USMLE Immunology Buzzwords
MICROBIOLOGY
What does Candida albicans do that distinguishes it from other fungi? - answerIt forms
a germinal tube at 37°C.
What protozoal parasite results in dysentery with blood and pus in the stool, is
transmitted via fecal-oral route, is diagnosed by cysts or trophozoites in the stool, and
forms liver abscesses and inverted flask-shaped lesions in the large intestine? -
answerEntamoeba histolytica (treat with metronidazole)
What is the most likely causative organism for a patient with folliculitis after spending
time in a Hot Tub? - answerPseudomonas aeruginosa
What two viruses get their envelope not from budding but from coding? - answerHIV
and poxvirus
Which type of hepatitis can cause hepatocellular carcinoma? - answerHepatitis B
Gas gangrene is associated with which Clostridium species? - answerClostridium
perfringens
Which dimorphic fungus is found as hyphae with nondescript conidia in rotting wood in
the Upper Great Lakes, Ohio, MIssissippi, eastern seaboard of the United States, and
southern Canada? - answerBlastomyces dermatitidis
Which parasitic organism, when it crosses the placenta, results in intracerebral
calcifications, chorioretinitis, microcephaly, hydrocephaly, and convulsions? -
answerToxoplasma gondii
What staphylococcal species is positive for β-hemolysis and coagulase? -
answerStaphylococcus aureus
What vector is associated with malaria? - answerAnopheles mosquito
,What is the term for hyphae with constrictions at each septum that are commonly seen
in Candida albicans? - answerPseudohyphae
Which cestode infection results in alveolar hydatid cyst disease? - answerEchinococcus
multilocularis
Which hepatitis virus is in the Flaviviridae family? - answerHepatitis C
What nonmotile gram-netative, non-lactose-fermenting facultative anaerobic rod uses
the human colon as its only reservior and is transmitted by fecal-oral spread? -
answerShigella
What is the only Richettsia that is stable in the environment? - answerCoxiella burnetii
Regarding the viral growth curve, is the internal virus present before or after the eclipse
period? - answerAfter the eclipse period
What Ab is an indication of recurrent disease for hepatitis? - answerHBcAb
What small gram-positive, non-spore-forming rod is a facultative intracellular parasite
that grows in the cold and is associated with unpasteurized milk products? -
answerListeria monocytogenes
What is the only DNA virus that is not icosahedral? - answerPoxvirus
Which organism causes trench mouth? - answerFusobacterium
True or false? All of the following are inactivated vaccines available in the United States:
influenza, Vibrio cholera, hepatitis A, rabies, and adenovirus. - answerFalse, Adnovirus
vaccine is a live pathogenic virus in an enteric coated capsule. All of the others are
inactivated vaccines.
Name the Plasmodium species based on the following information:
No persistent liver stage or relapse; blood smear shows multiple ring forms and
crescent-shaped gametes; irregular febrile pattern; associated with cerebral malaria -
answerPlasmodium falciparum
No persistent liver stage or replapse; blood smear shows rosette schizonts; 72-hour
fever spike pattern - answerPlasmodium malariae
Persistent hypnozoite liver stage with relapses; blood smear shows amoeboid
trophozoites with oval, jagged infected RBCs; 48-hour fever spike pattern -
answerPlasmodium ovale
, Persistent hypnozoite liver stage with relapses; blood smear shows amoeboid
trophozoites; 48-hour fever spike pattern; the most prevalent form worldwide -
answerPlasmodium vivax
Ture or false? A positive PPD skin test indicates the patient has active pulmonary
disease. - answerFalse. The PPD tests exposure to TB.
What Vival infection is known to cause intracerebral calcifications? - answerCMV;
Toxoplasma also causes intracerebral calcifications but it is a parasite.
What viruses are associated with cervical carcinoma? - answerHPVs 16 and 18
What motile, gram-negative spiral bacillus with flagella is oxidase positive, urease
positive, and associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and stomach cancer? -
answerHelicobacter pylori
What glycoprotein in the HIV virus is used for fusion? - answerGP41
What Ag is needed to diagnose an infectious patient with hepatitis B? - answerHBeAg
Which organism causes multiple infections by antigen switching? - answerBorrelia
recurrentis
What is the first Ag seen in an individual with hepatitis? - answerHBsAg (incubation
period)
With which DNA virus are guanieri bodies associated? - answerVariola (smallpox)
What nematode is known as Pinworms? What is the treatment? - answerEnterobius
vernicularis; the treatment is albendazole.
What protein allows Mycoplasma to attach to the respiratory epithelium? - answerP1
protein
What organism is associated with the following types of diarrhea?
Day care-associated diarrhea in infants - answerRotavirus
Watery diarrhea from beef, poultry, or gravies - answerClostridium perfringens
Rice water stools - answerVibrio cholera
Diarrhea associated with raw or undercooked shellfish - answerVibrio parahaemolyticus
Bloody diarrhea associated with hamburger ingestion - answerEnterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
MICROBIOLOGY
What does Candida albicans do that distinguishes it from other fungi? - answerIt forms
a germinal tube at 37°C.
