Malaria and Typhoid Fever and Travel Flashcards
What are the 2 parasites that poses the greatest threat in Malaria?
Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium Vivax
What is the cause of typhoid fever?
Salmonella enterica serotype typhi
What are the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever?
- Gradual onset of very high fever (up to 39-40 degree Celsius)
- Constipation
May have diarrhoea but is uncommon. Vomiting is usually not severe. - Abdominal pain
- Weakness
- Headache
- Rash: rose-coloured spots
- Delirium (hence typhoid fever is a.k.a. nervous fever)
How is Typhoid fever transmitted?
Via food and water contaminated with infected faeces
What antibiotics are used in the treatment of Typhoid fever?
Azithromycin
Fluoroquinolones such as Ciprofloxacin is more effective
What is suspected if patient presents with intermittent fevers?
Malaria
Other causes include amoebiasis and Kawasaki’s disease
Why is there fever paroxysms in Malaria?
Fever paroxysms refflect synchronous release of flocks merozoites from mature schizonts.
What is the cause of Lyme disease? How is it transmitted?
Borrelia burgdorferi
Transmitted via tick bites, commonly found on deers
What is the first sign of Lyme disease?
Erythema migrans: a circular rash occurring at site of tick bite, which enlarges and forms a target lesion.
What is the treatment for the rash in Lyme disease?
Doxycycline 100MG BD PO for 14-21 days
What is the cause of Weils’ disease?
Leptospira Interrogans
How is Weil’s disease transmitted?
Via contact with infected rat urine, such as in slums, or while swimming, canoeing or cycling through puddles
What is the treatment for Weil’s disease?
Doxycycline, Amoxicillin or Ampicillin
What is the name of the condition for severe dengue? What are its symptoms?
Dengue haemorrhagic fever.
There will be signs of haemorrhage, such as bleeding gums and bleeding under the skin, haemoptysis or persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain and distension of abdomen.
What is the causative organism of dengue
Virus from the Flaviviridae family
What is the incubation period of Typhoid fever
7-14 days or 1-3 weeks
What are the complications of Typhoid fever?
Intestinal haemorrhage and perforation, toxic myocarditis, pneumonia, seizures, typhoid encephalopathy and meningitis (common in children)
How long does Typhoid vaccine provides protection for?
Up to 3 years.
What is the incubation period of Campylobacteriosis?
2-5 days on average.
Or 1-10 days
What vaccines are available against Typhoid fever?
3 types of vaccines:
- Live attenuated vaccine (given in 3 doses in capsules orally - Vivotif)
- Whole-cell inactivated vaccine
- Polysaccharide vaccine
When is the onset of Shigella post exposure?
1-2 days later
What is the most common cause of Campylobacteriosis?
Campylobacter jejuni
What is the cause of Cholera? What mediates the clinical symptoms of Cholera?
Vibrio Cholerae.
The production of enterotoxins mediates the clinical symptoms.
What is cause of amoebic dysentery?
the incubation period of amoebic dysentery?
What is the common clinical feature of amoebic dysentery?
Cause: Entamoeba histolytica
Incubation: usually 2-4 weeks
Common clinical feature is bloody diarrhoea.
What is the incubation period of Campylobacter? What are the common clinical features?
Incubation: usually 2-5 days, but can be 1-10 days
Common clinical feature: Abdominal pain, Profuse diarrhoea (may be bloodstained), vomiting is uncommon.
What is the incubation period of Cholera?
2 to 3 days usually, but may be within a few hours to 5 days.
What is rigors indicative of?
Rigors is indicative of bacteraemia.
What is Vivotif?
At what age can Vivotif be given?
Vivotif is a live attenuated vaccine against Typhoid Fever.
Vivotif can be given to adults and children aged 6 years or older.
Which 2 typhoid vaccines can be given to children 2 years old and above? What type of vaccine are they?
Typherix and Typhim can be given to children 2 years or older.
They are inactivated polysaccharides.
