Infectious Disease and Bacterial Pathogens Flashcards
How do pathogenic microbes cause infection
By gaining a foothold in a particular niche
Define colonisation
Growth of a microbe after gaining access to host tissue
Define pathogenicity
The ability of a pathogen to inflict host damage
Define virulence
The degree of pathogenicity of an infecting pathogen
What are the two main reactions to an infectious organism
Immune and inflammatory reactions
What is immunity
Innate or adaptive response to an infectious organism
What is an inflammatory response
A non specific reaction driven by neutrophil accumulation
What are signs of acute infection also signs of (mostly)
Inflammation
What are the 5 main signs of acute infection
Rubor, calor, tumor, dalor and change in function
What is rubor
Redness due to increased blood flow/ vasodilation
What is calor
Heat due to increased blood flow/ vasodilation
What is a tumor
Edema/ swelling due to increased movement of plasma from blood to tissue (capillary level permeability)
What is dalor
Pain due to localised swelling from tumor formation as fluid stretches the nerves and pain receptors
What is a change in function
Due to pain, change in tissue structure and usually reduced mobility
What are the 4 main methods of adaptive immunity
Specificity and memory, humoral immunity, cellular immunity, ADCC
Define a specificity and memory method of adaptive community
Host mediated response to target with rapid and intense repeat responses
Define a humoral immunity method of adaptive community
B cells producing antibodies
Define a cellular immunity method of adaptive community
T cells which attack intracellular pathogens
Define a ADCC method of adaptive community
Antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity
What is bacteraemia
The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream leading to mass organ dissemination
What is sepsis
Extreme, system-wide inflammatory response to blood poisoning
What is systemic shock
A systemic drop in blood pressure leading to mass organ failure
Where do pathogens reside in nature
Environmental, zoonotic and human
What are the 4 types of diagnostic media in culture diagnostics
General purpose media, enrichment, selective and differential