Microbiology Conditions Flashcards
What are the 5 viruses that cause hepatitis?
Hepatitis A (HAV) - RNA
Hepatitis B (HBV) - DNA
Hepatitis C (HCV) - RNA
Hepatitis D (HDV) - RNA
Hepatitis E (HEV) - RNA
How are hepatitis A and E transmitted?
Via Faecal-oral transmission
How are hepatitis B,C and D transmitted?
Blood to blood transmission
What is acute hepatitis?
What Hepatitis viruses cause acute hepatitis?
A sudden illnesss with a mild to severe course followed by complete resolution
All hepatitis Viruses
What is chronic hepatitis
What Hepatitis viruses cause acute hepatitis?
A prolonged course of active disease or silent asymptomatic infection.
HBV, HCV, HDV
Outline Acute hepatitis
Variable incubation period
-Systemic symptoms first:
-**Fatigue, low-grade fever, muscle/joint aches, cough, runny nose, and
pharyngitis. **
Jaundice (1-2 weeks after infection)
LFTs (rise through hepatocyte death from virus)
**ALT and AST to elevate to very high **
levels, while GGT, ALP, and bilirubin are only mildly elevated
Outline Chronic Hepatitis
More difficult to Diagnose
Patient is often asymptomatic
Clinical manifestations arethe same regardlesss of virus causing hepatitis.
Describe the transmission of hepatitis A
Ingesting contaminated drinking water or food
Close person to person contact
Often infects young children
What is the pathogenesis of HAV?
-Initial immune response consists IgM antibody; important in the laboratory
diagnosis of hepatitis A.
-1 to 3 weeks later IgG antibody is produced→ lifelong protection
What are the clinical findings of HAV?
Incubation of 3-4 weeks
Fever, anorexia, nausea, vomiting and jaundice
Dark urine, pale faeces, elevated ALT and AST.
Cases often resolve spontaneously in 2-4 weeks.
What Ix are required for HAV diagnosis?
LFTs: High AST and ALT.
Bilirubin and ALP usually only mild.
Serology - Detection of anti-HAV IgM confirms the diagnosis and remails for 3-6 months.
What is the treatment for HAV infection?
Acute Infection:
Symptomatic treatment (avoid paracetamol)
Fulminant Hepatitis:
Supportive therapy - consider liver transplanation
Pre-exposure prophylaxis - Vaccination
What is Hepatitis B virus?
DNA virus that lives in all human body fluids in an infected individual.
Semen, urine, saliva, blood, breast milk
What are HBV 3 main antigens?
HBsAg - surface antigen - required for lab diagnosis and immunity
HBcAg - Core antigen
HbeAg - e Antigen - indicator of transmissibiility
How can HBV be transmitted and give examples?
Blood to blood transmission - parenteral transmission.
Needle sharing, accidental medical exposures, sexual contact Blood transfusions
Where is HBV prevalent
ASIA
How does HBV present?
3 clinical states:
Acute hepatitis
Fulminant hepatitis - severe acute hepatitis with rapid destruction of the liver
Chronic Hepatitis
How do you diagnose HBV infection?
HBsAg antigen means there is LIVE virus and infection.
Anti - HBsAg antibodies - patient is protected and immune
HBcAg - antibodies are not protective but can be used to understand length of infection.
What are the complications of HBV infection?
HDV co-infection
Hepatocellular carcinoma
End-stage liver disease/cirrhosis
What is Hepatitis C virus
RNA virus
Incubation period 6-12 weeks
What is the clinical signs of HCV infection?
Acute infection is usually asymptomatic - some patients will present with classic acute hepatitis symptoms
Up to 85% of patients of HCV will develop chronic hepatitis
HCV strongly predisposes HCC.
Outline HCV transmission
Blood-to-blood contact via blood transfusions, injecting drug use, nosocomial (needle sticks, dialysis, inadequate sterilisation of colonoscopes
What is the most common indication for liver transplantation?
Liver cirrhosis resulting from chronic HCV infection
What comorbidities arise with HCV infection?
HCV infection can lead to significant autoimmune reactions:
vasculitis, arthralgias, purpura, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
How is HCV diagnosed?
Testing for antiHCV antibodies
(detectable within 6-8 weeks after exposure and remain positive thereafter)
Measure HCV viral RNA
An ELISA antibody test for detectable viral RNA is positive for at least 6 months.
What is the treatment for HCV infection
Acute HCV infection - pegINF alpha decreases the number of patients who become chronic carriers.
Patients with chronic HCV - reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption to reduce HCC or cirrhosis risk.
Chronic HCV treatment is direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)
No vaccine currently exists.
What is Hepatitis D virus?
