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Medical and Environmental Microbiology > Environmental Factors > Flashcards

Environmental Factors Flashcards

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USMLE® Step 1 flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

6 Examples of environmental risk factors

A

Air
Water
Soil pollution
Chemical exposures
Climate change
Ultraviolet radiation

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2
Q

3 Top causes of environmental related deaths due to microorganisms

A

Diarrhoeal diseases
Respiratory infections
Malaria

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3
Q

4 Abiotic environmental factors

A

wind
water
inhalation of spores
entry into skin

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4
Q

What are the 3 common ways pathogens are spread from one person to another?

A

Direct contact
Respiratory aerosols
Faecal-oral transmission

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5
Q

What are the 3 main categories of how we become infected by the microorganisms in the environment?

A

Natural phenomena or disasters bring individuals in contact with opportunistic pathogens

Human activity brings people into contact with opportunistic pathogens

Human activity contaminates the environments with the pathogens

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6
Q

Where do potential pathogens originate from natural disasters?

A

From dust storms which damage the respiratory airway

From earthquakes which destroy public health systems

From storms which lead to severe flooding

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7
Q

Describe Vibrio vulnificus (4 things)

A

Aquatic organism
halophile
gram -ve
comma shaped

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8
Q

What 2 types of infections does Vibrio vulnificus cause and where do they occur?

A
  • Wound infections
  • Fulminant sepsis
  • occur in areas where water temperature remains high all year
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9
Q

What type of wound infections does Vibrio vulnificus cause? (4)

A

cellulitis - infection in deeper layer of skin
oedema - swelling due to build up of fluid
erythema
necrosis

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10
Q

What % of individuals get fulminant sepsis from Vibrio vulnificus

A

5%

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11
Q

Vibrio vulnificus is associated with the..

A

Consumption of raw shell fish

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12
Q

Describe Legionella pneumophilia

A

ubiquitous aquatic saprophyte
found in lakes, rivers and streams
thin
pleomorphic
gram-ve
bacillus
obligate aerobe

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13
Q

What does pleomorphic mean?

A

changes, morphology, reproductive and other metabolic behaviours in response to environmental changes

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14
Q

What is an obligate aerobe?

A

Fussy about nutrition
hard to grow
will only grow in the presence of oxygen

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15
Q

What is a primary pathogen + examples

A

A pathogen whose role is to cause disease
example S. aureus

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16
Q

What is an opportunistic pathogen?

A

A pathogen that is not really mean to cause disease but will do in the right environment
example V. vulnificus

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17
Q

What is a viable pathogen?

A

A pathogen that is not dead but may not necessarily be able to cause disease
metabolically inactive

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18
Q

What are spores?

A

Tough structures designed to survive tough/harsh environments

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19
Q

How does human activity contaminate the environment with pathogens? + examples (2)

A

Healthcare environments are reservoirs of pathogens
example MRSA

Poverty, deprivation and overcrowding

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20
Q

example of how poverty, deprivation and overcrowding lead to disease?

A

inadequate sanitation leads to faecal contamination of drinking water and cholera outbreaks

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21
Q

What is Hepatitis E? (5)

A

viral infection
asymptomatic
mild-severe fulminant hepatitis
typically self limiting, no treatments required
typically waterborne but can be foodborne

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22
Q

How does Hepatitis E spread?

A

Faecal-oral transmission

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23
Q

What are the symptoms of Hepatitis E? (4)

A

Nausea
Loss of appetite
Jaundice
Dark urine

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24
Q

What is infection of Hepatitis E linked with?

A

Consumptions of pork products

25
Q

What is the strategy to reduce diarrhoeal disease?

A

increase access to safe water
provide adequate sanitation
promote hand washing

26
Q

What is the strategy to reduce acute respiratory infections?

A

use clean technologies and fuels for domestic cooking, heating and lighting

27
Q

Viable microorganisms are normally found..

