Question

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a kind of bacterium that?

A) aids in the digestion of food.
B) supports the human immune system.
C) causes infections in humans.
D) causes several types of cancer.

Answer 1

pneumoniae resides asymptomatically in the nasopharynx of healthy carriers. However, in susceptible individuals, such as elderly and immunocompromised people and children, the bacterium may become pathogenic, spread to other locations and cause disease. pneumoniae is the main cause of community acquired pneumonia and meningitis in children and the elderly, and of septicemia in HIV-infected persons.