opportunistic pathogens

Question 1

containment level 3 pathogens

Answer 1

-can cause servere human disease and may be a serious hazard to employees.
No vaccines and limited treatment
– Highly infectious
– Resistance to antibiotics
– Potential of use
– Tier 1 select agents
e.g. B.pseudomallei and B.mallei

Question 2

b. pseudomallei environmental survival

Answer 2

Range of environmental niches
– Soil and stagnant water
 Can live in host organisms
– Animals – pigs, goats, sheep
– Plants
– Amoeba
Response to different stressors
– Saline stress
– Oxidative stress
– Iron concentration

Question 3

infections with B.pseudomallei

Answer 3

-can infect basically everywhere but we are most interested in its respiratory infections

Question 4

virulence factors

Answer 4

• Capsule and LPS
  -Type 3 and 6 secretion systems
• Efflux pumps
• Burkholderia lethal factor 1
• Bim A
• Hemagglutinin
• Quorum sensing

Question 5

intracellular survival of B.mallecluis

Answer 5

-

Question 7

treatment of melioidosis

Answer 7

-Acute phase=Ceftazidime OR meropenem
-Eradication phase= Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole OR amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (co-amoxiclav)

Question 8

antimicrobial resistance

Answer 8

-

Question 9

issues with current treatment regimens

Answer 9

-Development of antibiotic resistance
-Potential of adverse effects
-Activity in infection-relevant conditions
– Infection of the lung and the inflammation that results from infection can result in a
reduction of pH (Ng et al, 2004).
– Some antibiotics are less effective
 Reduction in the use of antibiotics
– Can we reduce use? Dose sparing?