Infectious Disease Processes

Question 1

What is pneumonia?

Answer 1

An infection that inflames the alveoli in one or both lungs; the alveoli can fill with pus or fluid.

Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria and fungi.

Question 2

What are the signs and symptoms of pneumonia?

Answer 2

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Chest pain

Pneumonia is most dangerous for infants, people older than 65, and the immunosuppressed.

Question 3

What is folliculitis?

Answer 3

Infection of the hair follicles.

It can lead to conditions like a sty or furuncle.

Question 4

What is a sty?

Answer 4

Folliculitis of an eyelash.

A sty is a localized infection affecting the eyelash follicle.

Question 5

What is a furuncle?

Answer 5

Localized region of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue (boil).

Furuncles can occur due to bacterial infections.

Question 6

What is impetigo?

Answer 6

Dry, crusting sores.

Impetigo is a common skin infection caused by bacteria.

Question 7

What are the signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection?

Answer 7

• Painful urination
• Urgency/frequency
• Lower back pain
• Pelvic pain
• Cloudy or bloody urine

Urinary tract infections can occur in any part of the urinary system.

Question 8

What is urethritis?

Answer 8

Infection of the urethra.

Question 9

What is cystitis?

Answer 9

Infection of the bladder.

Question 10

What is pyelonephritis?

Answer 10

Infection of the kidneys.

Question 11

What is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?

Answer 11

A sexually transmitted genital infection that can lead to infertility due to scarring of the fallopian tubes and uterus.

Question 12

What is meningitis?

Answer 12

Inflammation of the meninges.

Question 13

What is encephalitis?

Answer 13

Inflammation of the brain.

Question 14

What is meningoencephalitis?

Answer 14

Inflammation of both meningitis and encephalitis.

Question 15

What are common signs and symptoms of meningitis and encephalitis?

Answer 15

• Fever
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Convulsions
• Coma

These symptoms can progress rapidly.

Question 16

What is otitis media?

Answer 16

Infection of the middle ear.

Question 17

What is otitis externa?

Answer 17

Infection of the outer ear canal (swimmer’s ear).

Question 18

What is laryngitis?

Answer 18

Infection of the larynx (voice box).

Question 19

What is pharyngitis?

Answer 19

Infection of the pharynx (throat).

Question 20

What is the primary transmission route for gastrointestinal infections?

Answer 20

Fecal-oral route by contaminated food or water.

Can range from mild to life-threatening due to dehydration.

Question 21

What parasitic infection is responsible for most deaths globally?

Answer 21

Malaria kills 660,000 people annually, which is the most of any parasite worldwide.

Other parasites like lymphatic filariasis are deadly but do not kill as many as malaria.

Question 22

In which year of life are signs of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome first seen?

Answer 22

First year of life.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is an X-linked hereditary condition. It also makes it difficult for a child’s bone marrow to produce platelets, making a child prone to bleeding. It occurs mostly in males. Pyogenic infections (recurrent), eczema, and bleeding are seen in the first year of life in patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

Question 23

What is virulence?

Answer 23

The ability of a certain strain of bacteria to result in a disease.

Ability to remain dormant is the characteristic of the life cycle of an organism related to its survival.

Question 24

What does the size of inoculum refer to?

Answer 24

The number of microbes involved.

Question 25

What is the degree of attenuation?

Answer 25

In biology, "attenuation" refers to a regulatory mechanism where an organism reduces the expression of a specific gene or set of genes by prematurely terminating transcription, often in response to changing environmental conditions, essentially "weakening" the gene's activity; this process is primarily observed in bacteria and involves the formation of specific RNA structures within the mRNA transcript that signal termination of transcription. The degree of attenuation accounts for an organism's resistance. ## Footnote Attenuated strains of disease-causing bacteria and viruses are often used as vaccines. The weakened strains are used as vaccines because they stimulate a protective immune response while causing no disease or only mild disease in the person receiving the vaccine.

Question 26

What type of contact involves indirect vehicle contact?

Answer 26

Contact between a person and inanimate objects contaminated by pathogens. ## Footnote E. coli can survive on hard surfaces for up to 16 months.

Question 27

Direct Contact Transmission

Answer 27

Refers to person-to-person transmission through physical contact or droplet sprays (when an infected person coughs or sneezes)

Question 28

Indirect vector contact

Answer 28

Involves transmission through an animal that carries a disease from one host to another

Question 29

Which pathogens are likely associated with community-acquired pneumonia?

Answer 29

* S. pneumoniae * H. influenzae * Mycoplasma * Chlamydophila * Legionella ## Footnote Alcoholism is associated with S. pneumoniae but not H. influenzae.

Question 30

What additional manifestation can occur from a C. albicans infection in an immunocompetent host?

Answer 30

Oral thrush.

Question 31

What is the most common cause of urinary tract infection?

Answer 31

Escherichia coli.