Question

False about pneumococcus is?

• A. Capsule aids in virulence
• B. Commonest cause of otitis media and pneumonia
• C. Least likely cause of meningitis
• D. It is bile sensitive

Hint:

Pneumococcus is a leading, not the least likely, cause of meningitis.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

This is a negatively framed question, so the goal is to find the one claim about Streptococcus pneumoniae that does not hold true. Take the statements one at a time. The pneumococcal capsule is its single most important virulence determinant because it blocks opsonisation and phagocytosis, so calling the capsule a virulence aid is correct. Epidemiologically, pneumococcus tops the list as a cause of lobar pneumonia and of acute otitis media in children, so that statement is also accurate. The bile sensitivity claim is true as well, since bile salts trigger the organism own autolytic enzyme and dissolve the colony, the very property exploited in the bile solubility test. That leaves the statement that pneumococcus is the least likely cause of meningitis, which is plainly wrong, because Streptococcus pneumoniae is actually among the leading causes of acute pyogenic bacterial meningitis across age groups. The false statement, and therefore the answer to this except-style question, is that it is the least likely cause of meningitis. \[\boxed{\text{Least likely cause of meningitis}}\]