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Veterinary Microbiology > Infection and Pathogenicity > Flashcards

Infection and Pathogenicity Flashcards

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1
Q

what is a host?

A

a larger organism that supports the survival and growth of a smaller organism

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2
Q

what is a parasite?

A

live on or within a host organism and are metabolically dependent on the host

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3
Q

what is it called when a microorganism is growing and multiplying within/on a host?

A

infection

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4
Q

what is a pathogen?

A

any parasitic organism causing an infectious disease

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5
Q

what does a primary pathogen do?

A

causes disease by direct interaction with healthy host

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6
Q

describe an opportunistic pathogen

A

may be part of normal flora and causes disease when it has gained access to other tissue sites or host is immunocompromised

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7
Q

what is the name for the ability of a parasite to cause disease?

A

pathogenicity

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8
Q

what are infections passes from animals to humans?

A

zoonoses

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9
Q

what is the natural environmental location in which the pathogen normally resides called?

A

reservoir

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10
Q

give 4 examples of reservoirs

A
  1. animals
  2. soil
  3. water
  4. humans
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11
Q

what are objective changes in the body that can be directly observed?

A

signs

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12
Q

what are symptoms?

A

subjective changes experienced by patient

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13
Q

what is a disease syndrome?

A

a set of characteristic signs and symptoms

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14
Q

what is virulence?

A

the degree or intensity of pathogenicity

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15
Q

what 2 things must a pathogen do to cause disease?

A
  1. contact the host

2. survive!

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16
Q

what 3 things does a pathogen need to survive on or within a host?

A
  1. a suitable environment
  2. a source of nutrients
  3. protection from harmful elements
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17
Q

what poses a an issue with the fact that a pathogen needs a source of nutrients to survive on or within a host?

A

the pathogen is in competition with eukaryotic host cells

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18
Q

what allow a pathogen to outcompete host cells and resist their defenses?

A

virulence factors

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19
Q

what are virulence factors?

A

encoded in microbial chromosome, can occur as pathogenicity islands

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20
Q

where are pathogenicity islands found?

A

in genetic material

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21
Q

what do pathogenicity islands do?

A

increase virulence

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22
Q

are pathogenicity islands found in the nonpathogenic members of a species?

A

nope

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23
Q

what is incubation period?

A

the period after pathogen entry but before signs and symptoms

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24
Q

what is the prodromal stage?

A

onset of signs and symptoms

“I think I’m starting to get sick”

