Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: Vibrio vulnificus infection: practice question

A Dermatology 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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Dermatology · Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: Vibrio vulnificus infection

Sample item

A 55-year-old man with alcoholic cirrhosis develops fever, hypotension and haemorrhagic bullae on the leg 24 hours after wading in seawater and eating raw oysters. Which organism is the likely cause?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio vulnificus causes rapidly progressive haemorrhagic bullous cellulitis and septicaemia, especially in people with liver disease or iron overload. Doxycycline with a third-generation cephalosporin and early debridement are used.

Option by option

  • A. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

    Erysipelothrix causes an indolent violaceous cellulitis in fish handlers.

  • B. Vibrio vulnificus (correct)

    Correct. Seawater or raw shellfish with cirrhosis and haemorrhagic bullae points to Vibrio vulnificus.

  • C. Mycobacterium marinum

    Mycobacterium marinum causes indolent granulomas over weeks.

  • D. Streptococcus pyogenes

    Group A streptococcus can cause necrotising infection but is not tied to seawater or oysters.

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 Dermatology question

What is the answer to this Dermatology question?

The best answer is B, Vibrio vulnificus. Vibrio vulnificus causes rapidly progressive haemorrhagic bullous cellulitis and septicaemia, especially in people with liver disease or iron overload.

Why is "Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae" not the answer?

Erysipelothrix causes an indolent violaceous cellulitis in fish handlers.

Why is "Mycobacterium marinum" not the answer?

Mycobacterium marinum causes indolent granulomas over weeks.

Why is "Streptococcus pyogenes" not the answer?

Group A streptococcus can cause necrotising infection but is not tied to seawater or oysters.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: Vibrio vulnificus infection in Dermatology. Doxycycline with a third-generation cephalosporin and early debridement are used.

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 Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: Vibrio vulnificus infection?

Learn each condition by its primary lesion, site and signature sign. Then use the flashcards and the other Dermatology 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.