CNS Infections- Predisposing, Transmission, & Age groups Flashcards
Meningeal inflammation resulting from an infection within the
subarachnoid space
Causes of meningitis
- viruses are the most common cause.
- bacteria are 2nd most common cause – 7 major agents.
- fungus are less common – Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii
- protozoa are less common – Toxoplasma ghondii, Naegleria fowleri.
Tetanus mimics some S & S of ______ but tetanus is a ________
meningitis but tetanus is a neurotoxemia, like botulism
Encephalitis
Inflammation of the brain parenchyma
Encephalitis: Focal/Localized/Specifc areas of the brain affected, not all areas – caused primarily by __________
HSV-1
HSV-1 disease is treatable by antiviral therapy.
Encephalitis: Diffuse/affects all areas of the brain – caused primarily by _______
arbovirus – supportive therapy only
Encephalomyelitis – encephalitis with myelitis (spinal chord inflammation) – caused by ________
poliovirus and West Nile virus – supportive therapy only
Slow virus encephalitis diseases may be caused by ___________
HIV - HIV-1-associated cognitive/motor complex (AKA AIDS Dementia Complex).
Another type of slow viral encephalitis is Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and is caused by ________
polyomaviruses – papovavirus: JC virus in severe T-cell suppression/AIDS or transplant patient or MS patient on immunosuppresive therapy.
Another type of slow viral encephalitis is Subacute, sclerosing panencephalopathy (SSPE) and is caused by ________
Measles virus
Lesion is macroscopic in size and of sufficient mass/volume to press against the normal brain tissue → increased intracranial pressure → _____________
focal seizures
Mass lesions/abscess of CNS; CT will show
CT scan showing ring-enhancing (mass) lesion supports the diagnosis
Etiologic agents of mass lesion or abscess of CNS are (3 listed)
- Abscess – S. aureus, anaerobes.
- Neurocysticercosis (cysts) – Taenia solium.
- Toxoplasmosis –(pseudocyts) - Toxoplasma gondii
Neurotoxic diseases - Pathology is due to a neurotoxin/exotoxin which affects either _________ or _________
- CNS – tetanus – Clostridium tetani (mimics some S & S of meningitis but tetanus is a neurotoxemia)
- PNS – botulism – Clostridium botulinum
PNS disease- Leprosy
Leprosy – Infection of sensory nerves – Mycobacterium leprae.
PNS Disease- Guillain-Barre’ Syndrome
Guillain-Barre’ Syndrome – demyelination of PNS - autoimmune disease –Campylobacter jejuni.
PNS disease- Botulism
Botulism – toxin inhibits nerves at the neuromuscular junction –Clostridium botulinum.
Prion diseases (2 types)
- New Variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease: Prion of bovine spongiform encephalitis.
- Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD). Human Prions.
Common BACTERIAL cause of purulent/pyogenic meningitis and more frequently result in severe disease. Age-dependent etiology is common. 7 major agents are ______
- Neisseria meningitidis, (young & old)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (y & o)
- Haemophilus influenzae, type b (y & o)
- Streptococcus agalactiae (neonate)
- Escherichia coli K1 (neonate)
- Klebsiella pneumoniae (neonate)
- Listeria monocytogenes (elderly)
4 Agents causing bacterial encephalitis &/or mass lesions
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
- Listeria monocytogenes
- S. aureus
- anaerobic [mixed] infections.
2 Agents causing Neutrotoxic disease
- Clostridium botulinum
2. Clostridium tetani
Viruses. A given virus may cause aseptic meningitis or encephalitis but ________
one site predominates over another
Aseptic (viral) meningitis, (most common agents of meningitis) often runs a benign course and rarely cause neurological sequelae Age-dependent etiology is often seen (8 of them):
- *Human herpes virus-6 and -7 (in infants & young children
- Non polio enteroviruses (Echo virus, coxsackie, entero 68-71)
- Arbovirus
- *HSV 2
- *LCMV
- HIV
- *Mumps
- Polio
* different from list of viruses that cause high mortality and neuro problems
Viral Encephalitis (unlike viral meningitis) cases have high mortality and high incidence of significant/severe neurological sequelae. 9 Causes are:
- herpes simplex virus-1
- arboviruses
- rabies
- polio
- non-polio enteroviruses (Echovirus, Coxsackie viruses, enteroviruses 68→71)
- HIV.
- JC virus.
- Measles virus (rare only due to vaccination of humans: measles infectious encephalitis, SSPE)
- VZV & CMV.
Viral Encephalitis: Diffuse Encephalitis caused by Arbovirus (a Zoonosis) primary cause of epidemic diffuse encephalitis in summer/fall months, 8 causes are:
- Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) – EEEV.