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25
are signs in the prodromal stage clear enough for diagnosis?
nope, just very general
26
describe the period of illness stage in an infectious disease
disease is most severe, distinct signs and symptoms
27
what happens in the convalescence period of an infectious illness?
signs and symptoms being to disappear
28
what are the 4 stages during the course of an infectious illness?
incubation, prodromal, illness, convalescence
29
what do virulence factors do?
determine the degree to which the pathogen causes damage, invasion, and infectivity
30
virulence is determined in part by a pathogen's ability to do what? (5)
1. survive outside the host 2. adhere to and colonize the host 3. disseminate through host tissues 4. toxogenicity 5. resist host defenses
31
what does evidence suggest about the link between mode of transmission of a pathogen and its degree of virulence?
1. direct contact = less virulent | 2. vector-borne = highly virulent in human host, relatively benign in vector
32
what does a greater ability to survive outside a host suggest about the virulence of a pathogen
more virulent if can survive outside host for long time
33
is transmission alone enough for infection to occur? if no, what else must also take place?
tropism
34
what is tropism?
pathogen must make direct contact with appropriate host tissue
35
what determines tropism?
specific cell surface receptors
36
what are the 5 main modes of pathogen transmission?
1. airborne 2. contact 3. vehicle 4. vector borne 5. vertical
37
describe airborne transmission
pathogen suspended in air and travels at least 1 meter
38
what are droplet nuclei? (4)
1. small particles (1-4 um in diameter) 2. can remain airborne for a long time 3. can travel long distances 4. usually propelled from respiratory tract of cource organisms by sneezing, coughing, or vocalization
39
what is another important route of airborne transmission other than droplet nuclei? how does it work?
dust; microbes attach to the particles and go for a ride
40
describe contact transmission
coming together or touchng of source/reservoir and host
41
what are the 3 types of contact transmission
1. direct contact (person to person) 2. indirect contact 3. droplet spread
42
describe direct contact transmission
physical interaction between source/reservoir and host
43
give 3 examples of direct contact
1. kissing 2. touching 3. sexual contact
44
describe indirect contact transmission
involves an intermediate (usually inanimate)
45
give 3 examples of indirect contact
eating, utensil, bedding (FOMITES!)
46
describe droplet direct contact spread
LARGE particles (greater than 5um) that travel LESS than 1 meter
47
what are vehicles in transmission?
inanimate materials or objects involved in pathogen transmission
48
describe common vehicle transmission
single vehicle spreads pathogen to multiple hosts
49
give an example of common vehicle transmission
water and food
50
what are fomites?
common vehicles such as surgical instruments, bedding, and eating utensils
51
between what 2 types of tranmission is there overlap in that they both involve fomites?
indirect contact and vehicle transmission
52
what are the 2 types of vector borne transmission?
1. external (mechanical) transmission | 2. internal transmission
53
describe external (mechanical) vector borne transmission
passive carriage of pathogen on body of vector
54
is there growth of pathogen during external (mechanical) vector borne transmission?
no
55
describe internal vector borne transmission
pathogen carried withIN vector
56
what are the 2 types of internal vector borne transmission? describe
1. harborage transmission: pathogen does not undergo changes within vector 2. biologic transmission: pathogen undergoes changes within vector
57
when does vertical transmission occur?
when the unborn child acquires a pathogen from an infected mother
58
is vertical transmission as common as horizontal transmission?
no; it's actually the least common mode of transmission
59
what is it called when babies are born with an infectious disease?
congenital disease
60
what are examples of congenital disease spread by vertical transmission? (4)
1. gonorrhea (especially in the eyes) 2. herpes 3. german measles (rubella) 4. toxoplasmosis
61
what type of transmission is most effective in causing outbreaks and why? (2 good answers, explain both)
1. airborne, because it does not require direct contact but can overlap with indirect contact (by sneezing on things) or 2. vector borne, because it can live for a longer time in multiple hosts, making it harder to eradicate (this one is really effective)
62
pathogens transmitted by which mechanism might be the most easily controlled and eliminated? why?
1. direct contact; can't live long outsdie the host | 2. vehicle transmitted diseases: good cleaning helps control
63
describe the cycle of transmission that occurs in a pathogen with a reservoir and a separate host
pathogen is in reservoir (soil, humans, animals, food. etc.), then leaves the reservoir through a portal of exit, then utilizes its own mode of transmission to access the portal of entry into the susceptible host to cause disease
64
how does a pathogen initiate disease?
through adhesion and invasion factors
65
what does entry and adhesion do for a pathogen?
establishes colonization
66
describe entry of a pathogen, and what must happen next
through a portal of entry, then pathogen must attach
67
list 4 possible portals of entry for a pathogen
1. respiratory tract 2. GI tract 3. urogenital 4. skin
68
what are the 2 types of adherence by pathogens?
1. non-specific, reversable binding | 2. specific, permanent binding
69
what 2 aspects of a pathogen help it cause damage to a host?
1. virulence factors | 2. toxins
70
what are toxins?
biological poisons
71
give 4 structures that pathogens can have that aid in attachment
1. pili 2. fimbriae 3. specialized proteins 4. capsule materials (ex. slime layer)
72
what are the 3 types of toxins?
1. exotoxins 2. endotoxins 3. mycotoxins
73
describe exotoxins (2)
1. released into the host tissue as the bacterial pathogen metabolizes 2. travel from site of infection to other tissue or target cells
74
what are endotoxins found on?
LPS (lipopolysaccharide Lipid S)
75
when are endotoxins released?
when the microorganism is lysed
76
what are mycotoxins produced by?
fungi
77
what are the 7 methods used by pathogens to accomplish host evasion/survive host defense?
1. genetic changes 2. biofilm formation 3. capsule types (slime layers) 4. degrade host immunoglobulins 5. specialized proteins to hide or avoid detection 6. removal of O side chain to hide or avoid detection 7. fuse into host cells and hide
78
what type of host evasion/survival tactic does Staph a utulize heavily?
specialized proteins to hide or avoid detection
79
how does gonorrhea evade host detection/survive?
does not have O side chain so is harder to recognize
80
name 2 microorganisms whose method of evading/surving in the host is fusing into host cells to hide
1. HIV | 2. measles

Veterinary Microbiology (11 decks)

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