Infection Flashcards
What different microorganisms can cause infection?
Bacteria Viruses Fungi Parasites Prions
What are the two broad classes of sites for the collection of samples?
Sterile
Non-sterile
Give examples of sterile sample sites (4)
Blood
CSF
Lung
Bladder
Give examples of non-sterile sample sites (4)
Skin
Nasopharynx
Urethra
Gut
What is the difference between sterile and non sterile sites and what meaning does this have clinically?
You would not normally find microorganisms in the sterile sites so this is usually clinically relevant.
Microorganisms can be found as part of the normal flora in non-sterile sites (eg E. coli in the gut) so identification of the infection is more difficult.
What sample would you collect for bacterial culture for a UTI?
Mid-stream urine sample (MSU)
What sample would you collect for bacterial culture for a chest infection?
Sputum sample
What sample would you collect for bacterial culture for Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis?
Throat Swab
What sample would you collect for bacterial culture for a wound? (2)
Swab
Pus
What sample would you collect for bacterial culture for diarrhoea?
Stool sample
What sample would you collect for bacterial culture for meningitis?
CSF
What are the drawbacks of microscopy in microbiology?
Not very sensitive (magnification reduces the volume of the sample viewed)
Cannot view viruses
What can be viewed under the microscope in an unstained sample?
Pus cells (eg in urine and CSF) Parasites (eg in stool sample)
What is a gram stain used for?
Staining bacteria (and sometimes fungi)
What are the drawbacks of a gram stain?
Not sensitive
Cannot normally identify a particular bacterial species
What is a ZN/auramine stain used for?
Mycobacteria
What are the different ways to identify different species (and strains) of microorganisms (general)?
Use observable characteristics
- Morphological
- Physiological
- Biochemical
Use DNA based testing
Use typing to distinguish between strains
How would you detect and identify a viral infection?
Molecular testing
-PCR
Antigenic Testing
Serology to detect specific immunoglobulins and assess immunity
Describe the differences between gram negative and gram positive organisms.
Gram positive
- Thick peptidoglycan layer
- No lipopolysaccharide layer
Gram Negative
- Thin peptidoglycan layer
- Lipopolysaccharide layer!
Describe the process of gram staining
Specimen is heat fixed on a slide
Stained with the primary stain (crystal violet)
Gram’s iodine is added to form the crystal violet - iodine complex
Acetone or ethanol added to dissolve the lipopolysaccharide layer of Gram -ve bacteria (hence the lose colour)
Secondary stain (safranin) added - stains colourless cells pink/red.
What colour do Gram positive bacteria appear in a Gram stain?
Purple
What colour do Gram negative bacteria appear in a gram stain?
Red/Pink
How do cocci appear?
Spherical
How do bacilli appear?
Rod shaped
How to streptococci appear?
Chains of spherical bacteria
How do Staphylococci appear?
Bunch of spherical bacteria
“Bunch of grapes”
What is the function of a bacteria spore?
Form in response to environmental stress and is resistant to it - allows bacteria to survive until conditions improve.
Which bacteria can form spores?
Gram POSITIVE only
What is peptidoglycan?
A polymer of disaccharides (glycan) cross linked with peptides.
A component of the cell wall of bacteria which is porous and has a high tensile strength.
What is lipopolysaccharide?
A polymer consisting of lipid and polysaccharide found in the cells wall of bacteria. Elicits a strong immune response in humans. Contains the lipid A molecule which is toxic to humans (and released when the bacteria is lysed by immune cells)
What is the function of a bacterial capsule?
Prevents phagocytosis of the bacteria and can assist with adherence.
What is the function of fimbrae?
Facilitate attachment to other cells
Describe the process of horizontal gene transfer (conjugation)
Pilus formed between two bacteria
Plasmid DNA copied to receiving bacterium by rolling circle mechanism
○ Endonuclease cleaves one strand of plasmid at the origin of transfer
○ One strand of the plasmid separates from the plasmid and a new strand is synthesised in its place (hence rolling circle)
○ Complementary strand to single strand is synthesised in recipient cell
What are the four causes of genetic variation in bacteria?
