Microbial Pathogenicity Flashcards
What are the important microbial pathogens?
Viruses, fungi, prions, protozoa, helminths and bacteria
What can viruses cause?
H1N1 influenza virus (single stranded RNA, enveloped)
How is H1N1 influenza virus described?
Easily spreads and is rarely fatal
What can fungi cause?
Tricophyton spp. (ringworm)
What is trichophyton spp.?
A colony of fungi growing on the skin which produces legions
What can prions cause?
Kuru
What is kuru?
A degenerative brain disease caused by a misfiled protein (prion)
How do prions reproduce?
When pathogenic prions interact with a normal prion, it mutates the normal one. chain reaction
What can protozoa cause?
Plasmodium spp. (malaria parasites)
What can helminths cause?
Ancylostoma duodenale (hook worm)
What can bacteria cause?
Bacillus Anthracis
What is bacillus anthracis?
A gram positive, endospore forming rod shaped bacterium
What is the forms of bacillus anthracis?
Cutaneous anthrax and inhalation anthrax
What is cutaneous anthrax?
Infects the skin (papule>ulcer>eschar)
What is inhalation anthrax?
If spores enter lungs (mediastinal lymphadenopathy)
What do gram positive bacteria have?
Thick cell walls that consist primarily of peptidoglycan