Bacterial Diseases of the Lower Digestive Tract

Question 1

1. Staphylococcal Food Poisoning

Answer 1

caused by ingestion of S. aureus enterotoxins

Question 2

What is staphylococcal food poisoning resistant to?

Answer 2

heat, drying, radiation, and osmotic pressure changes.

Question 3

Where is staphylococcal food poisoning organism common?

Answer 3

nasal passages - can be transferred by hands

Question 4

2. Shigellosis (bacterial dysentery)

Answer 4

Causative: G- facultative anaerobe rod. of the genus Shigella

Different species of genus create different symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to internal hemorrhage.

Question 5

3. Salmonellosis (Gastroenteritits)

Answer 5

G- rod, falcultative anaerobe, non-spore former - Salmonella sp

Question 6

Where is salmonellosis found?

Answer 6

normal in the intestinal tracts of animals, including humans

Question 7

What is Salmonellosis divided into?

Answer 7

Typhoid and non-typhoid strains

Question 8

Where do salmonellosis replicate?

Answer 8

Replicate in macrophages - with a 12-36 hour incubation time
multiples in mucosa of small intestine enters circulation and travels to other organs

Question 9

What are symptoms of Salmonellosis?

Answer 9

Fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea - can lead to septic shock in infants and elderly

Question 10

What is therapy for Salmonellosis?

Answer 10

Oral rehydration is therapy, oral antibiotics not useful

Question 11

Where is Salmonellosis found?

Answer 11

Meat products form animal intestine, endemic in turtles and iguanas and chickens, and on fresh fruit

Question 12

How is Salmonellosis destroyed?

Answer 12

Microbes destroyed by cooking, use caution on preparation surfaces i.e. raw chicken

Question 13

4. Typhoid Fever

Answer 13

Causative agent is Salmonella typhi

Question 14

Where is Typhoid Fever found?

Answer 14

Found only in human feces, no other animal.

Common in areas with poor sanitation.

Question 15

What are symptoms of Typhoid Fever?

Answer 15

fever, constant headache, diarrhea for 2-3 that could lead to dehydration and ulcerations in the intestine

Question 16

What is drug choice for Typhoid Fever?

Answer 16

1st drug of choice was chloramphenicol, now quinolones are used due to organism resistant

Question 17

5. Cholera

Answer 17

causative agent Vibrio choera, G- flagellated curved rod that produces exotoxin

Question 18

What does toxin cause in Cholera?

Answer 18

causes intestinal cells to secrete huge amounts of water and electrolytes - up to 5 gallons of fluid can be lost - causing a decrease in blood pressure that can lead to shock

Question 19

What happens to blood in Cholera?

Answer 19

it thickens and organs shut down

Question 20

Where is Cholera organism found and how is it destroyed?

Answer 20

common in brackish water and will form biofilms on crustaceans, algae and plants
Destroyed by stomach acids in a healthy person

Question 21

6. Traveler’s Diarrhea

Answer 21

E. coli is most common but there are many causes

Question 22

What is treatment for Traveler’s Diarrhea?

Answer 22

Treatment is rehydration therapy.

Question 23

7. Peptic Ulcers

Answer 23

causative agent is Helicobacter pylori , spiral microaerophile

Question 24

What does organism do in peptic ulcers?

Answer 24

causes a decrease in stomach mucus that protects it from HCI

also produces high amounts of urease which creates ammonia as biproduct.

Question 25

8. C-dif

Answer 25

causative agent is Clostridium difficile, G+ spore forming obligate anaerobe rode that produces exotoxins

Question 26

Symptoms of C-dif?

Answer 26

range form mild diarrhea to colitis and ulcerations of the intestine

Question 27

What is a successful treatment of C-dif?

Answer 27

successful treatment using fecal enemas or fecal transplants from a family member or person of patient’s household.