Exam 4 (Ch. 15, 16, & 17) Flashcards
T/F: Rabies has several animal reservoirs
True - especially in Idaho with bats!
In Lyme disease, which is the reservoir, the host organism, and the vector?
RESERVOIR: Birds, mice
HOST: Deer
VECTOR: Ticks
List the 3 Mechanisms of Transmission
-
Contact Transmission
-direct contact (e.g., rabies)
-indirect contact by fomites (e.g, common cold)
-droplets (e.g., influenza, common cold) -
Vehicle Transmission
-waterborne
-foodborne
-airborne -
Vector Transmission
-mechanical (on insect body parts, Salmonella)
-biological (tick, flea)
List some of the Portals of Exit
-Ear (earwax)
-Broken skin (blood)
-Skin (flakes)
-Anus (feces)
-Eyes (tears)
-Nose (secretions)
-Mouth (saliva, sputum)
-Mammary Glands (milk, secretions)
-Vagina (secretions, blood)
-Urethra (urine)
-Seminal Vesicles (semen, lubricating secretions)
Define Epidemiology
The study of the mechanisms involved in the frequency and spread of disease
-not just infectious disease, but also cancer, heart disease, etc.
Why is it important to study the Epidemiology of a disease?
It can aid in designing strategies to prevent disease
Define Incidence
number of NEW cases within a population in a specific period of time
Define Prevalence
TOTAL number of people INFECTED within a population at a given time
What is the Morbitity Rate?
Diseased Individuals / Total Population
What is the Mortality Rate?
Deaths from Disease over Specified Time / Total Population
What is a Sporadic Disease?
disease that occurs in RANDOM, UNPREDICTABLE pattern
Differentiate Endemic, Epidemic, and Pandemic
Endemic = constantly in population in low numbers (e.g., Influenza)
Epidemic = incidence of disease suddenly becomes higher than normal (e.g., measles)
Pandemic = worldwide epidemic (e.g., COVID-19, Spanish Flu)
What is an example of both a common-source outbreak and a propagated epidemic?
Common-Source Outbreak: Food Poisoning
Propagated Epidemic: Common Cold
What happens to normal flora when a pathogen is prominent?
Normal flora live in harmony with the host during healthy times, but it can become PATHOGENIC when host defenses are lowered
e.g., S. aureus
If an organism that is NOT part of the normal flora is able to colonize human tissues, it is ___________
Pathogenic
What are Opportunistic Pathogens?
Organisms that are pathogenic only in IMMUNOCOMPROMISED HOSTS
How do you determine the Causative Agent
Koch’s Postulates!
- The microorganisms must be present in every case of the disease
- The organisms must be isolated from the diseased host and grown in culture
- The pure culture must cause the same disease when introduced to a new host
- The microorganism must be recovered from the experimentally infected host
What are the Molecular Postulates?
- The virulence factor gene or its product should be FOUND in pathogenic strains but NOT in non-pathogenic strains
- Introduction of a virulence gene should CHANGE a non-pathogenic to a pathogenic strain; disruption of the virulence gene should REDUCE virulence
- Virulence genes must be EXPRESSED during disease process
- Antibodies of immune cells specific for the virulence gene products SHOULD be PROTECTIVE
How does a microbes “break through” the body’s defenses?
Adhesions allow binding to certain cell types (e.g., E. coli strains contain a special pili that binds to cells lining the bladder)
Toxoplasma gondii
What are some facts about this Eukaryotic parasite?
-Eukaryotic
-Single-Celled
-Parasite
-Can infect ANY NUCLEATED CELL
-Cousin to Malaria
-Also found in fish, cows, sheep…
-Mice are attracted to cat urine that is infected with this parasite, where they usually are repelled
Toxoplasma gondii
Explain how Toxoplasma gondii spreads
CATS!…specifically cat poop
also may be found in:
-soil
-water
-plant material
-undercooked meats
-blood transfusions
-organ transplant
-trans-placentally from mother to fetus
T/F: 2 BILLION people are infected with Toxoplasma gondii worldwide
TRUE
Toxoplasma gondii
What are the vulnerable populations to this parasite?
-Mothers
-Fetus’
-AIDS/other autoimmune diseases
-Immunocompromised
-Compromises to the immune system can cause REACTIVATION
Toxoplasma gondii
What are some signs and symptoms of this?
Toxoplasmic Encephalitis
-swelling of the brain, often presents with cysts
Ocular Toxoplasmosis
-lesions within the eye
Neurologic Issues
-cysts in the brain act SIMILARLY to brain tumors
T/F: There was interest in active toxoplasmosis in the 2000s as a cause for mental illness
True - this was considered due to the behavioral changes that occurred in mice prey, who were attracted to cat urine that was infected
Toxoplasma gondii
Describe what happens in Congenital Toxoplasmosis
-Intracranial calcifications
-Hydrocephalus: water in the brain cavities
-Delayed mental development and epilepsy
-Ocular toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasma gondii
In what ways is Toxoplasmosis treated or prevented?
Drug Therapies
-pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, and folinic acid
Thoroughly cooking meat (NO undercooked or raw, sushi)
Freezing meat
Washing fruits and vegetables
Avoiding gardening/litter box when pregnant
REVIEW QUESTION
Who is at greatest risk for toxoplasma infection?
