Infectious Diseases Flashcards
Lecture 32 - Exam 4
List the different classes of pathogens
Viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites
List the characteristics of a virus
- Obligate intracellular pathogen
cannot reproduce outside of cells - Parts include: capsid & genome
- Some are enclosed w/in an envelope derived from the cytoplasmic membrane of the host cells
- Cause lysis & death of the host cell during replication
- Can remain in a latent, nonreplicating state for long periods w/o causing disease
- Some cause cancer
List example(s) of a virus
varicella zoster virus (chicken pox first -> shingles later)
HPV -> cervical cancer
List the characteristics of bacteria
- Prokaryotic
- Microscopic shapes
(cocci, bacilli, spirilla) - common on high-touch surfaces
List some example(s) of bacteria
Spirochete, Mycoplasmas, Rickettsiaceae, Chlamydiaceae
List characteristics of Spirochete
Anaerobic bacteria
List example(s) of spirochete
Bacteria:
Borrelia burgdorferi - Lyme Disease
Treponema pallidum - Syphilis
List characteristics of Mycoplasmas
Much smaller than other bacteria
No cell wall - resistant to cell-wall inhibiting antibiotics like penicillins
List example(s) of mycoplasmas
Mycoplasma pneumoniae - Pneumonia
List characteristics of Rickettsiaceae
- Bacteria
- Obligate intracellular pathogens
- Transmitted via arthropods vectors (mites, flea, ticks, lice)
List example(s) of Rickettsiaceae
Rickettsia rickettsii - Rocky Mountain spotted fever
List characteristics of Chlamydiaceae
- Bacteria
- Obligate intracellular pathogens
- Transmitted via person-to-person contact
List example(s) of Chlamydiaceae
Chlamydia trachomatis
- sexually transmitted
- causes conjunctivitis in newborns
How do fungi become pathogens?
- Intact immune mechanism and competition for nutrients provided by the bacterial flora normally keep colonizing fungi in check
- A disease or an antibiotic therapy can upset the balance, permitting opportunistic infections
List characteristics of fungi
- not all fungi are pathogens
- microscopic
- can be unicellular (yeasts) or multicellular (molds)
List examples of fungi
Superficial mycoses
Systemic mycoses
List characteristics of superficial mycoses
- Fungi
- Dermatophytosis - grow on the surface
- Caused by dermatophytes whose infection is limited to the cooler cutaneous surfaces
List example(s) of superficial mycoses
- Ringworm
- Athletes foot (tinea pedis)
- Jock itch (tinea cruris)
List characteristics of systemic mycoses
Serious fungal infections of the deep tissue - rare
“Fungus that can grow inside our body”
List example(s) of systemic mycoses
Candidiasis (yeast infection)
- Opportunistic infection of candida albican, which is commensal flora in skin, mucous membranes & GI tract
Aspergillosis
- A lethal form of pneumonia caused by Aspergillus, a common mold in people with lung diseases or immunocompromised patients
List examples of parasites
Protozoa
Helminths
Parasitic arthropods
List characteristics of Protozoa
- Parasites
- Unicellular animals
List example(s) of Protozoa
- Plasmodium (malaria)
vector borne via mosquitos - Entamoeba histolytica (amebic dysentery, or amoebiasis)
via contaminated water/food - Giardia duodenalis (giardiasis)
via contaminated water/food
List characteristics of Helminths
- Wormlike parasites
- Transmission primarily through the ingestion of fertilized eggs (ova) or the penetration of infectious larval stages through the skin
List example(s) of Helminths
Roundworms
Tapeworms
Flukes
List characteristics of parasitic arthopods
- Ectoparasites
- May serve as vectors of other infection diseases, such as the bubonic plague
List example(s) of parasitic arthropods
mites (scabies)
chiggers
lice (head, body, pubic)
fleas
List the different modes of transmission of pathogens
penetration, direct contact, ingestion, inhalation
List the different sources of pathogens
endogenous
exogenous
person
fomites
animal
vector
place
Describe penetration as a mode of transmission of pathogens
Any disruption may allow the invasion of pathogens, which normally cannot penetrate intact skin or mucous membranes