An RNA virus
It is a defetive virus an it cannot replicate itself due to not having the genes to envelop protein.
HDV can only be replicated in cells co-infected with HBV.
HDV uses HBsAg to evelope its protein.
Outline the transmission of HDV?
Transmitted in the same way as HBV
Coinfection of HBV and HDV is more severe than those infected with HBV alone.
What is the presentation of a HDV infection?
Can range from asymptomatic to fulminant liver failure
Simultaneous co-infection with HBV/HDV - causes acute hepatitis.
HDV superinfection of a carrier of HBV can cause liver flare.
What diagnostic tests are required for HDV infection?
Detecting delta antigen or IgM antibody against delta antigen in the patient’s serum.
What is the treatment for HDV infection?
PegINF alpha can mitigate chronic effects but does not eradicate the carrier state.
no vaccine against HDV but a person immunized against HBV will not get HDV infection.
What is Hepatitis E infection?
RNA virus similar to HAV.
How is HEV transmitted?
Via the faecal oral route
Waterborne transmission is most common.
What is the clinical presentation of HEV infection?
Clinically similar to HAV infection.
Chronic infection can be caused in immunocompromised individuals.
How is HEV diagnosed?
Detecting IgM antibodies to HEV.
What is the treatment to HEV infection?
No antiviral drug available for acute infection in immunocompetent patients.
Treatment is supportive.
How can diarrhoea present?
It can be acute (lasting 2 weeks) or chronic (persisting for > 4 weeks)
What are the 2 classifications of acute diarrhoea?
Noninflammatory (watery, non-blood)
Inflammatory (bloody - dysentery)
What most commonly causes acute diarrhoea?
Infections in the small intestine (where the majority of the fluid is normally absorbed)
What is the pathophysiology of Diarrhoea?
Pathogens secrete exotoxins directly into food or into the body (enterotoxins) to disrupt the intestinal homeostasis and cause mucosal damage.
What pathogens can produce preformed exotoxins?
Staphylococcus aureus
Bacillus cereus
Clostridium perfringens
What pathogens cause non-inflammatory acute diarrhoea by enterotoxin production?
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)
Vibrio cholerae
What pathogens cause acute inflammatory diarrhoea?
Salmonella, shigella, campylocbacter
Shiga-toxin producing E.coli (STEC)
What causes pseudomembranous colitis and what can predispose this condition?
Clostridium difficile
Predisposed by antibiotic use
What are the risk factors for developing diarrhoea?
PPIs (reducing gastric acid levels)
Travel to developing countries
Antibiotic treatment
Immunosuppressed patients.
What is the presentation of diarhoea?
Symptoms tend to begin 6 hours after ingestion of suspected contaminated food.
diarrhoea
urgency
abdominal bloating
cramping
What are the signs of acute inflammatory diarrhoea
Blood and pus in the stool
fever
What other systemic effects may be present in someone with diarrhoea
dehydration
tachycardia
orthostatic hypotension
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by Staphylococcus aureas.
What is the presentation and Tx
Acute noninflammatory
Vomiting, epigastric pain
diarrhoea
Tx - supportive care fluids and electrolytes
Within 6 hours of eating uncooked meat or diary.
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by ETEC.
What is the presentation and Tx?
Acute noninflammatory
Watery diarrhoea
Tx is ciprofloxacin
(this is traveller’s diarrhoea)
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by Listeria monocytogenes?
What is the presentation and Tx?
Febrile diarrhoea
Tx is supportive
caused by eating cheese, raw veggies and cold food.
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by vibrio cholerae?
What is the presentation and Tx?
Acute - noninflammatory
Severe watery diarrhoea (loss of volume)
Tx is supportive care and rehydration therapy.
Rice water stool
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by norovirus?
What is the presentation and Tx?
Acute noninflammatory
Vomiting, headache and diarrhoea
Tx is supportive care.
Typically infected on cruise ships and nursing homes.
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by STEC?
What is the Px, Dx and Tx?
Px: acute inflammatory diarrheoa
bloody and abdominal pain
Dx: Stool cultures grow e.coli
Tx. none - do not give children antibiotics as this can cause HUS
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by shigella?
What is the Px, Dx and Tx?
Px: inflammatory diarrhoea with blood and pus
Dx: stool culture
Tx: Ciprofloxacin
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by Salmonella?
What is the Px, Dx and Tx?
Inflammatory diarrhoea with blood and fever
Dx: Stool culture
Tx: ciprofloxacin
Caused by undercooked eggs, raw veggies, undercooked poultry
What kind of diarrhoea is caused by campylobacter jejuni?
What is the Px, Dx and Tx?
Inflammatory diarrhoea
Fever
Dx: Stool culutre
Tx: Azithromycin or ciprofloxacin