18th January 2024

A 33-year-old male has recently returned from a trip to Connecticut.

A 33-year-old male has recently returned from a trip to Connecticut. He has been feeling very fatigued and complains of multiple painful, swollen joints, including his wrists, knees and ankles. He remembers having a rash which disappeared after a few weeks. He shows you a photograph, and you feel this looks like erythema migrans. On examination, he has multiple swollen joints.

Which of the following is most likely to be cultured from the synovial fluid aspirate?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.