A nurse if reviewing a patient’s chart and notices that the patient suffers from conjunctivitis. Which of the following microorganisms is related to this condition?
A. Yersinia pestis
B. Helicobacter pylori
C. Vibrio cholerae
D. Haemophilus aegyptius
Correct Answer: D. Haemophilus aegyptius
Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius (Hae) is a causative agent of acute and often purulent conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye.
Option A: Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis is primarily a disease of rodents or other wild mammals that usually is transmitted by fleas and often is fatal. Human disease is now rare and usually is associated with contact with rodents and their fleas.
Option B: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection occurs when H. pylori bacteria infect the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a ubiquitous organism that is present in about 50% of the global population. Chronic infection with H pylori causes atrophic and even metaplastic changes in the stomach, and it has a known association with peptic ulcer disease. The most common route of H pylori infection is either oral-to-oral or fecal-to-oral contact.
Option C: Cholera, caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, is rare in the United States and other industrialized nations. Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the toxigenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 or O139. An estimated 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths occur each year around the world. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can be severe.