Bsalover 5 years ago

Parents bring their 10-day-old infant to the emergency department because of poor feed- ing for the past two days. The infant is febrile and appears lethargic and irritable. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are taken for cul- ture, and the infant is started on ampicillin and gentamicin. Laboratory culture of CSF reveals growth of gram-positive bacilli, with b-hemolysis on sheep blood agar. The micro- biologist notes that the same organism may cause meningitis in an immunocompromised adult. What is the likely mode of pathogen transmission to the immunocompromised adult? (A) An ascending urinary tract infection (B) Direct inoculation into an open wound (C) Inhalation of aerosolized bacteria (D) Ingestion of unpasteurized milk