Meningitis causing agents

Question 1

What organisms that are gram positive cocci cause meningitis?

Answer 1

Streptococcus pyogenes, group B

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Question 2

What organisms that are gram negative cause meningitis?

Answer 2

Haemophilus influenzae

Neisseria meningitidis

Question 3

Which gram positive bacilli causes meningitis?

Answer 3

Listeria monocytogenes

Question 4

Menegitis from other than bacteria is caused by?

Answer 4

Encephalitis Viruses

Question 5

This meningitis is caused by innoculation from the normal vaginal flora of the motherduring delivery of neonate? what bacteria/morphology & what is done to prevent it?

Answer 5

Streptococcus pyogenes, group B

Gram positive cocci

Expectant mothers screened at 35 weeks, given antibiotics during delivery

Question 6

This is one of the major causes of meningitis, the bacteria is a part of the noral flora in 30-60% of population, infection is a result of transmission of normal flora to adjacent sites. what type of bacteria & morphology does it have?

Answer 6

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Gram positive cocci in pairs; large, mucoid, alpha-hemolytic colony

Question 7

what are the virulence factors of Streptococcus pneumoniae and does it have any antibiotic resistence?

Answer 7

Antiphagocytic capsule
IgA protease
invasive enzymes

Increase in penicillin resistance (30%), 15% resistant to 2nd & 3rd gen antimicrobic

Question 8

This bacteria causes fulminating meningitis which is caused by the invasion of the bacteria into the nasopharynx & then through the blood. Those @ risk are unvaccinated children less than 3 & elderly; this parasite may be apart of normal flora of Upper respiratory tract. What organism is it & its morphology?

Answer 8

Haemophilus influenzae

Gram negative coccobacilli, very small, short rod

Question 9

What are the virulence factors of Haemophilus influenzae?

Answer 9

Type B polysaccharide capsule/fimbriae/IgA proteases/ciliostatic factor

Question 10

what is the the only organism that requires a Beta-lactamase test?

Answer 10

Haemophilus influenzae

Question 11

Which organsim that causes meningitis has a vaccine for prevention?

Answer 11

Haemophilus influenzae

Question 12

This organism is the 2nd most likely cause of meningitis & causes tissue necrosis, it predominates in chool-age and college, some epidemics in schools and day cares/ Sub-saharan Africa thousands of cases each yr - B,C,Y problematic. what organism is it and what is its morphology?

Answer 12

Neisseria meningitidis

Gram negattive cocci in pairs

Question 13

which bacteria causes Encephalomeningitis and is considered an intracellular pathogen?

Answer 13

Listeria monocytogenes

Gram positive bacilli, aerobic, Non Spore Forming