Spontaneous mutation
Transformation (uptake of DNA from outside the cell)
Conjugation (gene transfer from another bacterium)
Transduction (DNA incorporated from a phage in lysogenic cycle)
What is a fungus?
a eukaryote that lacks chlorophyll and forms spores.
What is a hypha?
A long branching filament of the fungus
What are septa (fungus)?
Internal cross walls dividing hypha into cells
What are conidia?
A spore produced asexually
What is a conidiophore?
A region bearing conidia
What are the characteristics of basidiomycetes?
Basidiospores formed externally on a pedestal (basidium)
What are the characteristics of ascomycetes?
Ascopores formed inside a sac (ascus)
What are the characteristics of Zygomycetes?
Haploid cells fuse to form a single zygospore
Rough walled Zygote contains Zygospore(s)
What is the sexual spore of Basidiomycetes?
Basidiospore
What is the asexual spore of Basidiomycetes?
Conidium
What is the sexual spore of Ascomycetes?
Ascospore
What is the asexual spore of Ascomycetes?
Conidium
What is the sexual spore of Zygomycetes?
Zygospore
What is the asexual spore of Zygomycetes?
Sporangiospore
What are yeasts?
Fungi that favour a unicellular habitat
What are dermatophytes?
Moulds which prefer keratin as a nutrient source
What types of infections do dermatophytes cause?
Tinea (ringworm) infections
What is Tinea capitis?
Ringworm infection of the head
What is Tinea pedis
Athletes foot
What is Tinea cruris
Dermatophyte infection of groin
When are serious systemic fungal infections more likely?
In immunosuppressed patients
Name three iatrogenic causes of immunosuppression
Steroid therapy
Anticancer chemotherapy
Status post organ transplant
Name three disease processes which immunosuppress the patient
AIDs
Leukaemia
Endocrinopathies
What are the main species of Candida fungi? (and mention any considerations regards drug therapy)
Candida albicans
Candida tropicalis
Candida glabrata
-C. glabrata usually has resistance to -azole antifungals
Name human diseases which can be caused by Candida species (7)
Oral candidiasis Vaginal cadidiasis Skin infections Nail infections Oesophageal infections UTIs Disseminated infections (in very immunocomprimised pts)
Name the main Aspergillus species
Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus flavus
Name human diseases which can be causes by Aspergillus species (5)
Simple asthma
Asthma with eosinophilia
Aspergilloma (forms a hollow in lung tissue in which to grow)
Invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Name the main Cryptococcus species
Cryptococcus neoformans
Cryptocuccus gattii
Name human diseases which can be caused by Cryptococcus species (3)
Pulmonary cyrptococcosis
Meningitis (particularly in AIDs pts)
Disseminated infection (in very immunocomprimised pts)
Describe methods for diagnosing fungal infections
Direct detection
- Histopathology
- High-res CT
- Culture using selective media (ChromAgar)
Detection of circulating fungal antigens
Detection of circulating antibodies to fungal antigens
PCR of fungal DNA
Culture of fungus from sterile site
What is a latent viral infection?
Virus lays dormant after initial infection and becomes active again some time later due to a stimulus (eg cold weather and HSV cold sores)
How can a whole virus be detected?
Microscopy (see infected cells)
Culture (comparison of infected vs uninfected cells)
How can part of a virus be detected?
Antigen testing (same principle as pregnancy testing) PCR of nucleic acid
How can viral infection be prevented?
Immunisation
-Vaccination
-Passive immunisation with Immunoglobulins
Prophylactic immunisation/prophylactic antivrial therapy post exposure
Infection prevention and control measures
Blood/Tissue/Organ screenning
Antenatal screening
What are some of the clinical signs of an infection? (7)
Inflammation Pain Pyrexia Tachycardia Rigors Increased White Cell Count Increased C Reactive Protein (CRP)
What is a pathogen?
An organism that can cause disease
What is a commensal?
An organism that is part of the normal flora (eg E coli in the gut)
What is pathogenicity?
The ability of a microorganism to cause an infection
What two factors contribute to overall pathogenicity?
Infectivity
Virulence
What is infectivity?
The ability of a microorganism to become established
What is virulence?
The ability of a microorganism to cause harmful effects once established
Give two factors which can increase infectivity
Attachment (via fimbrae)
Acid resistance