What protozoal parasite results in dysentery with blood and pus in the stool, is
transmitted via fecal-oral route, is diagnosed by cysts or trophozoites in the stool, and
forms liver abscesses and inverted flask-shaped lesions in the large intestine? -
answerEntamoeba histolytica (treat with metronidazole)
What is the most likely causative organism for a patient with folliculitis after spending
time in a Hot Tub? - answerPseudomonas aeruginosa
What two viruses get their envelope not from budding but from coding? - answerHIV
and poxvirus
Which type of hepatitis can cause hepatocellular carcinoma? - answerHepatitis B
Gas gangrene is associated with which Clostridium species? - answerClostridium
perfringens
Which dimorphic fungus is found as hyphae with nondescript conidia in rotting wood in
the Upper Great Lakes, Ohio, MIssissippi, eastern seaboard of the United States, and
southern Canada? - answerBlastomyces dermatitidis
Which parasitic organism, when it crosses the placenta, results in intracerebral
calcifications, chorioretinitis, microcephaly, hydrocephaly, and convulsions? -
answerToxoplasma gondii
What staphylococcal species is positive for β-hemolysis and coagulase? -
answerStaphylococcus aureus
What vector is associated with malaria? - answerAnopheles mosquito
,What is the term for hyphae with constrictions at each septum that are commonly seen
in Candida albicans? - answerPseudohyphae
Which cestode infection results in alveolar hydatid cyst disease? - answerEchinococcus
multilocularis
Which hepatitis virus is in the Flaviviridae family? - answerHepatitis C
What nonmotile gram-netative, non-lactose-fermenting facultative anaerobic rod uses
the human colon as its only reservior and is transmitted by fecal-oral spread? -
answerShigella
What is the only Richettsia that is stable in the environment? - answerCoxiella burnetii
Regarding the viral growth curve, is the internal virus present before or after the eclipse
period? - answerAfter the eclipse period
What Ab is an indication of recurrent disease for hepatitis? - answerHBcAb
What small gram-positive, non-spore-forming rod is a facultative intracellular parasite
that grows in the cold and is associated with unpasteurized milk products? -
answerListeria monocytogenes
What is the only DNA virus that is not icosahedral? - answerPoxvirus
Which organism causes trench mouth? - answerFusobacterium
True or false? All of the following are inactivated vaccines available in the United States:
influenza, Vibrio cholera, hepatitis A, rabies, and adenovirus. - answerFalse, Adnovirus
vaccine is a live pathogenic virus in an enteric coated capsule. All of the others are
inactivated vaccines.
Name the Plasmodium species based on the following information:
No persistent liver stage or relapse; blood smear shows multiple ring forms and
crescent-shaped gametes; irregular febrile pattern; associated with cerebral malaria -
answerPlasmodium falciparum
No persistent liver stage or replapse; blood smear shows rosette schizonts; 72-hour
fever spike pattern - answerPlasmodium malariae
Persistent hypnozoite liver stage with relapses; blood smear shows amoeboid
trophozoites with oval, jagged infected RBCs; 48-hour fever spike pattern -
answerPlasmodium ovale
, Persistent hypnozoite liver stage with relapses; blood smear shows amoeboid
trophozoites; 48-hour fever spike pattern; the most prevalent form worldwide -
answerPlasmodium vivax
Ture or false? A positive PPD skin test indicates the patient has active pulmonary
disease. - answerFalse. The PPD tests exposure to TB.
What Vival infection is known to cause intracerebral calcifications? - answerCMV;
Toxoplasma also causes intracerebral calcifications but it is a parasite.
What viruses are associated with cervical carcinoma? - answerHPVs 16 and 18
What motile, gram-negative spiral bacillus with flagella is oxidase positive, urease
positive, and associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and stomach cancer? -
answerHelicobacter pylori
What glycoprotein in the HIV virus is used for fusion? - answerGP41
What Ag is needed to diagnose an infectious patient with hepatitis B? - answerHBeAg
Which organism causes multiple infections by antigen switching? - answerBorrelia
recurrentis
What is the first Ag seen in an individual with hepatitis? - answerHBsAg (incubation
period)
With which DNA virus are guanieri bodies associated? - answerVariola (smallpox)
What nematode is known as Pinworms? What is the treatment? - answerEnterobius
vernicularis; the treatment is albendazole.
What protein allows Mycoplasma to attach to the respiratory epithelium? - answerP1
protein
What organism is associated with the following types of diarrhea?
Day care-associated diarrhea in infants - answerRotavirus
Watery diarrhea from beef, poultry, or gravies - answerClostridium perfringens
Rice water stools - answerVibrio cholera
Diarrhea associated with raw or undercooked shellfish - answerVibrio parahaemolyticus
Bloody diarrhea associated with hamburger ingestion - answerEnterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
