Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology- ICAR JRF/SRF 2024

• Photoautotrophy:
• Organisms that utilize solar radiant energy to synthesize organic compounds from inorganic carbon dioxide ($CO_2$):
• Oxygenic Photoautotrophs: Cyanobacteria, green algae, and higher plants (use $H_2O$ as electron donor, releasing $O_2$).
• Anoxygenic Photoautotrophs: Green sulfur/non-sulfur bacteria and Purple sulfur/non-sulfur bacteria (use $H_2S$ or organic molecules as electron donors, without generating $O_2$).
• Fungi are non-photosynthetic, heterotrophic chemoorganotrophs.
• nalysis:
• (Green bacteria, purple bacteria, cyanobacteria and algae): Correct list of photoautotrophs.

Correct option: (4) Green bacteria, purple bacteria, cyanobacteria and algae

• Fluke-Borne Rickettsial Pathogens:
• The genus Neorickettsia (order Rickettsiales) features obligate intracellular bacteria that maintain endosymbiotic relationships with digenetic trematodes (flukes):
• Neorickettsia helminthoeca: Vector is the intestinal fluke Nanophyetus salmincola; causes Salmon Poisoning Disease in dogs.
• Neorickettsia risticii: Vector is digenetic trematodes of freshwater snails/mayflies; causes Potomac Horse Fever (equine monocytic ehrlichiosis).
• Neorickettsia elokominica: Causes Elokomin Fluke Fever in canids.
• Anaplasma phagocytophilum (B): Transmitted by hard ticks (Ixodes spp.), NOT flukes.
• nalysis:
• ((A), (C) and (D) only): Correct.

Correct option: (2) (A), (C) and (D) only.

• LPS Structure and Bacterial Virulence:
• Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Gram-negative bacteria consists of Lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and the terminal O-antigen polysaccharide side chains.
• Smooth ($S$) Wild-Type Strains: Possess full-length O-antigen chains that sterically hinder the membrane attack complex (MAC, C5b-9) of complement from accessing the outer membrane, conferring serum resistance.
• Rough ($R$) Mutants: Genetic defects in LPS biosynthesis result in truncated core polysaccharides lacking the O-antigen. Lacking this steric shield, rough salmonellae are highly serum sensitive, easily lysed by complement, and rapidly cleared by phagocytosis.
• nalysis:
• Both (A) and (R) are correct, and (R) provides the mechanical explanation for (A). Hence, Option 1 is correct.