Pathogens and Disease Flashcards
Disease
Any condition (other than a disability) in which the normal structure or function of the body are damaged or impaired
Infectious disease
It occurs when the above damage is the result of an infection by disease-causing micro organisms
Infection
Successful colonisation of a host by a M or parasite
-infections lead to disease when there is a deviation from the normal structure or functioning of the host as a result of the colonisation
Pathogens
M that can cause disease
-May be cellular (bacteria, parasites, fungi) or acellular (virus, viroids and prions)
Pathogenicity
The ability of a pathogen (P) to inflict damage on the host
Horizontal transmission
If a disease is communicable and spreads from one individual to another
contagiousness
The ease by which a pathogen spreads
-Largely directed by mode of transmission
E. Contagious
Measles or whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis) are transmitted via the respiratory route (via inhalation) and are therefore highly contagious whereas gonorrhoea is not as contagious as measle because it spreads via sexual transmission
surfaces of body that can be infected
Nose and Mouth
-Respiratory tract
-Alimentary tract (contaminated food)
-Urogenital tract
-Anus
-skin
-Capillary
-scratch/injury
-Conjuctiva
Respiratory tract transmission
Aerosols- tiny droplets of liquid containing the virus expelled by an infected individual by coughing, sneezing, etc- are inhaled by individual
Respiratory tract protection
Mucous blanket and cillary cells that line the nasal cavity and most of lower respiratory tract
Respiratory tract mechanism of defence against virus
Inhaled viral particles, deposited on this surface are trapped in mucus and carried by cillary action from the nasal cavity and airways to the pharynx and then swallowed
-Particles inhaled directly into the lungs may also be killed by alveolar macrophages
E. pathogens of respiratory tract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Streptococcus pneumonia
-pathogens may stay within the tract or move to other sites within the body
E. Conjunctival route
Ebola virus
Staphyloccus
Chlamydia trachomatis (via flies or human contact)
E. Oral/Faecal route
Vibrio cholera
Shigella
Salmonella
(both Eu and Pro use this route)
Route through skin
Pathogens can replicate in the skin to produce local lesions, after entry through minor abrasions or burns
-An efficient way pathogens are introduced through the skin is by the bite of an anthropod vector such as mosquito, tick or sandfly
E. Skin
HPV
Staphylococcus aureus
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
E. anthropod vector to skin
Yellow fever virus (mosquito)
Leishmaniasis (sand fly)
Lyme disease (tics)