Pregnant women
REVIEW QUESTION
What is unique about toxoplasma?
Can infected ANY NUCLEATED CELL
What is a neglected Tropical Disease?
A disease that infects a large amount of people in an area and there is little to no money going into treating or researching it well
What is the Method of Infection for Parasites?
First - they infect and cause disease in OTHER ANIMALS
Then - these animals transmit disease to HUMANS
What are Helminths?
worm-like parasites
Definitive host : where the parasites reproduce sexually and intermediate host for maturation and development with tape worms humans can act as either the definitive and intermediate host
Can involve many sites
Lymphatic filariasis….Elephantitis
How is this disease acquired, and what are the symptoms?
Acquired via FEMALE AEDES MOSQUITO BITE in childhood
-transmit of Nematode (thread-like filarial worms) larvae
-Adult worms NEST in the LYMPHATIC VESSELS
-Can live for approximately 6-8 years and produce MILLIONS of immature larvae that circulate in the blood
SYMPTOMS:
-asymptomatic at infection
-Lymphodema
-Skin thickening
-Stigma and decline in mental health as mobility and livelihood can be LIMITED
Lymphatic filariasis….Elephantitis
Wuchereria Bancrofti (90% of cases) is diagnosed by collecting blood at night. Why?
The filarial worms are most active during the night
Also, it prevents spread by controlling mosquitos
Lymphatic filariasis….Elephantitis
How does Lymphoedema occur within this disease?
Filarial parasites release toxins that lodge within the lymphatic vessel during immune response
causes valves to become insufficient or non-functional, causing retrograde and impaired lymph flow and a dilated vessel
Lymph leakage leads to Lymphoedema
Lymphatic filariasis….Elephantitis
How is this disease treated and prevented?
TREATMENT
-DEC used to be used worldwide, but is no longer approved by the FDA, so must get it DIRECTLY FROM THE CDC following a POSITIVE INFECTION
PREVENTION
-sleep under a mosquito net (dusk to dawn)
-wear long sleeves and pants
-mosquito repellent
What are the THREE Lines of Defense against microorganisms?
1st Line: Physical and Chemical Barriers
2nd Line: Innate Defenses
-Phagocytes
-Inflammation
-Complement
3rd Line: Acquired Immunity
-Recognition by lymphocytes
-Effector mechanisms (how the immune system KILLS microorganisms)
List some of the Anatomical and Chemical Barreris against microorganisms
-Antimicrobial factors in saliva (lysozyme, peroxidase, lactoferrin
-Lysozyme in tears and other secretions and phagocytes
-Skin-physical barrier, fatty acids, sweat, normal flora
-Rapid pH change from stomach to upper intestine
-Acid in stomach (low pH)
-Flushing of urinary tract
-pH and normal flora of vagina
How does Mucociliary Escalator act as an Anatomical Barrier against microorganisms?
-Ciliated columnar epithelium lines the respiratory system
-between these epithelial cells there are “Goblet cells” that release mucus outside onto a mucus layer
-pathogens are caught into this mucus layer and are directed to the pharynx to be coughed out via cilia
How does sweat act as a barrier against microorganisms?
The saltiness of the sweat lowers the osmotic tolerance for microbial growth
Describe how the following chemical barriers defend against microorganisms:
- Saliva
- Stomach Acid
- Sebum
- Saliva - washes microbes from teeth and gums; contains the antibacterial enzyme LYSOZYME and immunoglobulin IgA
- Stomach Acid - digests microbes
- Sebum - low pH inhibits growth of some bacteria
What are Defensins?
Amphipathic molecules/proteins that can INSERT into membranes and DISRUPT them
-host defense peptides, with members displaying either direct antimicrobial activity, immune signaling activities, or both.
-secreted at mucosal surfaces, skin, in neutrophils, etc.
What type of bacteria are Defensins better against?
Gram-Negative - because of its greater membrane
REVIEW QUESTION
T/F: When infected with filarial worms, the only place the worms are found is in your lymphatic system
False - they are also found in the blood…this is how it transfers to person-to-person via mosquitos as the vector
REVIEW QUESTION
Why do we not have many cases of Lymphatic filarial diseases in the United States?
The mosquito is not native to the U.S.
REVIEW QUESTION
What are 4 chemical barriers>
Saliva
Tears
Sweat
Stomach Acid
Bile
Urine
Sebum
REVIEW QUESTION
How do Defensins work?
They INSERT into phospholipid bilayers and DISRUPT it, REDUCING the structure’s osmotic tolerance
What are Dermcidins?
Anti-microbial peptides constitutively expressed in sweat
-broad activity against both Gram+ and Gram- organisms
-6 molecules bind together to form a pore in membranes
How do Dermcidins remain on the skin?
They are resistant to salt and low pH which ensures they remain active on the skin
What are the cells involved in the 2nd Line of Defense? Which one is the major player?
MAJOR PLAYER: Neutrophils
-PMNs
-Macrophages
-Natural Killer Cells
-Mast Cells
-Eosinophils
During Hematopoiesis, which cells eventually mature into the Granulocytes?
Stem cells -> Myeloblasts -> Granulocytes (Eosinophil, Basophil, and Neutrophil)
Which is the major WBC found in the blood?
Neutrophils