Which potential pathogen has been isolated?Staphylococcus auruesStreptococcus pyogenes/GASStrotociccus mutansStreptococcus pneumoniae Gum abscess:You are helping a patient with a gum abscess in their mouth.Material from abscess grown on blood agar aerobically; note greenish discoloration of agar below:No growth on MSA. Gram stain from colonies: round purple cellscatalase results:(no bubbles)

Bacteria are microscopic and single-celled organisms. They can survive in a wide range of temperatures and environments ranging from soil to the human gut. They have a number of shapes ranging from rods to spirals. Given that material from the abscess grown on the blood-agar gives a green discoloration of agar. Interpretation: Alpha hemolysis is a fractional or more modest zone of hemolysis that has the trademark limited grass-green zone that is seen around the colonies on the blood agar. The organism causes oxidization of iron in hemoglobin molecules inside RBCs to deliver methemoglobin. There is incomplete hemolysis of the hemoglobin giving up the greenish hue around the colonies on the agar medium. The process is carried out by alpha-hemolytic bacteria that are gram-positive and circular in nature. Ex: Streptococcus pneumoniae Gram stain from colonies: round purple cells. Interpretation: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a gram positive and circular bacteria that are found in small chains and appear purple under the microscope after gram staining. Catalase results: No bubbles It confirms that the bacteria are catalase-negative in nature. This means that the organism does not produce catalase. From the above test results, it can be inferred that the causative organism is Streptococcus pneumoniae.