The natural habitat of Acinetobacter sp. can best be described as the:

C
These organisms inhabit environmental niches; Acinetobacter spp. and Stenotrophomonas mal-tophilia are widely distributed in nature and in hospital environments.

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A
C. burnetii can exist in two antigenic states. When isolated from animals, C. burnetii is in a phase I (large-cell variant) form and is highly infectious. In its phase II form (small-cell variant), C. burnetii has been grown in cultured cell lines and is not infectious but acts like a spore assisting in extracellular survival of the organism. IFA is considered the reference method for both acute and chronic Q fever that is both highly specific and sensitive and is recommended for its reliability, cost effectiveness, and ease of performance.

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C
An analysis of the CSF of N. fowleri infections will show decreased glucose and increased pro-tein concentrations. The leukocyte count will range from several hundred to greater than 20,000 cells per mm3 . Although Gram stains and bacterial cultures of CSF will be negative, serious pa-tient complications can occur as the result of incorrect therapy if false-positive Gram stains are reported.

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C
The organisms discussed in this chapter are considered together because, except for the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) group NO-1, they are all oxidase negative and grow on Mac-Conkey agar, as do the Enterobacteriaceae family. However, unlike the Enterobacteriaceae family, which ferments glucose, these organisms either oxidize or do not use glucose.

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A
Molecular assays have replaced old enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) systems for the rapid diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae. Amplified assays are more sensitive than the nonampli-fied assay and are suitable for large-scale screening programs, but none are admissible as evi-dence in medicolegal cases. N. gonorrhoeae DNA can be found in a specimen for up to 3 weeks after successful treatment; therefore, amplified molecular assays should not be used to assess test of cure.