opportunistic pathogens

Question 1

definition

Answer 1

refers to those fungi that normally would not cause infections in otherwise healthy people but are able to cause infection under certain circumstances such as immunodefficiency, cancer, organ transplant, neutropenic patients, diabetes, debilitated patients and patients on long term antibiotics.

Question 2

4 main types

Answer 2

Candida sp, Aspergillus sp, Cryptococcus sp, Pneumocystis jirovecii

Question 3

risk factors

Answer 3

malnutrition, recurrent infection, chemotherapy, immunosupressing agents, organ transplant , skin damage, antibiotics, pregnancy, neutropenia

Question 4

key infections caused by opportunistic pathogens

Answer 4

cryptococcosis, Aspergilliosis, Pneumocystis, candida albicans

Question 5

an emerging opportunistic apthogen

Answer 5

candida auris- first reported in japan in 2009, causes both superficial and systemic disease. key concerns of drug resistance and hospital outbreaks.

Question 6

cryptococcosis causative agents

Answer 6

cryptococcus neoformans and gatti

Question 7

Cryptococcus neoformans

Answer 7

encapsulated yeast and obligate aerobe

Question 8

Cryptococcus gatti

Answer 8

dimorphic, capsulate yeast, found in soil

Question 9

cryptococcosis route of infection

Answer 9

inhalation of spores and sexual style produces more spores

Question 10

cryptococcosis causes

Answer 10

pulmonary cryptococcocus- often asymptomatic .

-> an intracellular pathogen that persists

Question 11

cryptococcosis and AIDS

Answer 11

5-10% in USA, has a high mortality rate of 30%

Question 12

symptoms of cryptococcosis

Answer 12

fever, non productive cough, chest pain

Question 13

pneumocystis causative agent

Answer 13

Pneumocystis jirovecii

Question 14

disease cause by pneumocystis

Answer 14

Pneumocystis pneumonia- dry cought

Question 15

who’s most likely to get Pneumocystis

Answer 15

immunocompromised patient and AIDs defining disease

Question 16

mortality in Pneumocystis

Answer 16

5-40%

Question 17

pneumocystis route of infection

Answer 17

inhalation

Question 18

pneumocystis was originally miss classed as a

Answer 18

protozoan- however is a non-culturable in vitro obligate parasite

Question 19

why is pneumocystis genome difficult to sequence

Answer 19

laks genes for amino acid biosynthesis–> usually scavenges from the host

Question 20

aspergillosis causative agent

Answer 20

A.fumigatus, A.flavusmost Aspergillus species do not cause disease

Question 21

aspergillosis route of infection

Answer 21

inhalation (normally inhale 100-200 spores / day without disease)

Question 22

types of disease associated with aspergillosis

Answer 22

allergy (asthma), toxins, invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Question 23

invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis usually occurs in

Answer 23

immunocompromised people

Question 24

disseminated aspergilliosis (immunosuppressed patients) has a mortality rate of

Answer 24

60-90%

Question 25

which diseases of aspergillosis are oppertunistic

Answer 25

Invasive bronchopulmonary and disseminated aspergillosis

Question 26

candidiasis portal of entry

Answer 26

various

Question 27

candidiasis can be

Answer 27

mild or severe e.g. thrush is a mild infection, however candida can be deep seated and cause deathly infections