Online Access Free ABMM Exam Questions

A patient with a prosthetic joint develops a chronic infection. Multiple synovial fluid cultures grow a Gram- positive coccus that forms a biofilm and is resistant to multiple antibiotics, including methicillin and gentamicin. The MOST likely organism is:

• A.Staphylococcus epidermidis
• B.Staphylococcus aureus
• C.Streptococcus agalactiae
• D.Enterococcus faecium

A patient develops a severe diarrheal illness after consuming raw oysters. Stool cultures grow a Gram- negative, comma-shaped bacterium that is oxidase-positive and grows on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS) agar, producing green colonies. The MOST likely virulence factor contributing to the watery diarrhea is:

• A.Shiga toxin
• B.Cholera toxin-like enterotoxin
• C.Heat-labile toxin (LT)
• D.Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA)

A researcher is studying the genetic relatedness of different isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Which of the following molecular typing methods provides the highest discriminatory power for distinguishing between closely related strains?

• A.Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)
• B.Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis
• C.Spoligotyping
• D.Whole-genome sequencing (WGS)

A clinical microbiology laboratory is validating a new point-of-care test for the rapid detection of influenza A and B viruses. To accurately determine the clinical sensitivity of the test, it should be compared to a gold standard method using:

• A.A large number of prospectively collected clinical samples from patients with suspected influenza, with results confirmed by RT-PCR.
• B.Spiked samples containing known concentrations of influenza antigens.
• C.Samples from patients with other respiratory viral infections to assess cross-reactivity.
• D.A panel of known positive and negative samples stored at room temperature.

A research laboratory is investigating the mechanisms of viral latency in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-
1). During latency in sensory neurons, the viral genome exists as a circular episome. Whichof the following viral gene products is thought to play a crucial role in maintaining this latent state and preventing viral gene expression?

• A.Latency-associated transcripts (LATs).
• B.Immediate-early (IE) proteins such as ICP4 and ICP27.
• C.Early (E) proteins such as thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase.
• D.Late (L) proteins such as structural glycoproteins.