Conjunctival scrapings from a child with active trachoma, stained by Giemsa or iodine, show collections of chlamydial organisms packed within the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. These inclusions are known by which eponym?

• A Henderson-Paterson bodies
• B Guarnieri bodies
• C Donovan bodies
• D Halberstaedter-Prowazek bodies ✓

Explanation

Halberstaedter-Prowazek bodies are the cytoplasmic inclusion bodies of Chlamydia trachomatis seen in conjunctival epithelial cells in trachoma and inclusion conjunctivitis; they stain with Giemsa and contain glycogen, hence positivity with iodine. Guarnieri bodies are intracytoplasmic inclusions of variola and vaccinia, Donovan bodies are seen in Klebsiella granulomatis infection, and Henderson-Paterson bodies are the molluscum bodies of molluscum contagiosum.

Reference: Ananthanarayan and Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 12th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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