CPA #3 Questions Flashcards
define pathogenicity
the ability of a microbe to cause disease
define virulence
the degree of pathogenicity; relative ability of a pathogen to infect a host; indicates severity of disease
define phagocytosis
digestion via phagocyte; engulf and remove pathogens from the body
are antiphagocytic factors good for the body?
bad; they interrupt the body’s phagocytic cells, stopping them from removing pathogens
how are capsules antiphagocytic?
slippery due to the mycolic acid coating on outside; the capsules are composed of chemicals found in the human body; therefore they do not trigger the immune response
what are the 5 stages of the disease process in order?
- incubation
- prodromal
- illness
- decline
- convalescence
which stage of the disease process does not always present with every disease?
prodromal
define incubation period
first stage; no signs of symptoms, time between infection and first s/s
define prodromal stage
second stage; vague, general s/s
define illness stage
third stage; most severe s/s; usually when the physician first sees a patient
define decline stage
declining s/s
define convalescence stage
no s/s at all
define incidence
number of new cases of a disease in a given area of population during a given period of time
define prevalence
total number of cases, both new and already existing in a given area of population during a given period of time
where do hospitals report infectious disease occurances?
local health department
what federal agency do infectious disease occurrences have to be reported to?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
what is the MMWR?
morbidity and mortality weekly report; to be able to push the information out to the public
when and where did the outbreak of botulism occur in Ohio?
April 21, 2015 in Fairfield County OH
how many cases of botulism were identified before reporting to CDC? Why?
only 1; a single case can signal an outbreak
what did all of the patients have in common?
attended a church potluck
what did the CDC do in response to learning of this outbreak?
investigation of cause
how many consumed potluck food? how many were confirmed cases? how many dies?
77 people consumed; 25 people were confirmed; 1 person died
how many patients received botulinum antitoxin? how many received endotracheal intubation or mechanical ventilation?
25 received antitoxin; 11 required intubation/ventilation
how many patients were discharged within 1 week? how many lab confirmed cases were there?
16 discharged; 19 lab confirmed
what does it mean to be lab confirmed?
stool/ specimen samples positive for botulism neurotoxin type A or Clostridium botulism type A
what steps did CDC take to determine cause of outbreak?
interviewed patients and gathered discarded food samples
what was the source of the outbreak?
improperly canned homemade potato salad
what does the CDC recommend to avoid this situation?
pressure canning, not water canning. boiling water canning does not kill the spores.
why is the CNS described as axenic?
no openings allow microbial colonization; it has no normal microbiota
how do pathogens access the CNS?
breaks in bones/ meninges (medical procedures); microbes carried in the blood/lymph can penetrate blood/brain barrier
