DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Clinical Case Study Discussion Questions
1. What is the most likely causative microorganism in this outbreak?
The most likely causative microorganism in this case is Listeria monocytogenes. This pathogen has been described by Osek, Lachtara and Wieczorek (2022) as a gram-positive, facultative intracellular rod bacteria... (413). As the authors further indicate, this pathogen happens to be responsible for a serious infection called listeriosis which is associated with the consumption of food contaminated with the said pathogen.
2. Why is this infection associated with processed meats, but usually not with hamburgers or cuts of meat including pork, beef, or chicken?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC (2023), this particular germ can be described as hardy and could be rather challenging to eliminate if it spreads to a food processing facility. Further, according to the CDC (2023), it also thrives and could multiply in cold temperature environments which specifically means that unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages are more likely to be infected than food items exposed to heat (of around 165F). Thus,...
on proper handling of food), etc.
5. After considering the types of people at high risk for the disease, would you suppose the causative organism has a high or low pathogenicity? Explain your answer.
In the present scenario, pathogenicity has got to do with the capacity or ability of Listeria monocytogenes to cause disease. Listeria monocytogenes, as Gelfand, Swamy, and Thompson (2023) point out is an important bacterial pathogen in immunosuppressed patients, individuals at the extremes of age including neonates and older adults, pregnant women, and, occasionally, previously healthy individuals. As the authors further indicate, infection with the pathogen amongst this this category of persons clinically manifests itself (principally) as bacteremia…
