Presenters on the Morning News Channel That You Watch Alert

Multiple Choice

Presenters on the morning news channel that you watch alert consumers to a food recall. A particular brand of ice cream has tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that causes asymptomatic or relatively mild disease in otherwise healthy individuals, but can be problematic in pregnant women. Your sister is expecting her first child, so you call her immediately and tell her about the recall. You fill her in on what you know about this organism and the disease it causes, having just learned about it yourself in your pre-nursing microbiology class. Your sister has questions that you are able to answer.
-The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an additive that is sprayed onto a variety of meats during the production process. The additive contains viruses and has increased the safety of these foods by 80-99%. How does this additive work?

A) The additive contains bacteriophages specific for L. monocytogenes. The viruses are lytic phages-they infect and kill the bacterial host.
B) The additive contains bacteriophages specific for L. monocytogenes. The viruses are temperate (lysogenic) phages that infect and kill the bacterial host.
C) The additive contains viruses that produce antibiotics which destroy L. monocytogenes cells. Several strains are used to prevent resistance.
D) The additive contains phages that infect the person that consumes them on food. They integrate into the host cell's chromosomes, protecting the cells from L. monocytogenes.
E) The viruses in the additive cause an immune response in pregnant women, who make IgA in response to them. The IgA protects the fetus against L. monocytogenes.