Bacteriology: Brucella: practice question

A Microbiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Microbiology · Bacteriology: Brucella

Sample item

A 34-year-old dairy farmer from Punjab who drinks raw milk has undulating fever, night sweats, arthralgia and mild splenomegaly for 6 weeks. The serum agglutination titre against Brucella is 1:320, and blood culture grows Gram-negative coccobacilli after 10 days of incubation. Which regimen is recommended for this uncomplicated infection?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Doxycycline plus rifampicin for 6 weeks

Brucellosis is an intracellular infection, so treatment needs prolonged combination therapy with drugs that penetrate cells; relapse is common with short courses or monotherapy. Doxycycline with rifampicin for 6 weeks is the standard WHO regimen, and doxycycline with streptomycin or gentamicin for the first weeks is an alternative. Beta-lactams and short fluoroquinolone courses are unreliable.

Option by option

  • A. Doxycycline plus rifampicin for 6 weeks (correct)

    Correct. Two intracellularly active drugs given for 6 weeks lower the relapse rate.

  • B. Ciprofloxacin alone for 5 days

    A 5-day single-drug course is far too short for an intracellular organism and would be followed by relapse.

  • C. Ceftriaxone alone for 2 weeks

    A beta-lactam alone penetrates macrophages poorly and has high relapse rates in brucellosis; ceftriaxone is a drug for meningitis or gonorrhoea.

  • D. Penicillin G plus gentamicin for 7 days

    Penicillins are ineffective against Brucella, and a 7-day course is too short; this combination suits enterococcal endocarditis.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Microbiology question

What is the answer to this Microbiology question?

The best answer is A, Doxycycline plus rifampicin for 6 weeks. Brucellosis is an intracellular infection, so treatment needs prolonged combination therapy with drugs that penetrate cells; relapse is common with short courses or monotherapy.

Why is "Ciprofloxacin alone for 5 days" not the answer?

A 5-day single-drug course is far too short for an intracellular organism and would be followed by relapse.

Why is "Ceftriaxone alone for 2 weeks" not the answer?

A beta-lactam alone penetrates macrophages poorly and has high relapse rates in brucellosis; ceftriaxone is a drug for meningitis or gonorrhoea.

Why is "Penicillin G plus gentamicin for 7 days" not the answer?

Penicillins are ineffective against Brucella, and a 7-day course is too short; this combination suits enterococcal endocarditis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Bacteriology: Brucella in Microbiology. Doxycycline with rifampicin for 6 weeks is the standard WHO regimen, and doxycycline with streptomycin or gentamicin for the first weeks is an alternative. Beta-lactams and short fluoroquinolone courses are unreliable.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Bacteriology: Brucella?

Make a one-line identity card for each organism: shape and stain, defining test, toxin, disease and drug. Then use the flashcards and the other Microbiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.