You will prepare and submit a term paper on Practical Investigation: Medical Microbiology of the Respiratory Tract. Your paper should be a minimum of 1000 words in length.

You will prepare and submit a term paper on Practical Investigation: Medical Microbiology of the Respiratory Tract. Your paper should be a minimum of 1000 words in length. Although it is not known whether the exposure to the bacteria was recent or not, the patient had started exhibiting the general symptoms of tuberculosis. The patient also came from one of the African nations where TB is endemic. These were indicative of tuberculosis as the cause of illness. Mantoux tuberculin skin test or Heaf test may be used to confirm the diagnosis and immediate hospitalisation and medication is required.

Answer: TB is a highly contagious disease and its onset in individuals in a locality has to be recorded and notified to all local and state health departments to formulate a control and prevention plan. Every health department has to ensure a complete and timely investigation for suspected TB cases reported in its area.

Answer: The baby is immunosuppressed&nbsp.and has likely been infected by the fungi, Pneumocystis jirovecii, which causes pneumonia due to lung infection. It is known to be an opportunistic pathogen and has, therefore, affected the baby’s lungs causing fever, cough and respiratory distress.

Answer: The pathogen for PCP, Pneumocystis, is found in the lungs of healthy individuals but it causes infection only in people who have weak immune systems. Children are especially susceptible to diseases as they do not have fully developed immune systems, and in this case, the patient is also HIV+ve.

Answer: Sample 3a containing MDCK monolayer after incubation with patients NPA sample clearly indicates cytopathogenic effect on the cells when compared to the uninoculated MDCK cell sheet in sample 3b. This is an indication of viral infection.

Answer: The symptoms observed in the patient which include fever, chills, headache, runny nose and sore throat suggest that she may have contracted the flu. The doctor examining her at the clinic also suspected the same and the NPA test also confirms that she has been infected by the influenza virus.