Exam 2: Disease of NS--Bacterial Flashcards
What type of environment is the CNS?
axenic
What are 4 ways a pathogen may access the CNS?
- Breaks in bones and meninges
- Medical procedures
- Travel from PNS to CNS
- Infect and kill cells of meninges, causing meningitis
What are the four bacterial diseases of the nervous system we are covering?
- Meningitis
- Leprosy
- Botulism
- Tetanus
What are the two ways bacteria cause nervous system disease?
- INFECT cells of NS
2. Bacteria growing elsewhere RELEASE toxins that affect neurons
What serious condition is characterized by a sudden high fever, severe stiff neck (nuchal ridigity), severe HAs, and severe meningeal inflammation?
Bacterial Meningitis
What signs and symptoms may someone with Bacterial Meningitis have?
- high fever, nuchal rigidity, severe HA
- severe meningeal inflammation
- vomiting
- photophobia and phonophobia
- disorientation
T/F. Bacterial Meningitis has a slow onset.
False–it CAN DEVELOP RAPIDLY–death could occur within 24 hours
Within 24 hours of someone with Bacterial Meningitis what can happen?
Encephalitis–> which can result in behavioral changes, coma, and death
What are the 5 species that cause 90% of bacterial meningitis cases and what age they are related to?
- Steptococcus agalactiae (infants < 3 months)
- Haemophilus influenzae b (children < 5 yrs)
- Neisseria meningitidis (MC <20)
- Listeria monocytogenes (pregnant women, elderly, babies)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (MC one in adults)
What bacterial organism is most likely to cause meningitis in premature babies and infants under 3 months? How does the infant get it?
Streptococcus agalactiae
at birth via passage through birth canal or from health care provider
(it is part of normal vaginal flora)
What bacterial organism is most likely to cause meningitis in children under 5 and most often they are under 18 months? How is it transmitted?
Haemophilus influenzae b
transmitted via respiratory droplets
What is the most common bacterial meningitis in adults?
“The Pneumococcus”
Streptococcus pneumoniae
How is Streptococcus pneumoniae, also know as “the Pneumococcus”, transmitted?
via respiratory droplets or opportunistic
it is present in the throat of 75% of humans
What type of bacterial meningitis creates the biggest risk for pregnant women? What other groups are at risk too?
Listeria monocytogenes
babies and elderly
How is Listeria monocytogenes. which causes bacterial meningitis, transmitted?
contaminated food and drink
pregnant women at biggest risk, also babies and elderly
What organism is known to cause “The Meningococcus”? What else it is referred to as?
Neisseria meningitidis
meningococcal meningitis
What organism causes the typical symptoms of bacterial meningitis and a characteristic purple spotted rash?
Neissseria meningitidis
Who is more prevalent, and by what degree, to contract Neisseria meningitidis?
college students in dorms are 23x more prevalent
What is the most common cause of meningitis in individuals under 20?
Neisseria meningitidis
How is Neisseria meningitidis spread?
via respiratory droplets
transmitted among people living in close contact
How is bacterial meningitis diagnosed? How it is treated?
symptoms and culturing of bacteria from CSF–> do a spinal tap
Tx–> with IV antibiotics, they will be hospitalized
Which is severe and which is more common b/w bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis?
Bacterial = more severe
viral = more common
What is another name form Leprosy?
Hansen’s Disease
What organisms is responsible for causing Leprory (aka Hansen’s Disease)? What type of pathogen is this?
Mycobacterium leprae
Bacteria (acid-fast)
T/F. Death from Leprosy is common.
False– it is RARE
–is disfiguring, but not fatal
What are the symptoms of Leprosy?
(aka Hansen’s Disease)
- skin sores
- nerve damage
- muscle weakness (due to nerve damage)
- erosion of digits
What are the two “kinds” of Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease)?
- Tuberculoid leprosy (strong immune system)
2. Lepromatous leprosy (weak immune system)
If one has a strong immune system and they contract Leprosy, which kind would it be? How does it manifest?
