A 3-Year-Old Patient Presents to the ER After a Sudden

Multiple Choice

A 3-year-old patient presents to the ER after a sudden onset of high fever and chills, a productive cough, and shortness of breath. The parents indicate that the child had been healthy up until that morning. An initial assessment of the child shows an elevated temperature (103oF) , rapid pulse rate (140 bpm) , and low oxygen saturation level (82%) . Supplemental oxygen and acetaminophen are administered immediately, and specimens are obtained from the patient for microbial analysis.
-Further microscopic analysis of negatively stained specimens reveals a colorless ring around each of the spherical cells against a dark background. This clearing indicates that the pathogen possesses which structure(s) ?

A) Endospores
B) A capsule
C) A nucleoid
D) Pili