Bacteriology: Pontiac fever: 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: Pontiac fever

Sample item

Within two days of cleaning a hotel's air-conditioning cooling system, six maintenance workers develop fever, chills, headache and myalgia. None has cough or pneumonia, chest radiographs are normal, and all recover within a week without antibiotics. Which illness is most likely?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Pontiac fever

Pontiac fever is a self-limited, flu-like illness with a short incubation after inhaling Legionella-contaminated aerosols, without pneumonia. Legionnaires' disease, by contrast, is a pneumonia with a longer incubation and notable mortality.

Option by option

  • A. Psittacosis

    Psittacosis follows exposure to infected birds and usually produces pneumonia.

  • B. Q fever

    Q fever follows exposure to livestock products and has a longer incubation.

  • C. Pontiac fever (correct)

    Correct. A short incubation, flu-like illness without pneumonia and spontaneous recovery is Pontiac fever.

  • D. Legionnaires' disease

    Legionnaires' disease causes pneumonia, often with hyponatraemia and diarrhoea.

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 C, Pontiac fever. Pontiac fever is a self-limited, flu-like illness with a short incubation after inhaling Legionella-contaminated aerosols, without pneumonia.

Why is "Psittacosis" not the answer?

Psittacosis follows exposure to infected birds and usually produces pneumonia.

Why is "Q fever" not the answer?

Q fever follows exposure to livestock products and has a longer incubation.

Why is "Legionnaires' disease" not the answer?

Legionnaires' disease causes pneumonia, often with hyponatraemia and diarrhoea.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Bacteriology: Pontiac fever in Microbiology. Legionnaires' disease, by contrast, is a pneumonia with a longer incubation and notable mortality.

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: Pontiac fever?

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.