Lecture 4 - Toxigenic Spore Formers

Question 1

B. Anthracis can be contracted through cutaneous exposure (break in the skin –> most common), inhalation, or _____intestinal. One of the reasons Inhalation is uncommon is because the spores tend to clump, and they can’t make it far enough into the respiratory tract.

Answer 1

Gastrointestinal

Question 2

B. Anthracis is a gram ____, aerobic bacillus. It has a _____, which is a major virulence factor. Its spores are _____ located.

Answer 2

Positive

Capsule

Centrally

Question 3

The reason B. Anthracis likely won’t ever be eradicated is because it grows in sick _____, and the spores can remain in ______ for a long time. There is no human-human transmission.

Answer 3

Animals

Soil

Question 4

Cutaneous Anthrax typically presents with black _____.

Answer 4

Eschars

Question 5

Inhalation anthrax initially presents with symptoms similar to the common ____, and often abruptly progress to severe _____ problems, fever, and shock.

Answer 5

Cold

Breathing

Question 6

GI anthrax presents with acute inflammation of GI after ingestion of contaminated _____. Ingested spores don’t make the toxin –> once bacteria colonize, they make the toxin.

Answer 6

Meat

Question 7

B. anthracis virulence factors include:

1. Capsule
2. Toxins –> genes carried on large _____

Answer 7

Plasmid

Question 8

B. anthracis toxin is an ___/___ type toxin. It produces one ____ subunit, which is considered a protective _____. It produces two ____ subunits, _____ factor (EF –> adenylyl cyclase similar to B. pertussis) and _____ factor (LF - zinc dependent protease.)

Answer 8

A/B type toxin

B subunit

Antigen

A subunits

Edema factor

Lethal factor

Question 9

Treatment for B. Anthracis include antibiotic administration as well as ______ antibodies (against protective antigen PA.) The vaccine is also derived from PA.

Answer 9

Passive

Question 10

All clostridium are gram _____ bacilli and are obligate ______.

Answer 10

Positive

Anaerobes

Question 11

C. Botulinum spores are observed more toward the ____ of the bacteria.

Answer 11

End

Question 12

____ borne C. Botulinum infection is the most common. The issue is not ingesting the bacteria, but rather ingesting pre-formed _____.

Answer 12

Food

Toxin

Question 13

In infants, because they don’t have well formed normal flora, there’s not much to ______ C. Botulinum.

Answer 13

Outcompete

Question 14

Botulinum toxin results in _____ paralysis if/when the toxin enters the blood stream.

Answer 14

Flaccid

Question 15

Botulinum toxin is an ___/___ type toxin that is an endo_____. It cleaves components of synaptic _____ proteins, inhibiting the fusion of presynaptic _____ at the neuromuscular junction, and thus, the release of ____. This is what leads to flaccid paralysis.

Answer 15

A/B

endoPeptidase

SNARE

Vesicles

Ach

Question 16

One of the primary causes of mortality in Botulinum intoxication is ______ failure.

Answer 16

Respiratory

Question 17

Treatment for C. Botulinum always involves administration of anti-toxin Ig__. In infants, treating with _____ can exacerbate the infection because they will kill off already limited normal flora.

Answer 17

IgG

Antibiotics

Question 18

C. Tetani infection is usually caused by exposure to the ____ in an anaerobic environment.

Answer 18

Spore

Question 19

Tetanus toxin is very similar to Botulinum toxin. They differ in their ____ subunit, which directs it to a different target. Specifically, it travels to ______ interneurons. There, the toxin’s endopeptidase activity cleaves the _____ proteins, inhibiting release of inhibitory neurotransmitters. This leads to continuous stimulation of muscles.

Answer 19

B subunit

Inhibitory

SNARE

Question 20

Treatment for C. tetani infection involves isolation to decrease stimuli, administration of anti-toxin (anti-tetanus Ig__), and debriding the wound (introducing O2) coupled with administration of antibiotics.

Answer 20

IgG

Question 21

Vaccination for C. Tetani is derived from the inactive ____

Answer 21

Toxin

Question 22

C. Perfringens typically results in gas ______ (myonecrosis).

Answer 22

Gangrene

Question 23

C. Perfringens virulence factors include ____ toxin, which is a phospholipase –> cleaves phosphate heads of phospholipid bilayer.

Answer 23

Alpha toxin

Question 24

Patients typically present with disproportionate local _____. Treatment for C. Perfringens involves ______ of the wound (exposure to O2) and administration of antibiotic.

Answer 24

Pain

Debridement