- Western equine encephalitis (WEE) – WEEV.
- St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) – SLEV.
- California encephalitis serogroup: Jamestown canyon, La Cross viruses.
- West Nile encephalitis (WNE Africa, Europe, US) – WNEV.
- Powassan encephalitis (POW) is caused by POWV via the tick.
- Coltiviruses: Colorado tick fever
- Others: HSV-1 and the non-polio enteroviruses
Viral Encephalitis: Focal encephalitis, 7 causes are
- **HSV-1 usually, sporadic, focal encephalitis all year round.
- Arboviruses and the non-polio enteroviruses.
- **Rabies virus – Rabies (rare due to vaccination of dogs and cats)
- **Encephalomyelitis – encephalitis with myelitis (spinal chord inflammation): poliovirus (rare due to vaccination of humans) & West Nile virus (an arbovirus)
- CMV in the patient with severe T cell immunosuppression/AIDS or transplant pt.
- VZV (rare only due to vaccination of humans).
- C virus and PML.
Viral Encephalitis: Slow virus encephalitis diseases, 3 causes are
- HIV - HIV-1-associated cognitive/motor complex (AKA AIDS Dementia Complex).
- Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML): polyoma – papovavirus: JC virus severe T-cell suppression/AIDS or transplant pt.
- Subacute, sclerosing panencephalopathy (SSPE): Measles (Rubeola virus).
Fungal causes of meningitis
3 most common agents are:
- Cryptococcus – a meningoencehalitis
- Candida. – meningitis
- Coccidioides immitis – a meningoencehalitis.
Prions in CNS, causes of meningitis are
- Bovine spongiform encephalopathy prion
2. Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease
Parasites usually cause a meningoencephalitis; 6 of them are
- **Toxoplasma gondii (protozoan- Toxoplasmosis).
- **Taenia solium, agent of neurocysticercosis (NCC; helminth).
- Echinococcus granulosus or multilocularis (Cystic Echinococcosis-hydatid cyst)
- Baylisascaris procyonis (Raccoon Round Worm Encephalitis/Baylisascariasis)
- Toxocaria cannis or cati (Toxocaria)
- **Naegleria fowleri predominate agent (Amoeba –Amoebic meningoencephalitis)
Others are Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, Vahlkampfia spp., Hartmanella spp.
7 Encapsulated agents that cause meningitis are
- S. pneumoniae
- S. agalactiae
- H. influenzae, type b (Hib)
- N. meningitidis
- E. coli K1
- K. pneumoniae
- Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans
Predisposing factors to contract meningitis are
Immunodeficiency:
- T cell.
- B cell.
- Terminal complement deficiency and N. meningitidis.
- Long-term corticosteroid therapy.
- Immunosuppression of solid organ transplant (SOT) patient.
- Cancer due to chemotherapy or to form of cancer, e.g., lymphoma
- AIDS
Humoral immunity (B cell-mediated immunity) is required to prevent disease caused by the following extracellular bacteria whose primary virulence factor is an antiphagocytic capsule:
- S. pneumoniae.
2. S. agalactiae.
3. H. influenzae, type b (Hib)
4. N. meningitidis.
5. E. coli K1.
6. K. pneumoniae.
Cell-mediated-immunity (T cell-mediated) is required to prevent disease caused by the following agents with are either facultative or obligate intracellular agents:
- Listeria monocytogenes.
2. Toxoplasma gondii.
3. Cryptococcus neoformans
4. cytomegalovirus (CMV)
5. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
6. JC virus and PML
7. HIV
8. LCMV.
9. E. coli K1??
Chronic or debilitating disease that predispose you are
- Advanced HIV/AIDS.
2. Sickle cell disease.
3. Lymphoma/cancer.
The physician must have high index of suspicion with the elderly because of all of the following:
- often hypothermic so don’t manifest with fever.
- neck arthritis so already manifest with nuchal rigidity.
- dementia masks lethargy and irritability.
Newborns with fever should be ______
routinely tapped because so few S & S in this age group.
Nosocomial causes predisposing someone
- Intraventricular catheters (IVC)
2. choclear implant:
Bacterial Reservoirs
Carriage is in nasopharynx and humans are only host for these bacteria:
- S. pneumoniae;
- H. influenzae, type b (Hib)
- N. meningitidis,
- S. agalactiae (also in vagina, GIT, skin).
* Humans are only host Mycobacterium tuberculosis**
Bacterial Reservoirs
Carriage is in nares for
Staphylococcus aureus
Bacterial Reservoirs
Carriage in humans is primarily on mucosal surfaces for
endogenous anaerobic flora