An 18-Year-Old College Freshman Living in a University Residence Hall

Multiple Choice

An 18-year-old college freshman living in a university residence hall develops severe headache, neck stiffness, and fever. When he cannot be aroused, he is transported to the hospital where a Gram stain of a centrifuged cerebral spinal fluid shows Gram-negative diplococci. A latex particle agglutination test confirms the etiological cause of the bacterial meningitis. Which causative agent is most likely?

A) Escherichia coli
B) Haemophilus influenzae
C) Listeria monocytogenes
D) Neisseria meningitidis
E) Streptococcus pneumoniae