College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE), an affiliate of PolyU

THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

HONG KONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Subject Title : General Microbiology Subject Code : SEHH2232

Session : Semester Two, 2022/23 Time : 09:00 – 11:00

Date : 8 May 2023 Time Allowed : 2 Hours

Subject : Dr Flora KW SIU

Examiner(s)

This question paper has a total of ELEVEN pages (including this covering page).

Instructions to Candidates:

1. There are THREE sections in this paper.

Section A (30%) – Multiple-choice Questions. Answer ALL questions in this section on the
multiple-choice answer sheet provided. Each question carries 1 mark.
Section B (30%) – Short Questions. Answer any THREE out of the FOUR questions in
this section in the answer book provided. Each question carries 10 marks.
If you answer more than three questions, only the first three attempted
questions will be marked. Indicate in your answer book clearly and
correctly which three questions you are attempting.
Section C (40%) – Compulsory Questions. Answer ALL questions in this section in the
answer book provided. Each question carries 20 marks.
2. Please indicate the section and question number clearly and correctly in the answer book.
3. Electronic calculators, including programmable calculators, may be used provided that the
calculators are battery powered, silent in operation, with neither printout nor graphic / word
display facilities and do not use dot-matrix technology in the main display. All programmes
stored in the calculator should have been cleared. Other electronic devices with graphic/
word-display facilities (such as databank watches) are not permitted.
4. Start a new page for the answer of each question of Section B & C.

Authorised Materials:
YES NO
CALCULATOR [] [ ]
(All programmes stored should be cleared.)
SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED ITEMS [ ] []

DO NOT TURN OVER THE PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

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 College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE), an affiliate of PolyU

Section B (30%) – Short Questions

Answer any THREE out of the FOUR questions in this section in the answer book
provided. Each question carries 10 marks. If you answer more than three questions, only
the first three attempted questions will be marked. Indicate in your answer book clearly
and correctly which three questions you are attempting.

Question B1

Neisseria meningitidis is one of the bacteria capable of causing bacterial meningitis in human. It
has a lot of virulence factors leading its invasion and the disease development. There is a specific
test used to differentiate it from other bacteria by identifying its unique properties.

(a) Name this specific test and clearly describe its principles and key steps. (6 marks)

(b) Identify TWO most important virulence factors and introduce their abilities in escaping from
the immune response by the human defense system. (4 marks)

Question B2

What are the FIVE special properties and the associated features of the third line of defense in the
human body? (10 marks)

Question B3

There are different types of carriers involving in the disease transmission. Some carriers are
patients recovered from the disease but they are able to transmit the disease too. In addition,
medical workers without any transmissible disease could also be classified as a type of carriers.

(a) Clearly introduce TWO types of carriers in which patients are recovered from the disease and
give ONE relevant example in EACH type. (7 marks)

(b) Explain why such medical workers may become a type of carriers. (3 marks)

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 College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE), an affiliate of PolyU

Question B4

Chlamydia disease is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a specific bacterium. It possesses

the cell wall preventing the phagosome-lysosome fusion so that it could survive in human body.
In this process, it would be present in two distinct forms in the phagosome of host cell. This
disease can also be transmitted to the newborn baby by the infected mother.

(a) What is the name of the causative agent in Chlamydia disease? (2 marks)

(b) Elaborate the process of how this bacterium interacts with host cells by involving the presence
of two distinct forms. (6 marks)

(c) Identify the disease and the mode of disease transmission in the newborn baby. (2 marks)

- End of Section B -

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 College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE), an affiliate of PolyU

Section C (40%) – Compulsory Questions

Answer ALL questions in this section in the answer book provided. Each question carries
20 marks. Indicate the question number clearly and correctly in your answer book.

Question C1

Mary is a 70-year-old woman who was recently identified with urethritis which gives her a
burning sensation with urination and discharge. She visited a doctor for several times and took
several courses of antibiotics, but the situation was not improved. Her doctor suspected that she
was infected by a multi-drug resistant bacteria and asked her to conduct some medical tests,
including the cultivation of bacteria from her urine, Gram stain and the drug susceptibility tests of
five selected antibiotics. A week later, the medical report of this test was received and the results
were summarized in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1: Results of Kirby-Bauer Test

Antibiotics Zone size (mm) required Zone size (mm) Zone size in using
for susceptibility required for resistance Bacterium
Ciprofloxacin > 18 < 10 15
Amoxicillin plus > 17 < 12 19
clavulanic acid
Penicillin V > 21 < 14 9
Tetracycline > 20 < 17 15
Vancomycin > 18 <9 22

Table 2: Results of Tube Dilution Test

Concentration
Antibiotics 0.125 0.25 0. 5 1.0 2.0 4.0
µg/ml µg/ml µg/ml µg/ml µg/ml µg/ml
Ciprofloxacin √ √ √ √ × ×
Amoxicillin plus √ √ √ × × ×
clavulanic acid
Penicillin V √ √ √ √ √ √
Tetracycline √ √ √ √ √ ×
Vancomycin √ √ × × × ×
Remarks: “√” indicates the presence of bacterial growth while “×” indicates the absence of
bacterial growth

(a) Clearly describe the procedures in doing Gram stain. (5 marks)

(b) In Kirby-Bauer Test, what does zone size imply? Determine with brief explanation which
antibiotic(s) are powerful to stop the bacterial growth. (5 marks)

(c) In Tube Dilution Test, what are the significances to use various concentrations? Rank the
antibiotics in the order of ascending ability to inhibit the bacterial growth. (4 marks)

(d) State SIX characteristics of ideal antibiotics. (6 marks)

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Question C2

In Hong Kong, more cases of influenza are commonly reported during the winter season in each
year. In particular, young children and older adults are more susceptible to the influenza virus,
resulting in severe health consequences. To effectively protect them, the influenza vaccination is
highly recommended for them. The highly changing properties of influenza requires the
development of vaccine in each year and then the influenza vaccination should be done yearly.

(a) Identify and define TWO levels of genetic changes in the influenza virus. (6 marks)

(b) Clearly describe the process of the viral invasion and multiplication in human cells. (9 marks)

(c) Elaborate the process that one infected cell can protect other nearby uninfected cells by using
interferon. (5 marks)

- End of Section C -

- END OF PAPER -

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