Ch. 22: Microbial Diseases Of The Nervous System

Question 1

What is meningitis?

Where is it found?

Answer 1

Inflammation of the meninges, the bacteria is found in the subarachnoid space within the cerebral spinal fluid

Question 2

Can meningitis be life-threatening?

Answer 2

Depends on the kind

Question 3

What are the meninges?

Answer 3

Collective covering over the brain and spinal cord, three layers (Dura, Arachnoid, Pia Mater) and there is the subarachnoid space which contains cerebral spinal fluids

Question 4

How do you diagnose meningitis?

Answer 4

Spinal tap, if the fluid is cloudy it’s an emergency

Question 5

How would a person present if they had meningitis?

Answer 5

Sudden onset of fever, stiff neck, headache, and delirium

Question 6

What are the three most common pathogens bacterial meningitis?

Answer 6

1) Streptococcus pneumoniae
2) Haemophilis Influenza
3) Neisseria Meningitis

Question 7

What type of microbes can cause meningitis?

Answer 7

• Bacterial
• Viral
• Fungal
• Protozoans
• Anything except algae can find its way into the meninges

Question 8

Tetanus produces a toxin called?

Answer 8

Tetanospasmin

Question 9

C. tentani is a common ______ borne type a pathogen, and a very common _____ type of infection.

Answer 9

• Soil (Contaminated with animal feces)

* War

Question 10

What pathogen causes botulism?

Answer 10

Clostridium botulinum

Question 11

Botulism produces a variety of toxins and what’s the most common one and what does it cause?

Answer 11

• Botulism Toxin A
• Causes flaccid paralysis, your muscles relax, there paralyzed in a relaxed state they can’t contract and can be life-threatening

Question 12

Botulism is a _____ borne type of pathogen

Answer 12

Food

Question 13

Rabies is caused by what pathogen?

Answer 13

Lyssa virus

Question 14

Rabies

Answer 14

• Virus
• Type of fatal encephalitis
• 100% mortality rate

Question 15

Once the rabies virus has entered the neuron can the immune system stop it, why or why not?

Answer 15

No, because the immune system can’t get inside the neurons where the virus is

Question 16

In the US what’s the number one reservoir for rabies?

Answer 16

Bats

Question 17

What happens if you get bit by a rabid animal?

Answer 17

• Have to do a PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxes)

* They gave you the immunoglobulin first and then the vaccine

Question 18

What kind of animals are you more likely to get rabies from in the US?

Answer 18

• Bats
• Raccoons
• Skunks
• Foxes

Question 19

What is the migration rate of the rabies virus?

Answer 19

15-100 mL/day

Question 20

What pathogen causes TSE?

Answer 20

Prions

Question 21

Where do you occasionally here about N. meningitis?

Answer 21

Outbreaks on college campuses, normally found in the upper respiratory tract, and mouth to mouth contact between students can spread it.

Question 22

Tetanospasmin locks the muscles into a state called?

Answer 22

Tetany, muscles are locked into a fully contracted state

Question 23

If someone presents with signs and symptoms of tetanus what might be the first thing you want to introduce them to?

Answer 23

• Tetanus Immunoglobulin (TIG)
• You wouldn’t want to inject a vaccine because the immune system is failing and it takes 10 days to bump up your anti-body titer, and the person could be dead by then

Question 24

What’s the immunoglobulin for in tetanus?

Answer 24

Anti-Tetanospasmin antibodies, The anti-bodies go and attack and neutralize the toxin, which is the first thing you’d do

Question 25

How do you designate a prion?

Answer 25

PrP^SC

Question 26

What are some of the diseases caused by Prions?

Answer 26

• Mad cow disease
• Scrapie, affect sheep
• vCJD, human version of mad cow

Question 27

How do you get Kuru?

Answer 27

Cannibalizing those who already have the disease

Question 28

Which disease acquired from prions may be inherited and you don’t start to presents with it until your mid 20s, and die from it a few years later?

Answer 28

vCJD and FFI (Fatal Familial Insomnia)

Question 29

What happens when you have FFI?

Answer 29

You can’t sleep and end up dying, there’s no treatment