Infections Flashcards
Categories of infections
local and systemic (spread by blood)
Causes of infections
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Protozoa
Bacteria causes diseases in two ways
- Enter body and grow inside cells.
2. Secrete endotoxins that damage cells:
Endotoxins
- Exotoxinsareprotein released during bacterial growth
- part of the cell wall of gram (–) bacteria
- released with bacterial lysis activates inflammatory response and produce fever (pyrogenic)
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
End-stage of chronic HIV infection; a syndrome involving a defect in cell-mediated immunity that has a long incubation period and is manifested by various opportunistic infections and cancers.
acute retroviral syndrome
Symptoms accompanying the development of HIV-specific antibodies (seroconversion), including a flulike syndrome of fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headache, malaise, nausea, muscle and joint pain, diarrhea, or a diffuse rash, or some combination.
Bacteria
One-celled microorganisms that are found virtually everywhere on earth and are involved in fermentation, putrefaction, infectious diseases, and nitrogen fixation.
emerging infectious disease
A disease of infectious origin that newly appears in a population, or whose incidence in humans has increased within the recent past or threatens to increase in the near future, including those infections that appear in new geographic areas or increase abruptly.
Fungi
Organisms similar to plants, but lacking in chlorophyll; pathogenic fungi cause infections that are usually localized, but may become disseminated in an immunocompromised individual.
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
A retrovirus that causes HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
opportunistic disease
Infections and cancers that occur in immunosuppressed patients that can lead to disability, disease, and death.
oral hairy leukoplakia
An Epstein-Barr virus infection that causes painless, white, raised lesions on the lateral aspect of the tongue.
protozoa
Single-cell, animal-like microorganisms that normally live in soil and bodies of water, but can cause infection when introduced into the human body.
retrovirus
A virus that replicates in a “backward” manner, going from RNA (ribonucleic acid) to DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
reverse transcriptase
An enzyme made by HIV and other retroviruses, that helps the virus replicate back from RNA to DNA.
viral load
The number of HIV particles in the blood.
viremia
Large amounts of virus in the blood.
virus
Infectious agents consisting of either RNA or DNA and a protein envelope; can reproduce only in the cells of a living organism
window period
Time period of two months after infection, during which an infected individual will not test positive for HIV antibodies
Bacteria Morphology Shapes
Coccus Bacillus Coccobacillus Spirochete Spirillium Vibrio
Gram-positive organism
- Stain purple
- Much thicker cell walls
- Thicker outer cells capsule
Gram-negative organism
- Stain red
- Cell wall structure is more complex
- Usually harder to treat because antibiotics have a more difficult time penetrating the cell wall
What is the most common infection in humans?
Viral
Obligate parasite
a parasitic organism that cannot complete its life-cycle without exploiting a suitable host. If an obligate parasite cannot obtain a host it will fail to reproduce. A virus is an example of this.
How do viruses bypass the body’s defense mechanisms?
By developing intracellularly
• They hide in cells, away from inflammatory and immune responses