Question:

Donovanosis is caused by which of the following organisms?

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The genus that gives painless beefy-red ulcers and Donovan bodies is the clue, do not confuse it with the Leishmania of the same eponym.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • Haemophilus ducreyi
  • Leishmania donovani
  • Klebsiella granulomatis
  • Treponema pallidum
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Answer: Klebsiella granulomatis.
Step 1: Donovanosis, also called granuloma inguinale, is a chronic sexually transmitted disease producing beefy-red, painless, progressive genital ulcers that bleed easily.
Step 2: The cause is Klebsiella granulomatis (formerly Calymmatobacterium granulomatis). Diagnosis rests on tissue smears showing Donovan bodies, the intracellular bacteria inside large mononuclear cells.
Step 3: Watch the name traps: Leishmania donovani sounds similar but causes kala-azar, not a genital ulcer. Haemophilus ducreyi causes chancroid (painful soft sore), and Treponema pallidum causes the painless hard chancre of primary syphilis.
Ref: Standard STD microbiology texts.
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