Respiratory tract infection Flashcards
Compare symptoms of the cold to the flu.
Onset: cold has a slower onset than the flu.
Debilitation: Flu is more debilitating. General greater feeling of ‘illness’.
Affected sites: Cold mainly throat and nose. Flu affects everywhere.
Fever: Flu has onset of fever (greater than 38) whereas the cold does not.
Innate immunity in respiratory tract
Cilia- accompanied with mucus which removes debris and pathogen.
Alveolar macrophages:
- Kills pathogens
- Secrete antibacterial
- Recruit other immune cells
- Antigen presentation on T cells.
Acquired immunity in the respiratory tract
B + T cells: deal with intracellular pathogens.
IgA interferes with viral adherence and viral assembly.
The common cold
Caused commonly by the rhinovirus- 30-50%
More common in preschool children.
Symptoms mainly in throat and nose and have a slow onset.
Main pathogen that causes the common cold
Rhinovirus
30-50% of cases
Transmission of the common cold
Direct or indirect hand contact- individual coughing/sneezing into their hands and touch other surfaces.
Virus can remain on skin for 2 hours and for longer hours on other surfaces.
Incubation period of the common cold
2-3 days
Length of symptoms in individuals with the common cold
3-10 days commonly
Up to 2 weeks in 25% of individuals.
Influenza
Infection that causes the ‘flu’.
Virus: Influenza A or B.
Usually occurs in outbreak and epidemics- mainly in the winter season.
Incubation period of influenza
1-4 days- usually quicker onset than common cold.
Symptoms of influenza
Abrupt onset of fever: 38-41
Headache
Myalgia
Malaise
Coughs, sore throat, nasal discharge.
Complications of influenza
Can primary cause viral pneumonia.
Can cause secondary bacterial pneumonia.
CNS disease
Risk groups for influenza complications
Those with immunosuppressed or chronic conditions.
Women who are pregnant or 2 weeks postpartum.
Age: below 2, above 65
BMI> 40
Influenza virus receptors
Contains haemagglutinin surface protein (H) which binds to sialic acid receptors on respiratory tract cells.
Neuraminidase receptor allows the virus to escape the host cell by cleaving sialic acid.
The gene coding for each receptor are on different segments (of the 8) in the virus. This allows wide variation in virions.
Receptor on influenza that allows it to enter host cells .
Haemagglutinin (H)
This binds to sialic acid on the host cells in the respiratory tract- allowing it to enter the host cell.
Receptor on influenza that allows it to leave host cells .
Neuraminidase (N)
This receptor cleaves sialic acid on host cells, allow it to escape cells- prevents virons from clumping.
Influenza shift
Occurs when RNA segments are exchanged between viral strains in their secondary host.
This provides no cross-protective immunity to virus expressing new haemagglutinin.
This causes an epidemic/ outbreak- where most people are not immune.
Influenza drift
Occurs as a result of point mutation in virus.
Some neutralising antibodies are still able to bind to the virus- majority will be immune.
Pneumonia
Infection of lung parenchyma
This causes alveoli to fill with inflammation contents- pus/ debris/ pathogens