Tuberculoid leprosy
- nonprogessive
- regions of lost sensation of skin as result of nerve damage
If one has a weaker immune system and contract leprosy, what kind do they have? How does it manifest?
Lepromatous leprosy (more severe)
- progressive, gradual loss of facial features, digits, other body parts
- very slow and may take years to develop signs/symptoms
Based on the signs and symptoms of Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease), what type of region does the organism Mycobacterium leprae prefer?
prefers cooler regions of body–> peripheral nerve endings and skin cells of fingers, toes, lips, and earlobes
How is Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) transmitted?
person to person–direct contact or breaks in the skin
can also acquire from handling or consuming armadillos
How is Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) treated?
with multiple antibodies due to it being a Mycobacterium and have a resistant waxy mycolic acid cell wall
What is disease is caused by an extremely potent toxin that binds to cholinergic nerve terminals and decreases the release of ACh? What does this cause?
Botulism
causes flaccid paralysis
What is the organism that causes Botulism? What are its virulent factors?
Clostiridium botulinum
(Bacteria- Gram +)
- produces 7 neurotoxins
- endospores
What are the three forms of Botulism?
- Foodborne botulism
- Infant botulism
- Wound botulism
How would one get foodborne botulism?
from consumption of toxin in home-canned foods or preserved fish–> will appear w/in 1-2 days
What are the signs/ symptoms of foodborne botulism?
Initially–> weak and dizzy, diplopia,
Followed by–> progressive paralysis
Death can occur –> from asphyxiation–cannot inhale
How can death occur from botulism?
death from asphyxiation–> cannot inhale (due to diaphragm becoming paralyzed
What is the MC form of Botulism in the U.S.?
Infant Botulism
aka “Floppy Baby Syndrome”
How does Infant Botulism occur? How can we try and prevent it?
ingestion of endospores that colonize infant’s GI tract
DO NOT give infants less than 1 honey or corn syrup
How does Wound botulism occur? What are they signs/symptoms?
contamination of a wound by endospores; usually begins 4 days after
same as foodborne botulism, except NO GI system involvement
What is the treatment for Botulism?
- repeated washing if intestinal tract to remove Clostridium
- administer antitoxin
- antimicrobial drugs for infant botulism
What disease is caused by a toxin blocking the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, resulting in unregulated excitation of the motor neurons?
Tetanus
What organism causes Tetanus? What neurotoxin does it produce?
Clostridium tetani–> produces tetanospasmin
Bacteria (Gram +)
How is Botulism transferred? (3 ways)
- contaminated food–home-canned foods
- infants eating honey
- endospores enter wound
What is an “aka” for Tetanus?
lockjaw
What are the earliest to later signs of Tetanus?
- lockjaw
- risus sardonicus (smiling spasm)
- severe, unrelenting spasms (spastic paralysis)
- constant back spasms
- DEATH– from asphyxiation–> cannot exhale
What disease is characterized by spastic paralysis, lockjaw, risus sardonicus, sweating, drooling, grouchiness, constant back spasms, and possible death from asphyxiation and cannot exhale?
Tetanus
How does one acquire tetanus?
through break in skin or mucous membrane
T/F. Tetanus is caused by rust.
FALSE– it is ass. with rust b/w the organism thrives in an oxidative env. and the sign of rust means there is an oxidative env.
What is the mortality rate of patients with Tetanus that go untreated?
~ 50%
What is the Neonatal tetanus mortality rate? How does a neonate get tetanus?
greater than 90%
MC from infected umbilical stump
What is the treatment for tetanus?
- clean wound to remove endospores
- antitoxin (passive imunotherapy)
- tetanus toxoid (active immunization–vaccine)
How can one prevent Tetanus?
by tetanus vaccine–> should get a booster vaccine every 10 years
What is the highest mortality rate for people that get tetanus?
unvaccinated people and people over 60 years of age
