Quiz 7 Flashcards
sterilization
removing or killing all microbes
disinfection
substance that kills or inhibits growth of harmful microorganisms
antisepsis
disinfection of living tissue
degerming
removing microorganisms from an area
sanitization
lowering microbe levels on dishes and areas for cooking
biocide
a substance that can kill some microorganisms
germicide
another name for biocide
bacteriostasis
keeps microorganisms from growing
asepsis
a lack of contamination by certain microorganisms
Several months after their weekend of canning, the ladies invited the entire family over for Thanksgiving dinner. The meal consisted of turkey, ham, chicken, macaroni and cheese, rolls, spinach salad, tomatoes, corn, lima beans, green beans, and okra. All of the vegetables were the ones they had previously canned from their garden. For dessert, they had pecan pie and vanilla ice cream. The next day, while most of the family was out shopping, four of the family members were home with blurred vision, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. Mary called the family physician, Dr. Franklin, who told her to take the sick individuals to the emergency room, and he would meet them there. Upon arrival at the ER, Dr. Franklin asked what the family members had eaten for the meals before they developed the symptoms. The common foods that all of them ate were the chicken, the ham, the tomatoes, the green beans, and the spinach salad. The doctor determined that the family was suffering from botulism food poisoning. In the United States, foodborne botulism happens in 15% of cases each year, frequently from foods with a low acidity. He was suspicious of the green beans and tomatoes, even though tomatoes are highly acidic. Dr. Franklin also said that using proper methods of microbial control could have prevented their illness.
Which of the following is an example of microbial control?
a. Sue washes off the vegetables before serving them in a meal.
b. Sue uses bleach to clean the kitchen counters.
c. Mary places leftovers in the refrigerator after the meal.
d. Mary warms food up in a microwave before putting it on the table.
a. Sue washes off the vegetables before serving them in a meal.
b. Sue uses bleach to clean the kitchen counters.
c. Mary places leftovers in the refrigerator after the meal.
What was the MOST likely source of the family’s botulism food poisoning?
The family consumed botulism toxin in the canned green beans.
Botulism food poisoning is a preventable illness if special precautions are taken during food preparation. In this case, what could Sue have done to prevent the outbreak of botulism?
- Sue noticed that the pressure cooker was malfunctioning during the canning process. She should have fixed the instrument, borrowed a properly working one, or purchased a new pressure cooker.
- Sue could have boiled the food for at least 10 minutes before serving it to her family members.
During the fall of 2012, a multi-state outbreak of meningitis occurred. The source of the infection was traced to contaminated methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid commonly used to treat back pain. Each of the infected people had received an injection of the steroid contaminated with the fungus Exserohilum rostratum. While the investigation is still pending, one current area of focus is the quality-assurance practices of the company responsible for manufacture of the drug. Quality assurance (QA) refers to the examination of the process of manufacturing a drug. QA practices are governed by both federal and local agencies, and they help to ensure that manufacturing practices for products such as drugs guarantee both efficacy and safety of the product. Quality control (QC) is an aspect of QA that focuses on the end-product of the process. During the production of a drug, one facet of a QC technician’s job is to evaluate microbiological safety during the production process. As you answer the following questions, imagine that you are working as a QC technician at a pharmaceutical company.
During production of a drug, all work area surfaces must be disinfected using sterilized disinfectants. Which of the following statements about disinfectants are true?
- Endospores and viruses can resist disinfectant treatment.
- Disinfection can occur by physical or chemical means.
- Disinfectants are used to inhibit or destroy pathogens.
