Antimicrobials: plague treatment: practice question

A Pharmacology 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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Pharmacology · Antimicrobials: plague treatment

Sample item

A 25-year-old has fever and a painful inguinal bubo after rat fall in his village. Aspirate shows Gram-negative bacilli with bipolar staining. Which antibiotic is the classic drug of choice?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Streptomycin

Bubonic plague caused by Yersinia pestis is treated with an aminoglycoside, traditionally streptomycin, with gentamicin as an alternative. Doxycycline and fluoroquinolones are other options.

Option by option

  • A. Cefazolin

    Cefazolin does not cover this organism adequately.

  • B. Penicillin G

    Penicillin G is ineffective against Yersinia pestis.

  • C. Clindamycin

    Clindamycin is not used for plague, since it covers Gram-positive and anaerobic organisms.

  • D. Streptomycin (correct)

    Correct. Streptomycin is the classic drug of choice for Yersinia pestis.

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 Pharmacology question

What is the answer to this Pharmacology question?

The best answer is D, Streptomycin. Bubonic plague caused by Yersinia pestis is treated with an aminoglycoside, traditionally streptomycin, with gentamicin as an alternative.

Why is "Cefazolin" not the answer?

Cefazolin does not cover this organism adequately.

Why is "Penicillin G" not the answer?

Penicillin G is ineffective against Yersinia pestis.

Why is "Clindamycin" not the answer?

Clindamycin is not used for plague, since it covers Gram-positive and anaerobic organisms.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Antimicrobials: plague treatment in Pharmacology. Doxycycline and fluoroquinolones are other options.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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 Antimicrobials: plague treatment?

Learn drugs as classes, then the exception in each class that an examiner would pick. Then use the flashcards and the other Pharmacology 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.