Micro 3 Flashcards
What are common causes of meningitis in post-neonatal life?
S.pneumo
H.influenzeae
N.meningitides
What are common causes of meningitis in neonates?
Listeria
E.coli K1
Group B strep
Cause of chronic meningitis?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Causes of bacterial encephalitis?
T.pallidum Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease)
3 ways that microbes can penetrate the BBB
- infection of the cells that comprise the barrier
- passive transport through cells in vacuoles
- carraige in WBCs
Why might steroidal anti-inflammatories be use in the treatment of meningitis?
Dampen the immune response
Decrease inflammation
Decrease infiltration of PMNs, macrophages and pathogens
WBCs -> cytokines -> inflammation, edema, additional WBC recruitment
inflamation and edema are conducive to infiltration (diapedesis)
What are symptoms of meningitis?
high fever, sever and persistent stiff neck, photophobia, N/V
Changes in behavior: confusion, sleepiness, difficulty in waking (indicative of need for emergency treatment)
Infant: irritability, tiredness, poor feeding, fever, bulging fontanel
meningitis causing, gram +, catalase -, a-hemolytic, optochin sensitive
S.pneumo - most common cause of meningitis in US
Is there a vaccine for S.pneumo?
Yes, 2:
23-valent: capsular PS from strains responsible for 90% of infections
7-valent: capsular PS from strains responsible for infections in children, immunocompromised, elderly
What is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in US?
What is second?
1st: S.pneumo
2nd: N.meningitidis
What are the most common capsular serotypes of meningitis causing N.meningitidis and what are the relative frequencies:?
A: 4% B: 50% C: 20% Y: 10% W135: 10%
In addition to typical meningitis symptoms, what may be seen in patients w/ N.meningitidis meningitis?
Hemorrhagic rash often w/ petechiae - reflective of assoc. septicemia
- 1/3 of instances rash is fulminating w/ complications due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), endotoxemia, shock, renal failure
- DIC may -> gangrene / necrosis in extremities
What does H.influenzae require for growth?
Factors X: NAD and V: hemin
What organisms are typically responsible for outbreaks at universities?
Risks?
S.pneumo, N.meningitidis
Risks: poor diet, behavioral changes (ETOH consumption, smoking), pulmonary infections -> changes in immune function and microbiota composition
Some schools -> vaccination program
What is the fatality rate of neonatal meningitis?
How do survivors do?
1/3 of cases fatal
Survivors: often long-term sequelae: cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation, hydrocephalus
What organism causes Lyme Disease?
Borrelia burgdorferi
Disseminated disease can -> bacterial encephalitis
What is Guillan Barre Syndrome and what causes it?
Caused by Campylobacter jejuni
Disease is result of cross-reaction between bacterial ganglioside-like epitopes in LPS and Schwann cell myelin Ags
Immunologic attack ->Demyelination
How is a brain abscess diagnosed?
CT scan recommended before lumbar puncture
Characteristic ring-enhancing lesion w/ contrast is diagnosis
-fibrous capsule forms w/in 4-5 days of infection
Symptoms of brain abscess
headache, confusion, drowsiness, hemiparesis, seizures, fever
usually no stiff neck
What organisms are most often isolated from a brain abscess?
Gram +: Streptococcus (anginosis, milleri), Peptostreptococcus, Staphylococcus, Nocardia, Actinomyces
Gram -: Prevotella, Fusobacterium, Bacteroides, E.coli, Citrobacter koseri, P.mirabilis
AIDS pts: cryptococcus, toxoplasma
Almost always polymicrobial. Strep most common - synergy w/ gram negs
What often cause chronic meningoencephalitis?
Cryptococcus neoformans
AIDS related
What are the functions of bacterial capsules in CNS infection?
Prevent phagocytosis, Ab binding, complement activation
Intracellular protection
Toxicity to host cells
What is and what causes Valley Fever?
Fungal infection beginning in the lungs 7-21 days post infection
Typically clears quickly, but can disseminate to meninges, bones, joints, subcutaneous and cutaneous tissues
25% of disseminated cases -> meningitis (1% of total cases)
Initially flu-like, then symptoms of meningitis
Fatal if not treated.
Caused by Coccidiodes imitis (Fungus)
Risk: dust storms, earthquakes, excavation
What is Chagas Disease?
Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi - parasite carried by Triatome bugs
Initial sore at site of bite followed by fever and acute encephalitis
Chronic disease may have heart, colon, and nervous system manifestations
Where is Trypanosoma cruzi endemic?
Southern US - Southern Argentina
What is the CNS manifestation of malaria?
