Infectious Diseases

Question 1

What infectious diseases are caused by bacterium?

Answer 1

Neurosyphilis

Question 2

What infectious diseases are caused by a virus?

Answer 2

Poliomyelitis, Rabies, HIV/AIDS

Question 3

What infectious diseases are caused by a toxin?

Answer 3

Botulism, Tetanus

Question 4

What infectious diseases are caused by prion?

Answer 4

Mad cow disease, CJD

Question 5

What is meningitis? What can cause it?

Answer 5

Meningitis is inflammation of the brain coverings. Can be caused by bacteria, fungi, or virus

Question 6

What is neurosyphilis? What are the stages?

Answer 6

Neurosyphilis is a sexually transmitted disease by infection of bacteria. The stages:

1. Acute chancre sore
2. Diffuse rash
3. Latent secondary syphilis with no symptoms (can last for years)
4. Tertiary syphilis: growths, loss of sensory afferents, diminished reflexes

Question 7

What is poliomyelitis? How does it affect the body?

Answer 7

Neurotropic RNA virus that spreads via hand-mouth contact. Enters peripheral neurons via receptor and is transported to the spinal cord. Kills only LMN

Question 8

What is rabies? How does it affect the body?

Answer 8

Neurotropic RNA virus that enters salivary glands and causes froth. Transported along motor axons to the CNS where Negri Bodies inside cells are a pathological sign.

Question 9

What is HIV? How does it affect the body?

Answer 9

Human Immunodeficiency Virus causes AIDS. Retrovirus, that infects T-cells. Viral RNA transcribed into DNA inserted into host genome turning it into viral factory

Question 10

What is Neuroaids?

Answer 10

Presents with progressive dementia. Caused when infected microglia release cytokines which activate astrocytes and they release neurotoxins

Question 11

What is Botulism? How does it affect the body?

Answer 11

Bacterial toxin that causes flaccid paralysis by blocking ACh release

Question 12

What is Tetanus? How does it affect the body?

Answer 12

Bacterial toxin that affects motor neurons and causes spastic paralysis. Enters at NMJs and is transported back to cell bodies in spinal cord or brainstem where it inhibits GABA release from interneurons.

Question 13

What is the prion hypothesis?

Answer 13

Wild type PrP conversion from the soluble alpha-helical structure to an insoluble beta-sheet structure (PrPsc)

Question 14

What is neurocysticercosis? How does it affect the body?

Answer 14

Caused by infection of the nervous system with larvae of the pork tapeworm. Humans become carriers of cysticerci after contracting the larvae through human feces

Question 15

What are the neuronal diseases possibly caused by infectious agents?

Answer 15

MS, Schizophrenia, AD & ALS