5.4: Mycobacterium Flashcards
Tuberculosis (also known simply as TB) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are……
…… small, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacteria.
TB shows a ___1___ Gram stain phenotype and is best visualized via an ___2___ stain.
- poor (weakly positive at best)
- acid-fast
TB is spread from person to person through the ___1___, and it must be ___2___ in order to be infectious.
- air via mucosal emissions, (i.e. cough, sneeze, spit, etc.)
- inhaled
True or False: As per the Center for Disease Control guidelines, simply shaking someone’s hand, sharing a drink, or kissing can spread TB.
False. As per the Center for Disease Control guidelines, simply shaking someone’s hand, sharing a drink, or even kissing CANNOT spread TB.
While TB is primarily considered a respiratory infection, once it fully colonizes the lungs, TB can move through the ___1___ to other areas including the ___2___, ___3___, and ___4___.
- Blood
- Brain
- spine
- kidneys
True or False: When located outside of the lung, TB tends to be non-infectious.
True.
when located outside of the lung, TB tends to be ______.
non-infectious
If infected with TB, a patient will usually exhibit the following primary symptoms:
Secondary Symptoms:
Primary Symptoms: a bad cough for about three weeks, pain located in the chest, and coughing up blood or heavy sputum (mucus)
Secondary Symptoms: weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and fever/chills.
What is tuberculin?
tuberculin is a purified protein extract of tubercle bacillus
How can exposure to TB be tested?
Exposure to TB can be tested either by a skin test, where a small fluid sample of tuberculin is placed under the skin of your arm or via a direct blood test. If previously exposed to TB, the skin test will reveal a raised, red bump at the site of injection. This indicates the body already has some level of immunity (antibodies) against the TB bacteria and additional tests will need to be performed in order to determine the level of disease progression.
Current treatment strategies of TB include a combination of the drugs ___1___, ___2___, ___3___, and ___4___.
- isoniazid (INH)
- rifampin (RIF)
- ethambutol (EMB)
- pyrazinamide (PZA)
Treatment can last ______ months, and it is imperative patients take the medications precisely as prescribed.
6 to 9
If medications are stopped too soon, the levels of TB bacteria may ______ in the patient.
re-emerge
If the medications are taken inconsistently or improperly, the surviving TB bacteria may ______.
develop drug resistance
Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) is caused by……
……Mycobacterium leprae, a small rod-shaped, acid-fast bacterium.
What is being shown in the pictures?
Leprosy. (A) Acid-fast staining of the pathogen Mycobacterium leprae (red). (B) Skin lesions found on the upper thigh of an infected individual. (C) In rare cases where leprosy goes untreated, the skin lesion can spread, covering the face and even the ears.
