A diagnostic test is done on a patient who is struggling to breathe. The lab shows Streptococcus. Which is the most likely cause of the patient’s problem?

Streptococcus is a type of bacterium, so finding it in the lab points to a bacterial infection. Pneumonia caused by bacteria can inflame the lungs and make breathing difficult. Silicosis and byssinosis are lung diseases caused by inhaled dust, not by Streptococcus.

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