Question

An infection with similar signs and symptoms appears in 24 prison inmates. there is evidence of bacterial etiology, but no laboratory has successfully isolated a bacterial agent in pure culture. which of the following pieces of evidence would indicate a single bacterial species is causing the disease

Answer 1

Evidence to indicate a single bacterial species is causing the disease among prison inmates includes finding the pathogen in all affected individuals and isolating the bacteria in a pure culture. Additionally, reproducing the disease in a healthy subject using the isolated bacteria would confirm the cause.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether a single bacterial species is causing the disease in the 24 prison inmates, one piece of evidence would be that the suspected pathogen must be found in every case of the disease and not in healthy individuals. This aligns with Koch's postulates, which are used to establish a causative relationship between a microbe and a disease. Secondly, the pathogen should be able to be isolated and grown in pure culture. And lastly, a healthy test subject infected with the isolated pathogen must develop the same signs and symptoms of disease. Since there is evidence of a bacterial etiology but no successful isolation in pure culture, identifying a common symptom pattern or using molecular techniques to detect bacterial DNA can support the hypothesis that a single bacterial agent is responsible for the outbreak.