Diseases Flashcards
What are the three forms of direct transmission?
- Direct contact
- Inoculation
- Ingestion
What are the three forms of indirect transmission?
- Formites
- Droplets
- Vectors
What are the factors affecting transmission of disease in animals?
- Overcrowding
- Poor nutrition
- Compromised immune system (AIDS)
- Disposal of waste
- Climate change
- Culture
- Socioeconomic factors
What are bacteria and how many can cause infection?
Prokaryotic organisms and a small proportion of bacteria are pathogens, causing communicable diseases.
What are the two main types bacteria can be classifed?
- By basic shape
- By cell wall type
How are bacteria classed by shape?
- Bacilli (rod)
- Cocci (spherical)
- Vibrios (comma)
- Spirilla (spiralled)
- Spirochaete (corkscrew)
Chain- Strepto
Cluster- Staphylo
How are bacteria classed by cell wall?
- Main two types
- Different structures
- React differently when stained
- Gram +ve (purple-blue)
- Gram -ve (red)
What are the some examples of bacterial infections?
- Tuberculosis
- Bacterial meningitis
- Ring rot
Which animals does tuberculosis affect?
Humans, cows, badgers and more
What does tuberculosis damage?
Damages and destroys lung tissue (alveoli) and then spreads throughout the body. This is why breathlessness and coughing are the common symptoms
What are the symptoms, cure and prevention for tuberculosis?
Symptoms: Vigorous cough, chest pain, breathlessness, fever, sweating
Cure: Antibiotics
Prevention: Vaccination
What is the incubation period for tuberculosis?
Several weeks
When are people vaccinated against TB?
In school as teenagers
Where is TB a large problem and why is this?
In inner cities of developing countries due to overcrowding and poor diet
What is meningitis caused by?
Bacterial infection of the meninges (protective membranes of the brain)
Why is meningitis so fatal?
It can easily spread to the rest of the body in the blood, causing septicaemia, which can lead to rapid death. Also, survivors are often left with severe brain damage.
What are the symptoms of meningitis?
- Purple/red rash that doesn’t disappear when a glass is pressed on it
- High temp
- Cold hand and feet
- Vomiting
- Muscle/joint pain
What is the treatment and prevention for meningitis?
- Antibiotics can cure it if delivered early
- Patients are often isolated and given painkillers
- Children in UK receive vaccine an regular boosters
How is meningitis spread?
Spread by respiratory secretions (saliva) so coughing/kissing/sharing untensils etc.
How is tuberculosis spread?
Spread through airborne droplets
What does ring rot damage?
Damages leaves, tubers and fruit
What are the symptoms of ring rot?
- Brown discolouration
- Wilt of lower leaves
- Leaf rolling
Why is ring rot such an issue?
- Can destroy up to 80% of crop
- Once it infects a field it cannot be used to grow crops for at least two years
- Lowers crop yield so farmers make less money
How is ring rot spread?
Planting infected seed potatoes and use of contaminated containers, equipment and premises
Where is ring rot and major threat to potatoes?
Norther Ireland and Western Europe. There is national legislation in some places to prevent its entry
What is a virus?
- Non living infectious agents
- Basic structure is some genetic material (DNA or RNA)surrounded by protein
- 0.02 to 0.3nm in diameter
What do viruses do in the body?
- Invade living cells and take over biochemistry of host cell to replicate
- Reproduce rapidly
Do viruses only affect humans and plants?
No, some viruses are able to infect bacteria, known as BACTERIOPHAGES
What are some examples of viral infections?
- HIV/AIDS
- Influenza
- Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Why is HIV damaging to the body?
- Virus attacks T helper cells
- So, a lower number of T cells means less protection against pathogens (less B cells divided and less antibodies produced)
What type of virus is HIV?
A retrovirus
What is a retrovirus?
-Virus that contains RNA and reverse transcriptase, which it uses produces its own DNA from the RNA
How is HIV spread?
Exchange of bodily fluids, such as semen, vaginal fluids, infected blood or across placenta/breast milk from mother to baby
When was HIV first identified?
In the 1980s
Which group of people did HIV affect worse and why was this?
Homosexual men as there was limited education about STD’s so partners often had sexual intercourse without condoms, as they didn’t need to worry about getting pregnant
What species did HIV jump from to humans?
Apes
How long does it take for HIV to develop into AIDS?
Around 10 years
What does AIDS stand for?
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
What are the symptoms of HIV?
- Flu like
- Prolonged symptoms of TB, pneumonia, cancers when AIDS develops
How is HIV treated?
-Antiretroviral drugs can be taken, which can allows a person with AIDS to live to the normal life expectancy.
How do antiretroviral drugs work on HIV?
Drugs bind to reverse transcriptase and stops replication
Where is HIV still a large issue?
In African countries where FGM is still practised due to the sharing of equipment or unprotected intercourse
How does the influenza virus damage the body?
Infects the ciliated epithelial cells in gas exchange systems, damaging them and leaving airways open to secondary infections
What are three main strains of influenza?
A, B and C
Which of the three strains is more virulent (damaging)?
A strain
What is the issue of influenza strands from birds or other animals to humans?
These strains can be particularly serious as few people have natural immunity to them
What is the prevention of HIV?
- Currently no vaccine
- Wearing condoms during sexual intercourse and informing partners of infection is the best prevention
Which groups are especially vulnerable to flu?
Children, elderly and those with chronic illness/compromises immune systems
What is the main cause of death from influenza?
Secondary infections, such as pneumonia
What are the symptoms of influenza?
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Runny/stuffy nose
- Headaches
How is influenza treated?
- Painkillers, fluids and rest to reduce symptoms
- No cure
How is influenza spread?
Airborne droplets
How is influenza prevented?
Vulnerable groups are given seasonal flu vaccines, based on the strain that scientists think will be most prevalent that year
How does Tobacco Mosaic Virus affect plants?
Infects chloroplasts and reduces the chlorophyll content, affecting the plant’s ability to photosynthesise properly so crop yields are reduced
How is Tobacco Mosaic Virus spread?
Transmitted through contact between plants either naturally or through hands/equipment of farmers
How is Tobacco Mosaic Virus cured?
There is no cure however there are resistant crop strains
What are the symptoms of Tobacco Mosaic Virus?
- Mosaic discolouration of leaves
- Stunted growth
- Yellow or white leaves
- Leaves can crinkle/curl up
How to prevent plants diseases?
-Sanitise equipment and hands regularly when tending to plants, especially if used on a potentially infected plant
What are protoctista?
- Group of eukaryotic organisms with a variety of feeding methods
- A small percentage act as pathogens, causing mostly devastating communicable disease in both animals and plants
- Protists that causes disease are PARASTITIC
- May need a vector to transfer them to their host
What are the examples of protist infections?
- Malaria
- Potato/tomato late blight
What vector carries malaria?
Female Anopheles mosquito