Microbiology Flashcards
What is the definition of “intestinal flora”?
The symbiotic bacteria occurring naturally in the gut
What is the definition of GI colonisation?
The establishment of a microorganism on or within a host
What is the definition of a pathogen?
Any micro-organism that has the potential to cause disease
What is the definition of virulence?
The likelihood of causing disease
What are enterobacteriacaea?
Gram negative, non-spore forming, facultative anaerobes which are able to ferment sugars
They are pathogens
How do enterobacteriacaea cause disease?
Fimbriae helps them colonise by binding tight to tissue
They produce an endotoxin and an enterotoxin
What are some enterobacteriacaea coccobacilli?
H. Influenzae
B. pertussis
What are some enterobacteriacaea cocci?
Neisseria meningitis
Neisseria gonnorhoea
What are some lactose negative enterobacteriacaea bacilli?
Oxidase positive - Vibrio cholera, P. aeruginosa
Oxidase negative - H. pylori, Salmonella
What are some lactose positive enterobacteriacaea bacilli?
Klebsiella
E. coli
Enterobacter
What does clostridium difficile commonly cause?
Hospital- associated diarrhoea
What toxins does clostridium difficile produce?
Toxin A - enterotoxin
Toxin B - cytotoxin
What are the symptoms of a clostridium difficile infection?
Diarrhoea - sometimes bloody
Abdominal pain
What is the management of a moderate clostridium difficile infection?
Oral metronidazole
What is the management of a severe clostridium difficile infection?
Oral vancomycin
How can we prevent a clostridium difficile infection?
Avoid the 4C antibiots
Use narrow spectrum antibiotics
Isolation of patients
Describe a rotavirus infection
Person to person spread Commoner in the winter Self-limiting - lasts about a week Causes dehydration - so rehydration is key in management Vaccine at 2 and 3 months old
Which is the commonest cause of diarrhoea and vomiting in children?
Rotavirus
Describe a norovirus infection
Can affect all ages
Faecal-oral / droplet routes of spread and person to person
Short incubation - less than 24 hours
Lasts 2-4 days
What are some GI infection risk factors?
Malnutrition Closed communities Exposure to contaminated food/water Age <5 and not breastfed Age >65 Acid suppression Immunosuppresion Genetic susceptibility
What is the definition of diarrhoea?
More than 3 unformed stools per fay or a noticeable change in bowel habit
What is dysentery?
Inflammation of the intestine usually associated with fever, abdominal pain and rectal tenesmus causing diarrhoea with blood and mucus
What are some ways of contamination/transmission of gastroenteritis?
Cross contamination of raw and cooked food
Preparation of food too far in advance
Inadequate heating and cooling of food
Contaminated environment/equipment
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 1-2 hours?
Staph aureus - preformed toxin in food that acts quickly on the vomiting centre in the brain
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 1-6 hours?
Bacillus cereus - found in starchy foods, reheated rice etc that leads to profuse vomiting due to heat-resistant spores
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 12-48 hours?
Salmonella enterica - found in poultry, raw meat and raw egg
C. perfrigens
Norovirus
Listeria monocytogenes - unpasteurised milk products and deli meats, mother to child and food borne transmission
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of a few hours to 5 days?
Vibrio cholera
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 1-3 days?
Rotovirus
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 1-4 days?
Enterotoxigenic E. Coli - produces a heat stable toxin and is usually travel related
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 1-9 days?
Shigella - produces shiga toxin, binds to receptors found on renal cells, RBCs and others, inhibits protein synthesis and causes cell death
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 3-10 days?
Campylobacter - poultry and raw milk
What are some pathogens with an incubation time of 7-21 days?
Giardia