If malaria left untreated, infection can travel to brain causing lesions, coma and rapid death (24-72 hours)
Acute, widespread brain disease w/ fever
Greatest risk <10 years of age
5 genra of picornoviruses and associated diseases
- Enterovirus (Polio, Coxsackie A and B, Echo) - diseases of alimentary (GI) tract
- Rhino - cold - naspharyngeal
- Cardiovirus - murine encephalomycarditis
- Apthovirus - Foot + Mouth disease (cloven footed animals)
- Hepatovirus - Hepatitis A
Properties of Cardio, Hepato and Entero viruses
Resistant to low pH, grow at 37C
Fecal-oral transmission, GI is site of primary infection
CNS infection results - paralysis and encephalitis
General properties of Aptho and Rhino viruses
Labile at low pH, grow at 33C
Aerosol transmission - Upper Respiratory Tract is site of infection
Picornovirus genome
Unenveloped ss+RNA, 7-8kb
Long 5’ untranslated end regulates translation - IREM (internal ribosome entry site)
VPg protein at 5’ end - primer
3’ end- short untranslated w/ poly-A tail
Where in the cell do picornaviruses replicate?
In cytoplasm
Describe protein product of picornovirus
Single polypeptide divided into 3 regions (P1,P2,P3)
3 regions cleaved - 11-12 proteins
P1: capsid proteins (VP1,2,3,4)
P2 and P3: protein processing and genome replication proteins
Describe the process of Picornavirus replication
virus attaches to host cell via VP1 Uncoating of genome RNA translation -> P1 stays in cytoplasm, P2,3 and -RNA copies in vessicles \+RNA -> -RNA -> +RNA Encapsidation and cell lysis
What do Picornaviruses do to host cell processes?
Shut off protein synthesis via cleavage of eIF-4G by VP 2A (entero and rhino) and L (aptho)
What are the non-structural proteins produced by Picornaviruses?
2A: protease (P1/P2) 2B: stim vessicle formation 2C: RNA helicase 3AB: stimulates 3D and 3CD protolytic cleavage 3C: protease (P2/P3) 3D: RNA dependent RNA polymerase VPg: Poly(U) primer
How do picornaviruses infect?
fecal-oral transmission
infect via GI with primary target being lymph tissue of oropharynx and gut
If Ab does not clear infection, progression from blood to organs and major viremia, then CNS infection
Virus production in grey matter (motor neurons of anterior horn of SC and brain stem)
Severe illness, paralysis
What disease is caused by polio virus? symptoms?
Poliomyelitis
Destruction of motor neurons in anterior horn of SC -> Flaccid paralysis
Bulbar poliomyelitis: more severe - destruction w/in medulla oblongotta
2 polio vaccines
Salk - Inactivated - less local GI immunity, duration of immunity unknown
Sabin - Attenuated - oral - probable life long immunity
What diseases are caused by Coxsackie viruses?
A and B: aseptic meningitis
A: Herpangina - sudden onset fever w/ ulcers on tonsils and palate
A16: Hand Foot and Mouth disease
Role in Acute Juvenile diabetes (type I)?
What does rhinovirus cause?
Common cold
Pleconaril
Drug designed against entero and rhinoviruses
- not FDA approved
- initially rejected due to side effects
What does Apthovirus cause?
Foot and Mouth in animals
Vaccine available - effective against symptoms, but does not protect against transmission
Slaughter infected animals
What is the role of HIV in CNS infections
Neurological complications are common in AIDS patients
Virus found in CSF of patients w/ dementia
Virus infects or activates macrophages and microglia -> release of toxins deleterious to neurons and astrocytes
2 viral subtypes
-Tcell tropic
-Macrophage tropic
3 classes of HIV drugs and examples
Nucleoside RT inhibitor: Zidovudine, Didanosine, Zalcitabine, Stavudine, Lamivudine, AZT
Non-nucleoside RT inhibitor: Nevirapine, Delavirdine
HIV Protease inhibitor: Ritonavir, Indinavir, Saquinovir, Nelfinavir
What is HAART treatment?
Highly active anti-retroviral treatment
A “cocktail” of at least one nucleoside RT inhibitor and one or two Protease inhibitors
Does not provide full protection against neurological damage in HIV infection - BBB only partially permeable to anti-retroviral agents
What is HTLV and what does it cause?
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus
Causes:
1. Adult Tcell Leukemia
2. Tropical Spastic Paraparesis / HTLV-1associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM)
What treatments exist for HTLV?
No definitive treatment
Combination IFNa and Zidovudine (NRTi)
Chemotherapy (limited success)
Zidovudine, Danazol, Vitamin C -> temporary relief
What is a virus spread to humans via an insect bite?
Arbovirus
fleas, ticks, flies, etc. are vectors for transmission
Primary reservoir is birds
Name two families of viruses considered arboviruses
Flaviviridae, Togaviridae
What are the 3 genera of flaviviridae? What diseases are each responsible for?
Flavivius: YFV, WNV, DFV, JE
Hepacivirus: Hep C
Pestivirus: no human disease (Hog cholera, Bovine viral diarrhea)
Flavivirus structure
Enveloped, icosahedral virion, linear ss+RNA
3 structural proteins: envelope, prM (M separates @maturation, maturation signal), C (capsid)
Flavi, HepC: 5’ cap, non-polyA 3’
Pesti: no caps, no poly-a IRES
What is Antibody Dependent Enhancement?