A

in the atmosphere up to 3km above land

28
Q

4 reasons why the atmosphere is a harsh environment for microorganisms

A

UV radiation of sunlight
Low/high humidity
Extreme temperature variation
Pollution

29
Q

Why can microorganisms encountered indoors be beneficial to our health? (2)

A

organisms are believed to train the immune system
too clean environments are linked to increased incidence of allergies and autoimmune diseases

30
Q

Why can microorganisms encountered indoors be detrimental to our health?

A

potential pathogens are shed from occupants (both human and animal)

31
Q

Is the diversity and concentration of microorganisms greater indoors or outdoors?

A

Indoors

32
Q

4 examples of fungi that are abundant indoors + fact

A

Aspergillus
Penicillium
Alternaria
Fusarium

  • increases with age of dwelling and presence of a cellar
33
Q

3 examples of bacteria that typically shed from skin

A

Staphylococcus
Streptococcus

34
Q

Organism typically found in faeces (home)

A

Bacteroides

35
Q

4 Organisms associated with domestic animals

A

Prevotella
Porphyromonas
Moraxella
Bacteroides

36
Q

How soon can microbiota changes be observed in a household when moving in/out?

A

Within days

37
Q

In what environments are microorganisms in the air important? (4)

A

Hospitals
Facilities that manufacture medicinal drugs
Manufacturers of implanted medical devices
Factories producing food stuffs

37
Q

In what environments are microorganisms in the air important? (4)

A

Hospitals
Facilities that manufacture medicinal drugs
Manufacturers of implanted medical devices
Factories producing food stuffs

38
Q

Microorganism - Myobacterium tuberculosis

A

Disease - Tuberculosis

39
Q

Microorganism - Bordatella pertussis

A

Disease - Whooping cough

40
Q

Microorganism - Neisseria meningitis

A

Disease - Meningitis

41
Q

Microorganism - Corynebacterium diphtheriae

A

Diphtheria

42
Q

Microorganism - Streptococcus pyogenes

A

Disease - Pharyngitis (sore throat)

43
Q

Microorganism - Legionella pneumophilia

A

Legionnaires’ disease

44
Q

Microorganism - Aspergillus fumigatus

A

Aspergillosis

45
Q

2 impacts of air pollution - respiratory disease

A

damages the airways or causes chronic respiratory disease
damage of chronically diseased airways predisposes individuals to respiratory infections

46
Q

Example of a primary respiratory pathogen transmitted by air

A

Myobacterium tuberculosis

47
Q

What is Myobacterium tuberculosis linked to? (3)

A

pollution which causes damaged lungs
malnutrition which increases an individual’s susceptibility to disease
overcrowding which facilitates transmission of aerosols

48
Q

Respiratory aerosols are…

A

air borne droplets which are usually generated by talking, coughing, spitting and sneezing

49
Q

Example of an environmental, opportunistic pathogen transmitted by air

A

Aspergillus fumigatus

50
Q

Describe Aspergillus fumigatus

A

approx 250 species but less than 20 cause human disease
ubiquitous in the environment

51
Q

Where does Aspergillus fumigatus grow? (7)

A

soil
on plants
in decomposing organic matter
dust
damp
buildings
air conditioning systems

52
Q

Where are Aspergillus fumigatus spores found? (4)

A

indoors
outdoors
in water
on food

53
Q

How does Aspergillus fumigatus affect immunocompromised patients?

A

they are at greater risk of serious invasive life-threatening infections such as invasive aspergillosis with a mortality rate of 50-100%

54
Q

How common is invasive aspergillosis?

A

it is rare in healthy people

55
Q

What are the risk factors for invasive aspergillois? (3)

A
  1. a lung condition - eg asthma, CF or COPD
  2. weakened immune system - eg following organ transplant surgery or having chemotherapy
  3. had TB in the past
56
Q

Can aspergillosis be contracted from someone else or from animals?

A

No, it is a non-communicable infection

57
Q

What are the symptoms of aspergillosis? (6)

A
  1. shortness of breath
  2. a cough - may cough up blood or lumps of mucus
  3. wheezing (whistling sound when breathing)
  4. a high temperature of 38C or above
  5. weight loss
  6. if pre-existing lung condition, existing symptoms may get worse

Medical and Environmental Microbiology (11 decks)

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