Final-Micro Study Cards Flashcards
What do all viruses have in common?
1-Can only replicate inside living (host) cells
2-Enter (spikes), replicate inside the cell
3-Leave cell by either bursting out of the weakened host cell (Naked Viruses), or budding off from the host cell’s plasma membrane (Enveloped Viruses)
Naked viruses have what 3 structural features?
1-Core that holds either DNA or RNA (not both) with the genetic-coding instructions for producing more viruses (viral replication)
2-The nucleic acid core is surrounded by a protein called the “CAPSID”
3-External SPIKES - the “keys” that slip into receptors on the cell’s surface - stick out from the capsid
What is the #1 Sexually-Transmitted Disease (STD) in the USA
HPV cause Genital Warts and are the cause of Cervical Cancer in females
What are the 4 structural features of Enveloped viruses?
1-They have either DNA or RNA, with viral-replication genetic-coding instructions, in the CORE
2-There is a CAPSID protein shell surrounding the core
3-There is an ENVELOPE, which is the lipid bi-layer plasma membrane stolen from the host cell that the virus budded from.
4-There are key-like SPIKES that stick out from the Envelope
What kind of virus causes Chickenpox?
Enveloped herpes virus called Varicella
How is Chickenpox contracted and what happens?
Viral particles are inhaled, infecting the nose and throat and then “seeding” the bloodstream, before infecting the skin, where an itchy rash of virus-filled blisters erupts most on the face and the upper torso.
What can the opened blisters from Chickenpox do?
Create the risk of a serious Secondary Bacterial skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes.
There is an effective live, attenuated vaccine to prevent a chickenpox infection
What virus re-emerges as shingles?
Chickenpox: Virus never leaves the body, migrates from the skin into sensory nerve fibers.
How do Shingles occur?
When the virus Re-Activates within a nerve cell, followed by migration of viral particles back down the sensory fibers to cause the eruption of a virus-filled rash of blisters on the skin.
Can Shingles be prevented?
Yes, if a child receives the Chickenpox vaccine and never gets chickenpox or if an adult over 50 gets a shingles vaccine
What causes Oral Herpes?
Herpes simplex virus-1which is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the USA
How is the HSV-1 infection similar to a Varicella infection?
HSV-1 viral particles will migrate up a sensory nerve fiber and then lie dormant in the cell.
How is HSV-1 different than the Varicella infection?
Re-activates much more often - maybe 1 or more times a year. Re-activation of HSV-1 appears to be triggered by stress (emotional, ultraviolet light, etc.)
What is Herpetic Keratitis?
HSV-1 infection of the Cornea and is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the USA.
How are health-care workers at risk of Herpetic Keratitis?
Health-care workers working with a herpes-infected patient are at risk of transmitting the virus to themselves when examining patients-even with gloves on.
What is Viral Encephalitis?
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself. Usually the microorganism or its toxin must be able to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain.
What is Rabies?
Rabies results in fatal viral encephalitis, transmitted to humans by other infected mammals.
What happens when infected by Rabies?
Virus accumulates in salivary glands and is transferred when bitten or scratched by a “rabid” animal.
Once bitten the virus enters peripheral nerves at the wound site and migrates through the NS to reach the brain.
A potentially Spleen-rupturing viral infection of B-Lymphocytes is?
Infectious Mononucleosis
How do you contract Mononucleosis?
Develops after a Herpes virus. It is transmitted in saliva between kissing teens and young adults, and thus is referred to as the “Kissing Disease”
How does the Mononucleosis effect the body?
Virus infects B-lymphocytes that accumulate in the Spleen which enlarges and is at risk of rupture. A ruptured spleen will rapidly lose blood and can lead to potentially fatal Cardiovascular shock.
What cause the “Flu”?
Enveloped Influenza Virus. Hemagglutinin is the H-spike, used as the Key that binds to a receptor on the surface of a Ciliated Cell of the respiratory tract so the virus can gain entry into the cell.
What is Neurominidase?
