A 35 year old man goes to an emergency room in New Mexico. He

A 35 year old man goes to an emergency room in New Mexico. He complains of sudden onset
and worsening of fever chills, fatigue, weakness, headache, sore muscles, and painful, swollen,
and tender inguinal and axillary lymph nodes. He tells the doctor that the signs and symptoms
started 2 days ago. He is and ecologist from New York that came to New Mexico a week ago to
study the populations of ground squirrels. He went to the field study site (where a large
population of ground squirrels live), 4 days ago. He was perfectly healthy in New York, and
during his first days in New Mexico. His first night sleeping in the field he got several flea bites
which were very itchy, but other than that the was fine, up until 2 days ago.
Clinical findings: a temperature of 102 F, several flea bite marks in the lower extremities and
his arms and lymphadenitis.
Lab findings: microscopic examination of an aspirate of the swollen lymph nodes showed gramnegative rod shaped, coccobacillus, no-motile bacteria. Further tests showed the bacteria to be
facultative anaerobic, catalase positive, oxidase and urease negative, that formed fried egg
shaped colonies in an agar plate. A Wayson’s stain showed bipolar staining of the bacteria.
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the diagnosis? Name the disease. (2 points)
2. What is the organism causing this disease? Give both genus and species name. (2 points)
3. What is the significance of the geographic location of this case in regard to the suspected
organism causing the disease? (1 point)
4. How did he most likely contract the disease? (1 point)
5. What are the laboratory test criteria for the diagnosis of this disease? (1 point)
6. What are the treatments for this disease? (1 point)
7. How can this disease be prevented? (1 point)
8. Is there a vaccine for this disease? (1 point)