Question

A patient admitted to the hospital with muscle weakness and paralysis is put on a ventilator because of breathing difficulties. It is determined that the symptoms are the result of a bacterial exotoxin. Which of the following is the most likely source of this toxin?

a. canned food
b. contaminated water
c. a puncture wound
d. airborne bacteria

Answer 1

The likely source of the bacterial exotoxin causing muscle weakness and paralysis in a patient who needs a ventilator is improperly sterilized canned food, which can be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient experiencing muscle weakness and paralysis, who subsequently requires a ventilator due to breathing difficulties, has symptoms indicative of a condition caused by a bacterial exotoxin. The most likely source of this toxin, given the context of foodborne illness and the type of symptoms described, would be improperly sterilized canned food. This kind of environment can harbor Clostridium botulinum, the anaerobic bacterium that produces the potentially fatal botulinum neurotoxin, causing botulism.

While other sources like contaminated water, puncture wounds, or airborne bacteria can also carry harmful bacteria, the specific symptoms and association with botulinum toxin point towards canned food as the most plausible source.