Question

A patient comes to the emergency department with a productive cough, shortness of breath, and a fever of 102° F. The patient is diagnosed with pneumonia. What organism commonly encountered in the microbiology laboratory can cause this disease?

Answer 1

Answer: The organism is Streptococcus pneumoniae

Explanation:

Pneumonia is a respiratory condition characterized by an acute or chronic inflammation of the lungs.

It can be caused by virtually many kinds of microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi; even by some toxic matter.

However, the organism commonly encountered in the microbiology laboratory examination is a bacteria named Streptococcus pneumoniae