MLAB 2434
Microbiology
Gastrointestinal Infections & Food Poisoning
Learning Objectives
At the end of this unit, the student will be able to:
1. Explain the normal host defenses at each level of the GI tract in
the prevention of infection.
2. Evaluate the patient history, clinical signs and symptoms, and
laboratory results in order to arrive at a laboratory diagnosis of
gastrointestinal disease.
3. Presumptively identify an organism based on the Gram stain
and description of macroscopic colony morphology.
4. Describe toxigenic and nontoxigenic disease mechanisms.
5. Distinguish the pathogenic, invasive, toxigenic, and hemorrhagic
strains of Escherichia coli.
6. For each of the bacterial agents described, discuss the results of
direct microscopy of the stool specimen and the media selection
for maximum recovery of the pathogen.
7. List one (1) viral pathogen that causes gastrointestinal disease
in children.
8. Identify the organ responsible for harboring Salmonella typhi.
9. Discuss forms of treatment of diarrheal disease.
2/12/2016