10 - Infectious Disease (Exam 2) Flashcards
How do innate and acquired immunity differ?
Innate immunity is not specific and does not remember
Acquired immunity shows a high degree of specificity and remembers past infections
What are 5 sources of infectious disease?
- Endogenous microorganisms
- Exogenous microorganisms
- Nosocomial infections
- Community infections
- Fomite transmission
How do endogenous and exogenous microorganisms differ?
Endogenous is a person’s own microflora
Exogenous are derived from outside the body
How do nosocomial and community infections differ?
Nosocomial infections are contracted at a health care center
Community are contracted anywhere outside of health care facilities
What is fomite transmission and what is an example?
Physical object that serves to transmit infection
Example: sharing needles
What are 4 examples of portals of entry?
- Direct contact
- Penetration wounds
- Ingestion
- Inhalation
What are types of penetration wounds?
- Incision
- Abrasion/laceration/avulsion
- Puncture
- Burns
How does an incision differ from an abrasion/laceration/avulsion?
An incision is made by a sharp object with little damage to surrounding tissue
The others are associated with more trauma and therefore more necrosis
Which burns are least severe? Most severe?
First degree are least severe (sunburn)
Third degree are most severe
What is the most common portal of entry?
Inhalation
What is the typical sequence that infectious disease follows (5 steps)?
- Incubation period
- Prodromal period
- Acute period
- Convalescent period
- Resolution period
What is included in the incubation period?
The time from contact to onset of symptoms
What is included in the prodromal period?
Initial appearance of symptoms
What is included in the acute period?
Host feels the maximum impact of the infectious disease
Which period has the most intense inflammatory and immune response?
Acute period
What is associated with the convalescent period?
Containment of the pathogen and its effects
What occurs in the resolution period?
Total elimination of the pathogen
OR beginning of chronic period without elimination
What is inferred by the word “subclinical”?
Pathogen is present, but symptoms are not
Like COVID
What is a fulminating infection?
Where each stage has rapid/intense course
Often lethal
What is an insidious infection?
Similar to subclinical, but symptoms eventually arise in the acute phase
What is a chronic infection?
An infection that lasts for an extended amount of time without a convalescent period
What are categories of infectious agents?
- Prions
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Fungi
- Protozoa
- Helminths
- Ectoparasites
What is a large difference between prions and viruses?
Prions lack nucleic acid
What are viruses?
Obligate intracellular pathogens with a nucleic acid core and a protein coat (capsid)
What are bacterial cell walls composed of?
Peptidoglycan
How do fungi grow?
Hyphae or budding
Where can fungal infections occur?
Usually occur external/superficial
When are systemic fungal infections usually seen?
Immunocompromised patients
What are protozoa?
Motile, single celled eukaryotes
What are helminths?
Parasitic worms with complex life cycles
Often involve intermediate hosts
What are ectoparasites?
Chewing and sucking individuals such as fleas, ticks, lice, and mites
