negative

Answer 13

Staphylococcus epidermis 
Staphylococcus saprophyticus (causes UTI's in women of child bearing age)

Question 14

What does staphylococcus epidermis cause and where is it found?

Answer 14

It is a skin commensal that is a common cause of catheter, prostheses and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt infections

Question 15

Give examples of streptococci species that cause partial haemolysis

Answer 15

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci)
Viridians streptococci

Question 16

What is a haemolysis test and what are the possible results?

Answer 16

Bacteria are grow on a blood agar plate to see what they do to the red blood cells. Haemolysis is the destruction of RBCs.
Partial (alpha)- the blood turns green
Complete (beta)- blood agar turns clear
Non Haemolytic

Question 17

Give examples of bacteria that causes complete haemolysis in a haemolysis test.

Answer 17

Streptococcus pyogenes

Streptococcus agalactiae

Question 18

What does streptococcus pyogenes cause and what is it treated with?

Answer 18

sore throats, cellulitis
Acute rheumatic fever, acute glomerulonephritis

Treated with penicillin

Question 19

What does streptococcus pneumoniae cause and where is it normally found?

Answer 19

Is a upper respiratory tract commensal
Causes pneumonia, can also cause meningitis in children and the elderly.
Vaccine is available.

Question 20

What does viridians streptococcus cause?

Answer 20

Common cause of endocarditis after dental treatment as it is a mouth commensal.

Question 21

What is an example of a non-haemolytic streptococci?

Answer 21

Enterococcus faecalis

Question 22

What is enterococcus faecalis and what does it cause?

Answer 22

It is a gut commensal that causes UTI’s.

There is an increasing problem in hospitals of vancomycin-resistant enterococci.