Bacillus anthracis 1. Grain stain characteristics? 2. Where is it found? 3. What disease does it cause?

1. Gram positive bacillus with hardy spores 2. Soil and on vegetation 3. Anthrax (disease of herbivores)

Normal Flora, Epidemiology, Disease Transmission Flashcards by Dawn Hau

What, when, and where is the “first” bacteria newborns contact with?

Lactobacilli from mothers vagina (at birth)

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Where can you find the following bacterial flora in our bodies?

Streptococcus species
Bacteroides fragilis
Lactobacilli
Staphylococcus epidermidis

Respiratory: Streptococcus species (mainly alpha hemolytic)
GI: Bacteroides fragilis
Vagina: Lactobacilli
Skin: Staphylococcus epidermidis

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What’s a transient microbiota?

Microorganisms that are present “temporarily”
can be pathogenic or nonpathogenic
can be removed by handwashing

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How do pathogens produce disease?

adhere + penetrate or release toxins

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Why is normal flora important?

competition for nutrients and affecting environmental factors (e.g. pH, O2), which prevent overgrowth of harmful microorganisms

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Differences between primary and opportunistic pathogen

Primary: always cause disease (never normal flora)
Opportunistic: may cause disease under certain circumstances (can be normal flora)

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Vaginal flora maintains a pH of?

3.5-4.5, which inhibits overgrowth of Candida Albicans

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In Intestine, E. Coli produce?

Bacteriocins, which inhibit growth of closely related bacteria

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C. difficile is inhibited by?

Normal Intestinal Flora (broad spectrum antibiotics reduces them)

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Bacillus anthracis

Grain stain characteristics?
Where is it found?
What disease does it cause?

Gram positive bacillus with hardy spores
Soil and on vegetation
Anthrax (disease of herbivores)

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Why is B. anthracis threatening? (2 reasons)

capsule is antiphagocytic

- spores can germinate into vegetative cells

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What are three routes of infection for B. anthracis?

Inoculation, inhalation, ingestion

*No human to human transmission

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What are the 3 components of toxin for B. anthracis?

protective antigen (PA)
Lethal factor (LF)
Edema factor (EF)

*must have PA and either LF or EF for toxicity

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What are human and animal vaccines of B. anthracis based on? Are they effective?

Human vaccine: capsule, poor antigenicity; no good

Animal vaccine: attenuated organisms/toxins; good

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What are the two major virulence factors of Bacillus anthracis?

Toxins (pX01) and capsule (pX02)

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What is the first eradication of an infectious disease? What kind of virus is that?

Smallpox; enveloped DNA virus

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Vaccinia and Variola virus differ in only ____ and ___.

one antigen/ cross react

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What are the three types of transmission of smallpox?

droplet (mucous membranes in upper respiratory tract) /direct /indirect

What are the two complications of smallpox talked in class?

secondary infection with bacteria on the skin

2. lead to bacteremia, sepsis, or death

Is there aymptomatic carriers and animal reservior for smallpox? Any good drug?

NO; no good drug

What is zoonosis?

Tramission between animals (diseased or healthy carrier) and human (accidental host)

The course of infectious disease can be broken down into 5 specific periods.

incubation period
prodromal period (mild symptoms)
period of illness
period of decline
period of convalescence (no symptoms, but may continue to be a source of infection to others)

What are two general types of transmission? Describe.

Horizontal: one person to another through conact, ingestion, vector.
Vertical: pregnant woman to feus

What are the 2 vector transmission? Describe.

Mechanical: pathogen on the outside of their bodies
Biological: pathogen in their body

What are the 3 contact transmission? Describe.

direct: person to person (eg. touch) indrect: person & non-living object (eg. towel) droplet: mucus droplet (eg. sneeze)

What is vehicle transmission?

transmission through a contaminated source (eg. food, water, blood)

What is epidemiology and its purpose?

The study of when and where diseases occur to control disease transmission

What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?

incidence: number of diseases occuring WITHIN A SPECIFIED TIME PERIOD prevalence: number of diseases in the POPULATION at a POINT IN TIME

What is the difference beween morbidity and mortality?

morbidity: incidence of specific diseases mortality: number of deaths from diseases

What are notifiable diseases?

Diseases required to report to Public Health

What cells are predominantly presented in Acute and Chronic Disease?

Acute: Neutrophil Chronic: mononuclear cells

What are the difference between acute, chronic, sub-acute, and latent disease?

Acute: pus production chronic: slower, development of granulomas sub-acute: long time to develop fully latent: dormant for long time before reactivation

What is the most common nosocomial infection?

urinary tract

``` Define the following: Local infection Systemic infection Focal infection Primary infection Secondary infection ```

Local infection: infection at one site Systemic infection: infection spread through the body Focal infection: stay in specific areas after systemic infection Primary infection: initial infection Secondary infection: complication of a primary infection

What are the general sources of nosocomial infection? (5)

``` other patients environment healthcare professionals patients' own normal flora visitors ```

Ways to avoid infection (4)

- Hand washing (most important) and hygienic routines - Gloves, gowns, masks, goggles - Proper handling of used needles - Disinfection of the environment

What are the sources of nosocomial infection to healthcare workers? (4)

- infected patients - soiled bedding, towels, dressings, other fomites - contaminated needles - surgical equipment

What to do if you accidentally get contaminated?

wash, flush, irrigate, report to supervisor, seek medical attention (Eg. treat with anti-retroviral therapy for HIV, inject vaccination and treat with immunoglobulin therapy for Hepatitis)

Consequences of nosocomial infection (4)

serious illness/death prolonged hospital stay expensive antimicrobials patient becomes a carrier/source and spreads

``` Define: Bacteremia Septicemia Toxemia Viremia Fungemia Parasitemia ```

``` Bacteremia: bacteria in the blood Septicemia: multiplying bacteria in the blood Toxemia: toxins in the blood Viremia: viruses in the blood Fungemia: fungi in the blood Parasitemia: parasites in the blood ```

The most ideal drug treatment for B. anthracis?

Penecillin (must start early) | Others: cipro, tetra, macrolides, clinda, chloro

How can a variola major be presented? (3)

Ordinary Modified/mild Flat/hemorrhagic

What are two forms of smallpox?

Variola major and minor