blood borne pathogesn Flashcards
what type of cells do HIV viruses bind to?
CD4 T cells
what type of nucleic acid does HIV have?
RNA (uses reverse transcriptase to change RNA into DNA)
what do the proteases do in terms of HIV life cycle?
proteases assemble viral proteins
which antigen in HIV does our body produce antibodies against?
gp120
what is the usual latent period of HIV?
6weeks-30/40 years
what is an important step of progression of HIV to AIDS involving lymph nodes?
lymphadenopathy - infection of lymph nodes
what type of blood cells would indicate HIV with a LOW count of?
CD4 cells
what are some HIV infection treatments?
nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
protease inhibitors
what is HAART?
highly active anti-retroviral therapy
combination of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
what are two ways of diagnosing HIV specific antibodies in a blood sample?
ELISA and western blotting
what is NAAT (nucleic acid amplification or PCR) used for in the diagnosis of HIV?
used to detect viral RNA in serum
why is there no vaccine available for HIV/aids?
the virus is constantly mutating
what type of cells does the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infect?
hepatocytes (liver cells)
what do HBsAg (hepatitis B antigens) indicate?
- surface antigen
- indicates infectivity
- anti HBsAg provides immunity and appears later
- FIRST antigen to present
what is HBcAG and when does it appear in infection?
core antigen
appears early in infection
what is HBeAg and what does it indicate?
pre-core antigen
indicates high transmissibility
how long is the incubation period usually for HBV?
up to 6 months
what is a defining feature of chronic HBV infection?
no anti HBs
what is the main treatment for HBV?
pegylated interferon
what are the pre-icteric stages of HBV?
malaise, anorexia, nausea, pain in liver
what are the icteric symptoms of HBV?
jaundice and dark urine
what type of cells does HCV destroy?
liver cells
what are the symptoms of HCV?
usually asymptomatic fatigue nausea weight loss may progress to cirrhosis
what are the five types of malaria?
P.falciparum P. vivid P. ovale P. malariae P. knowlesi
what are the treatments for HCV?
ribavirin and pegylated interferon alpha
sofosbuvir - HCV SPECIFIC
