fungal diseases

Question 1

what are fungal disease?

Answer 1

mainly plant pathogens
eukayotic pathogens
can be unicellular or multicellular

Question 2

what is a key structure of fungi

Answer 2

cell wall

Question 3

what are fungi composed off

Answer 3

polysacchardies, proteins, lipids and pigment

Question 4

do cell walls improve environment survival in fungi?

Answer 4

yes

Question 5

what are common superfical fungal infections

Answer 5

ringworm

Question 6

what are serious fungal infections

Answer 6

thrush
aspergillosis

Question 7

what is chytrid?

Answer 7

fungus that kills amphibians
43% of populations declining since 1980

Question 8

why are fungi difficult to classify?

Answer 8

hard to distinguish
hard to group - sex/morphology
different species names for different stages
different traditions - vets, medics, biologists

Question 9

what is a fungal systematic infection example?

Answer 9

basidomycota

Question 10

what is cryptococcus

Answer 10

humans - most common aids related infection
effects multiple animals worldwide
can incubate for months

Question 11

where is cryptococcus found?

Answer 11

the soil

Question 12

where is the cryptococcus infection most common in cats

Answer 12

nasal area due to inhalation

Question 13

what did genetic analaysis find out about cryptococcus

Answer 13

there are two species
C neoformans and C gatti

Question 14

cryptococcus vancouver island outbreak: when did it start and finish

Answer 14

began 1999
first reported 2002
ended 2015

Question 15

how many human cases of cryptococcus was there

Answer 15

240

Question 16

what did the lung biopsies show with cryptococcus

Answer 16

they showed necrotizing and or fibrosing granulomas

Question 17

what did the brain biopsies show with cryptococcus?

Answer 17

showed cryptococcal organisms

Question 18

who got infected on the vancouver island outbreak

Answer 18

humans
horses
dogs
alpacas
cats

Question 19

what caused the vancouver island outbreak?

Answer 19

bird droppings?
cryptococcus infects birds and grows on droppings
evidence can be viable fro 2 years in the bird droppings

Question 20

how does fungi reproduce?

Answer 20

clonal reproduction - mitosis
or they mate, produce 2 haploid cells, diploid cells and meiosis occurs

Question 21

how are cryptococcus infections cleared quickly?

Answer 21

complement activation
cell mediated immunity

Question 22

what is complement activation for cryptococcus

Answer 22

mainly alternative pathway - bind to a pathogen
increase chemotaxis of phagocytes
increase phagocytosis

Question 23

where can cryptococcus be in contact with host cells

Answer 23

cryptococcus can be inside host cells and outside host cells

Question 24

what does a carbohydrate capsule do to cryptococcus

Answer 24

inhibits complement increase delay of C3B
block phagocytocis

Question 25

what is cyrptococcus melanin production

Answer 25

anti-oxidants such as melanin produced inhibit damaging reactive oxygen species

Question 26

what skin does ringworm infect

Answer 26

dogs cats pigs goats humans most aniamls

Question 27

what do dermatophytes feed on (ringworm)

Answer 27

keratin in the skin

Question 28

who are most susceptible to dermatophytes (ringworm)

Answer 28

young animals

Question 29

what are the symptoms caused by dermatophytes

Answer 29

hair loos raised and red areas

Question 30

is ringworm contagious

Answer 30

yes - direct contaact

Question 31

does ringworm resolve by itself?

Answer 31

yes as long as animal is healthy

Question 32

what is the zoonosis for ringworm?

Answer 32

not all species are an issue for humans vary liklihood of infection varying likelihood of symptoms mostly cattle and domestic pets cause human cases

Question 33

how do you gain successful control of ringworm?

Answer 33

cell mediated immunity Th1 cells production of IFNy

Question 34

do antibodies play a role in protection against ringworm?

Answer 34

yes they damage fungal pathogens nuetralise abs during the initial infection

Question 35

are vaccines available for ringworm?

Answer 35

yes in some countries cats - inactivated - reduces infection chance and symptoms cattle - live attenuated vaccine - effective protection