In Dengue Virus:
Initial infection with one serotype (strain 1) -> Ab response
Later infection with different serotype: anti-strain 1 Ab do not neutralize, but allow macrophage to take up virus more effectively. Inside macrophage virus repliates -> more severe infection due to additional mechanism of infection
Describe flavivirus process of cell infection / replication
Receptor mediated attachment and endocytosis (viral E protein)
pH induced membrane fusion and uncoating of virion
+RNA -> single viral protein
RNA synth via RdRp
C protein encapsidation in cytoplasm
Maturation of membranes in rER or golgi
Transport of virus to cell surface by secretory pathway
Structural and non-structural proteins of flavivirus
Structural:
E: binds cell surface receptors, facilitates entry
prM: maturation
C: encapsulation
Non-structural: NS1: hemagglutinin -elicits humeral immune response NS2A and B: RNA synthesis NS3: protease NS4A and B: RNA replication NS5: RNA dependent RNA polymerase
West Nile symptoms
Moderate to high fever, flu-like
sore throat, headache, backache, fatigue
Rash, lymphadenopathy, myalgia
Acute aseptic meningitis or encephalitis
West nile treatment
No vaccine
Ribovarin
Mosquito control
Yellow Fever symptoms and treatment
High fever, chills, headache, vomiting
Jaundice, hemorrhagic complications, renal failure
Vaccine available
Mosquito (aedis aegypti) control important for prevention
Dengue fever transmission and symptoms
Person to person, mosquitos
symptoms: fever, headache, lumbosacral pain
also - Dengue hemorrhagic fever DHF
Dengue Shock Syndrome DSS
What is the distribution of Dengue Fever serotypes?
Serotype 2 - North America
Serotypes 1 and 3 - Central and South America
Is there a Dengue vaccine?
No
A tetravalent vaccine has been tested in Thailand - favorable results
What is St. Louis Encephalitis?
Flavivirus caused encephalitis (epidemic disease)
Transmitted by mosquito from birds to human
Febrile headache to meningo-encephalitis
Milder in children
Elders at risk
Hepatitis C treatment
IFN treatment
IFN induces genes that regulate viral proteins at transcriptional and translational levels
only effective in 15% of patients
IFN + ribavirin for relapsed patients
What viruses are Togaviruses?
EEE: eastern equine encephalitis
WEE: western equine encephalitis
Rubella
Characteristics of Togavirus and major proteins
Enveloped, ss+RNA
cytoplasmic replication
nsP2 protease
nsP4 RdRp
What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
togavirus transmitted from birds -> mosquitoes -> horses and humans
Fever, general muscle pain, severe headache, permanent brain damage, seizure, coma
Small brain hemorrhages and extensive neuronal damage
What virus causes Rabies?
Rhabdovirus
Rhabdovirus characteristics
bullet shaped, external glycoprotein coat and peripheral matrix protein
ss-RNA
Ribonucleoprotein is most infectious component
What is the incubation time for rabies?
up to 12 mos.
Rabies symptoms
difficulty breathing and swallowing
hydrophobia
Increased muscle tone
cytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies (Negri bodies) in neuronal cells and neuronal necrosis
Treatment for rabies?
Not after symptoms appear - 100% fatal
Post-exposure:
1) wash wound w/ soap and water - seek medical attention immediately
2) passive immunization - admin human rabies immune globin
3) vaccination (inactivated virus)
what is the major problem in meningitis? Why?
Increased ICP is major problem.
leads to decreased cerebral blood flow, loss of cerebrovascular autoregulation
Subarachnoid space inflammation -> cerebral vasculitis -> possibility of cerebral infarction
What organisms are typically seen in meningitis following head trauma or neurosurgery?
S.aureus
S.epidermidis
aerobic gram neg. rods (including pseudomonas)
What organisms are most often seen in meningitis assoticated with a basilar skull fracture and/or CSF leak?
S.pneumonia
H.influenzae
Group A B-hemolytic strep
What is normal CSF opening pressure?
10-20cm H2O
What bacterial antigen identification kits are available?
S.pneumoniae, N.meningitidis, HiB, E.coli, GBS
What are early and late complications of meningitis?
Early: shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, respiratory failure (adult resp. distress syndrome), cerebral edema
Late: behavioral / learnig disabilities, hearing loss, seizures, hydrocephalus
How might neonatal CSF differ from adult?
Normal neonate CSF may have up to 30 WBC/mm3 (normal for adult is 0.5)
and up to 150 mg/dL protein (normal for adult 15-45)
Definition of aseptic meningitis
Meningitis with lymphocytic predominant pleocytosis in which bacterial stains and cultures are negative
Most common viruses in aseptic meningitis
enteroviruses
- most common in infants and young children
- usually less severe presentation
- most often late summer / early fall
- occurs in community outbreaks
What is the overall mortality for CA meningitis? What about individual pathogens?
CA meningitis: 25% L.monocytogenes: 28.5% S.agalactiae: 7-27% S.pneumo: 19-26% N.meningitidis: 10% H.influenzae: 6%
CD4 TH1 cells do what?
Activate macrophages enabling them to destroy intracellular organisms
CD4 TH2 cells do what
stimulate B cells to differentiate into plasma cells to produce specific antibodies
What is a primary vs. secondary defect of the innate immune system?
Primary: congenital
Secondary: acquired - breach of mechanical barrier