Respiratory Pathogens Overview Flashcards
What is the most common source of illness?
Respiratory infections, which are common and serious
What are the 4 mechanical defenses against respiratory tract infections?
- Saliva containse lysozyme that flushes away microbes
- Mucociliary system traps microbes in the nasopharynx
- Mucociliary escalator of the lungs traps and pushes microbes up toward the larynx
- Microbe binding properties are important
What are the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract? (7)
URT is colonized by a number of normal floral organisms:
- Oral streptococci
- Corynebacteria
- Bacteriodes
- Anaerobic cocci
- Candida albicans
- Streptococcus mutans
- Haemophilus influenzae
What the normal flora of the lower respiratory tract?
Trick question, LRT is typically STERILE
What is another name for ear infections?
otitis media
Acute otitis media and sinusitis (OM and S) are most common in who?
Infants and young children, with 80% having experienced at least one by age 3.
More than 50% of OM and S infections are caused by what type of pathogen? Especially what specific type?
More than 50% of the infections are viral, especially respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
What are the most common bacterial sources of OM and S?
Strep pnemoniae and Haemophilus influenzae
How are OM and S treated?
B/c of increasing antibiotic resistance, treatment leans towards symptomatic in many parts of the world, but antibiotics are often prescribed in the US before a bacterial agent is suspected.
80% of URT infections are caused by what? What do these commonly result in?
80% of URTI’s are caused by viruses. In these infections, it is common to see VESICLES or ULCERATED LESIONS
Bacterial URT infections lead to what?
inflammatory exudates and hemorrhages
What type of microbe almost exclusively causes rhinitis?
Rhinitis is almost exclusively viral. Bacteria rarely cause colds.
What are the most common specific causes of rhinitis?
1&2)Rhinoviruses (more than 100 serotypes) and Coronaviruses cause more than 50% of common colds. Other viruses causing rhinitis include:
3) Adenovirus
4) Parainfluenza virus (paraflu)
5) Influenza virus (flu)
6) RSV
About 70% of Pharyngitis (sore throat) cases are caused by what?
viruses
What types of viruses cause pharyngitis (sore throats)?
Most common 5 are:
Adenovirus, Rhinovirus, Coronavirus, Paraflu, Flu
Other viral causes:
1. Herpesviruses (HSV) 2. Coxsackie A virus
3. EBV
What is the major bacterial agent that causes pharyngitis? Other bacterial causes?
Group A Strep (Strep pyogenes) is the major one.
Others include Nisseria gonorrhoeae, Corynebacterium diptheriae
Diptheria is characterized by what?
A severe sore throat and fever sometimes accompanied by a pseudomembrane composed of necrotic tissue, immune cells, and bacteria.
Diptheria can be life-threatening by causing what?
by causing respiratory obstruction