3- Infection and response Flashcards
What type of pathogen is measles?
Virus
What are the symptoms of measles?
Fever and a red skin rash
How is measles spread?
Inhalation of droplets from coughs and sneezes - very infectious
How is measles treated?
Treatment: no treatment - infected people have to be isolated
How is measles prevented?
Prevention: vaccine for young children
Other facts about measles
Can cause blindness and brain damage and may be fatal if complications arise
What type of pathogen is HIV/AIDS?
Virus
Symptoms of HIV/AIDS
Initially fever and only mild flu-like symptoms
Late stage of HIV attacks immune system cells over many years so no longer able to deal with infections or cancers (called AIDS)
How is HIV/AIDS spread?
Sexual contact, placental transfer, and exchange of body fluids e.g. blood when drug users share needles, or from mother to child through her breast milk
How is HIV/AIDS treated?
Treatment: Antiretroviral drugs (expensive), no cure
How is HIV/AIDS prevented?
Prevention: Condoms, no sharing of needles for transfusions, HIV mums bottle feed. (No vaccine - an mRNA one on the horizon)
Other facts about HIV/AIDS
Drugs not available to those that need most in Sub Saharan Africa so life expectancy low
What type of pathogen is Salmonella?
Bacterial
Symptoms of Salmonella
- Symptoms develop within 8-72hrs of eating infected food
- Symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea
- For many people Salmonella infections are unpleasant but don’t last many days- however, can be fatal for young children and the elderly due to dehydration
How is Salmonella spread?
Eating infected food
Found in the guts of many different animals - in raw meat, poultry, eggs and egg products. Common causes of infection include eating undercooked food and food prepared in unhygienic conditions
Treatment for Salmonella
Treatment: Antibiotics not usually given, usually self-resolves
Prevention for Salmonella
Prevention: keeping raw meat away from food eaten uncooked, washing hands and surfaces, cooking food thoroughly
Other facts about salmonella
In countries where there is malnutrition, Salmonella is more serious
What type of pathogen is gonorrhoea?
Bacterial
Symptoms of gonorrhoea
Symptoms in early stages include a thick yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis and pain on urinating.
It then becomes relatively symptomless - some have no symptoms at all.
Untreated gonorrhoea can cause long-term pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancies
Babies born to infected mothers may have severe eye infections and even become blind
How is gonorrhoea spread?
Unprotected sexual contact with an infected person
Treatment for gonorrhoea
Treatment: antibiotics (Penicillin) - was easily treated with penicillin until resistant strains appeared
Prevention for gonorrhoea
Prevention: use of a barrier method of contraception
What type of pathogen is malaria?
Protist
Symptoms of malaria
Recurrent episodes of fever and shaking - can be fatal
Malaria affects the liver and damages red blood cells
How is malaria spread?
Use mosquitoes as vectors of the disease
Treatment for malaria
Treatment: If diagnosed quickly, it can be treated using anti-malarial drugs
Prevention for malaria
Prevention: Preventing mosquitoes from breeding and using mosquito nets to avoid being bitten, using insecticides to kill mosquitoes in homes and offices, taking antimalarial drugs
Other facts about malaria
The drugs required to treat malaria are not always in the countries most affected by malaria. Globally several hundred million cases of malaria occur each year
What type of pathogen is Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)?
Virus
Symptoms of Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)
Gives a distinctive ‘mosaic’ pattern of discolouration on the leaves. Loss of chlorophyll leads to loss of photosynthesis and death of plant
How is Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) spread?
By direct contact between diseased plants and healthy plants, and insects can act as vectors
How can Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) be prevented?
Prevention: Good field hygiene and good pest control, as well as growing TMV-resistant strains of crop plants, destroy and burn infected plants
How can Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) be treated?
Treatment: No treatment
Other facts about Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)
Affects around 150 species of plants including tomatoes and tobacco plants
The virus can remain infectious in the soil for about 50 years
What type of pathogen is rose black spot?
Fungus
What are the symptoms of rose black spot?
Purple or black spots develop on leaves, which often turn yellow and drop early
Affects the growth of the plant as photosynthesis is reduced
How is rose black spot spread?
In the environment by water or wind - Airborne
Rose black spot prevention
Prevention: Removing and burning affected leaves and plants
Rose black spot treatment
Treatment: using fungicides and/or removing and destroying the affected leaves
Other facts about rose black spot
Horticulturists have developed types of roses that are relatively resistant to black spot
What are pathogens?
Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious disease. Pathogens may be viruses, bacteria, protists or fungi. They may infect plants or animals and can be spread by direct contact, by water or by air
How do bacteria make us feel ill?
They produce toxins that damage tissues