Gastrointestinal Infections Flashcards
What are the 3 elements of the intestinal mucosal barrier?
Physical
Biochemical
Immunological
What are the 3 components of the physical intestinal mucosal barrier?
Mucous
Intestinal epithelium
Microbiota
What are the 4 components of the biochemical intestinal mucosal barrier?
Bile and gastric acid
Defensins
Lysozyme
Reg3gamma
What are the 3 components of the immunological intestinal mucosal barrier?
Antimicrobial peptides
Secretory IgA
Cellular immunity
What are factors that can compromise the function of the gastrointestinal tract?
Diet Antibiotics Immune suppressants Cancer or radiation therapy Anatomic alterations Host genetics Ingestion of preformed toxins or microorganisms
What are the 3 categories of gastrointestinal tract infections?
Diarrhoeal diseases
Acute enteric infections
Non-diarrhoeal gastrointestinal infections
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does Salmonella enterica (typhi and paratyphi) cause?
Acute enteric infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica cause?
Acute enteric infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) cause?
Acute enteric infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) cause?
Acute enteric infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does intestinal protozoal infection cause?
Acute enteric infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does Clostridium difficile cause?
Acute enteric infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does acute gastritis and peptic ulcer disease come under?
non-diarrhoeal infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does acute cholecystitis come under?
non-diarrhoeal infection
What category of gastrointestinal tract infection does acute peritonitis come under?
non-diarrhoeal infection
How are gastrointestinal tract infections transmitted?
Food Water person-to-person animal-to-person fomites
What is a localised gastrointestinal tract infection?
Infection stays at mucosal site of GI tract, within epithelial cells or resident immune cells
What is an invasive gastrointestinal tract infection?
Mucosal barrier is compromised, epithelial and immune cells are actively invaded and pathogen disseminated to organs. Can re-seed into GI tract
What are the main manifestations/symptoms of GI infection?
Diarrhoea
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal cramping
How many cases of diarrhoea per year?
1.7-5 billion
What is diarrhoea?
It is unformed, liquid faeces
It is the result of increase in fluid, loss of electrolytes in lumen of gut
Method by which host expels pathogen
What is acute diarrhoea?
<14 days, very common, abnormally frequent semi-solid or fluid faecal matter discharge from the bowel.
Caused by GI infection
What is persistent diarrhoea?
> 14 days. some GI infections can cause this
What is chronic diarrhoea?
> 4 weeks, usually outcome of an intestinal disease or disorder, such as Celiac or Crohn’s disease
What are the 4 types of diarrhoea?
Secretory
Exudative
Inflammatory
Dysentry
What is secretory diarrhoea?
Increase in the active secretion or
inhibition of absorption
No structural damage
Can be caused by cholera
What is exudative diarrhoea?
Occurs in inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis and other severe infections such as E. coli or food poisoning
Stool contains blood and pus
What is inflammatory diarrhoea?
Damage to mucosal lining, leading to passive loss of protein-rich fluids and a decreased ability to absorb these lost fluids
Can be caused by bacterial, viral or parasitic infections
Can be autoimmune
Can be tuberculosis, colon cancer and enteritis
What is dysentery diarrhoea?
Visible blood in the stool as a result of bowel tissue invasion
Often a result of Shigella, Entamoeba histolytica or Salmonella
What is the 3rd leading cause of death in children under 5?
Diarrhoea
What are the 4 main causes of diarrhoea in developing countries?
Rotavirus
E. coli
Cryptosporidum spp.
Shigella spp.
What are the 5 main causes of diarrhoea in developed countries?
Norovirus E. coli Campylobacter Salmonella Shigella spp.
What are the 6 distinct E. coli pathotypes that cause diarrhoea?
EPEC EHEC ETEC EAEC EIEC DAEC
What is EPEC?
Enteropathogenic E. coli
What is EHEC?
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli
What is ETEC?
Enterotoxigenic E. coli
What is EAEC?
Enteroaggregative E. coli
What is EIEC?
Enteroinvasive E. coli
What is DAEC?
Diffuse-aggregative E. coli
What type of bacteria is Enterobacteriaceae?
Gram negative bacillus
EHEC Cause Incubation period Disease duration Manifestations Transmission Diagnosis Treatment Virulence Factors
Cause: enterobacteriaceae
Incubation: 3-4 days
Duration: 5-10 days
Manifestions: blood diarrhoea, can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome
Transmission: undercooked meat or fresh vegetables, human-to-human, faecal oral route
Diagnosis: stool culture, PCR for toxins and virulence factors
Treatment: hydration, dialysis for HUS, NO antibiotics unless persistent
Virulence factors: Type III secretion system, shiga toxin(Stx), cytotoxic to renal endothelial cells, resulting in acute renal failure