Pathogenicity Flashcards
Infection Cycle
the route an organism takes from one individual to another
horizontal transmission
from one member of a species to another
examples of contact transmission
direct, fomites, droplet
examples of vehicle transmission
water, food, air
examples of vector transmission
animals (ed, mosquitoes or ticks)
vertical transmission
from parent to child
accidental transmission
a host who is not part of the normal infectious cycle unintentionally encounters that cycle
Steps in pathogenicity:
- Exposure & portals of entry
- Adherence
- Penetration & evasion of host defense
- Damage to host cells (disease)
- Portals of exit (transmission)
3 Portals of entry:
mucous membranes, skin, parenteral route (penetration)
3 places you find mucous membranes
- Respiratory tract (common cold, influenza)
- Digestive tract (polio, cholera)
- Genitourinary tract
Skin is:
impenetrable to most organisms
Microbes get in through the skin by using:
hair follicles, sweat glands, and abrasions
What is the main symptom of tetanus?
paralysis
How do you get tetanus?
parenteral route
Pathogens use _______ __ ______ best suited to their mechanisms of pathogenesis.
portals of entry
Food-borne pathogens come through the:
mouth
The respiratory tract cathces:
airborne pathogens
What causes typhoid fever?
Salmonella typhi
What’s the difference between rubbing Salmonella typhi on the skin as opposed to ingesting it?
No reaction when rubbed on the skin but causes typhoid fever when swallowed
ID50:
infectious dose for 50% of the test population
LD50:
lethal dose (of a toxin) for 50% of the test population
What is the ID50 (# of endospores) needed for B. anthracis to infect someone through the skin?
10-50 endospores
What is the ID50 (# of endospores) needed for B. anthracis to infect someone through inhalation?
10,000-20,000 endospores
What is the ID50 (# of endospores) needed for B. anthracis to infect someone through ingestion?
250,000-1,000,000 endospores
What are the symptoms of gastrointestinal B. anthracis (rare)?
GI distress, vomiting of blood, diarrhea
What are the symptoms of pulmonary (inhaled) B. anthracis?
flu-like symptoms, then pneumonia
What are the symptoms of cutaneous B. anthracis (most common)?
skin lesions and necrotic ulcers
Adhesins/ligands bind to the _________ on host cells
receptors
3 examples of adhesins:
- Glycocalyx: Streptococcus mutans
- Fimbriae: Escherichia coli
- M protein: S. pyrogenes
Microbes in ______ are sheltered from harmful factors (ex: antibiotics).
biofilms
What % of human infections are biofilms involved in?
65%