Pathogenicity and Infection Flashcards
What are the signs and symptoms of infection?
Tumor, rubor, dolor, calor
How can you confirm the cause of infection?
Microbiology/virology lab
Culture based/molecular approaches
What are the types of pathogens?
Primary: regularly cause disease
Opportunistic: rarely cause disease
What conditions create opportunities for normally “non-pathogenic” organisms to become pathogenic?
Failure/reduced function of host defences
Introduction into unusual body site
What is virulence?
Degree of pathology (damage) caused by a pathogen
What are virulence factors?
Properties of organisms that add to their effectiveness as pathogens
Example of virulence factors
Attach to cells but the body tries to eliminate them - coughing, vomit, diarrhoea
What are adhesins?
Type of adherence and colonisation virulence factor
What do ligands on bacteria?
Interact with specific receptors on host cell surface
What is hyaluronidase?
An invasion virulence factor
Breaks down hyaluronic acid
What are capsules?
A survival virulence factor
Polysaccharides and allow organisms to avoid phagocytosis
What are siderophores?
A survival and growth virulence factor
What are coagulase?
Survival virulence factor
Enzyme that clots blood plasma
What is toxin production?
A survival and growth virulence factor
