Question:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an "index organism for pasteurisation" and it has the following characteristics
A. Acid-fast bacterium
B. Motile by means of corkscrew motion
C. Causes tuberculosis in man and animals
D. Can be detected within a day on normal growth medium
E. Shows negative for urease enzyme activity
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Show Hint

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a slow growth rate and unique acid-fast cell wall, which are signature characteristics useful for identifying true statements in microbiology exams.
  • A, and B only
  • A and C only
  • A and D only
  • A and E only
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Pasteurization conditions were historically established to ensure the complete destruction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the most heat-resistant pathogen non-spore-forming organism found in milk.
Understanding the biological properties of this index pathogen is critical to verifying the efficacy of milk pasteurization.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Let us analyze the given statements regarding Mycobacterium tuberculosis:
- Statement A: It is an acid-fast bacterium because its cell wall contains high amounts of mycolic acid, which resists decolorization by acid-alcohol during staining. (True)
- Statement B: It is a non-motile bacterium and does not possess flagella or show corkscrew motion. (False)
- Statement C: It causes tuberculosis in humans (primarily M. tuberculosis) and animals (such as M. bovis, which is transmissible to humans via raw milk). (True)
- Statement D: It is extremely slow-growing and requires several weeks (typically 3 to 8 weeks) to form visible colonies on specialized media like Lowenstein-Jensen medium. It cannot be detected within a single day. (False)
- Statement E: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is typically urease-positive, which helps in its biochemical differentiation. (False)
Therefore, only statements A and C are correct.

Step 3: Final Answer

The correct option is (B).
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