The N-spike: A surface enzyme that the virus needs to undock/cleave from the host cell when the virus is ready to bud-ff to find another cell to infect
What kind of cell does the flu virus infect?
Ciliated Cells lining the respiratory passages leading to the lungs’ air sacs
What happens after the flu virus infects the ciliated cells?
The loss of the mucociliary escalator creates an “opportunity” for inhaled bacteria to NOT be caught, leading to infiltration of the lung alveoli/air sacs by bacteria, which causes BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA
What does pneumonia do to the body?
Causes inflammation in the air sacs (“alveoli”) and the accumulation of fluid and debris prevent the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and the bloodstream. This can lead to suffocation, and results in about tens of thousands of flu-deaths in the USA annually.
The flu virus MUTATES in 2 ways: First
Antigenic Drift: “natural” annual mutations amoung the 8 genes in the virus, changing the “H” spike so it is still able to dock onto a host cell but is not recognized by any memory cells produced during previous influenza infections or vaccines.
2nd Mutation of flu virus:
Antigenic Shift or Genetic Re-Assortment: Starts with the entry of flu viruses that normally infect different animals gaining entry to the same “new” host cell at the same time.
EX: bird-flu GENES and human-flu GENES can be swapped. The original human virus has sphere-shaped H-spikes and the original bird virus has triangle-shaped H-spikes. After swapping genes for the H-spikes inside pig cells, the new human virus has human and bird spikes, which is difficult for the human immune system to easily recognize and attack.
A Poop-Transmitted Respiratory Virus?
Hantavirus-found in mouse poop and if inhaled-the greatest risk is cleaning out a shed or garage where mice were staying-can quickly lead to a deadly lung infection and pneumonia in any adult. Has almost a 50% fatality rate in young adults.
What kind of virus is Hepatitis A and how is it transmitted?
A Naked virus transmitted via the fecal-oral route. This is the most common cause of hepatitis in the USA.
Acute Infection with no chronic problems
You can get a Gamma globulin injection - passive artificial immunity after exposure to HAV
There is a vaccine available to protect from infection.
What kind of virus in Hepatitis B and how is it transmitted?
An Enveloped virus: causes a chronic HBV infection. 50% are transmitted parenterally and 50% are contracted sexually, making HBV a sexually transmitted disease STD
What are some symptoms of Hepatitis B?
Chronic liver problems, liver cirrhosis (scarring) or liver cancer. Can be continuously shed into the circulatory system, making HBV a Contagious “blood-borne disease”
There is an effective vaccine, Recombivax, to prevent infection and liver cancer
What kind of virus is Hepatitis C?
An Enveloped virus which can cause chronic liver infection that can lead to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer and most cases are transmitted parenterally.
How long can Hep C survive in the environment?
HCV can survive in the environment at least 16 hours- and maybe up to 4 days on fomites.
There is no vaccine for HCV and treatment protocols including Interferon, Ribavirin, and more recently Protease Inhibitors have been very effective.
What is Viral Enteritis?
A viral infection of the small intestines
What happens in the small intestines?
Where almost all absorption of ingested nutrients occurs and intestinal infections usually result from “fecal-oral” transmission, requiring a critical number of microorganisms surviving passage through the stomach acid.
What are the symptoms of a viral infection of the small intestines?
The victim suffers abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever and diarrhea due to inflammation and damage to the wall of the intestines-called enteritis.
This causes most viral intestinal infections of children?
The Naked Rotavirus
This causes most viral intestinal infections of adults?
The Naked Noro Virus
What does HIV stand for and what does it infect?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus and it primarily infects Helper T-Lymphocytes. Once in the bloodstream, its primary target are Helper T-cells also known as “CD4 cells” because they have the CD4 receptor that HIV’s spikes bind to in order to gain entry into the cell.
What happens whens HIV effects the Helper T-cell?
As the Helper T-cells disappear, the victim’s immune system is unable to fight off infections.
What do most HIV victims die of?
Respiratory infections, like Tuberculosis