STIs Flashcards
describe the life cycle of chlamydia
- infectious extracellular form called elementary body
- non infectious replicative form reticulate body
what are the symptoms of chlamydia
men - pain and thin discharge
women - often asymptomatic - urethritis and cervicitis, tubal scarring and infertility
what bacteria causes chlamydia
chlamydia trachomatis
what is the most common infection chlamydia causes
blindness - trachoma
how can chlamydia prevent fertilisation in women
causes a build up of scaring that can block the fallopian tube
how is chlamydia diagnosed
- self test kits
- culture
- automated molecular test
- screening of asymptomatic women
what are the treatments for chlamydia
- macrolides
- tetracyclines and quinolones
- partner tracing
what bacteria causes gonorrhoea
neisseria gonorrhoeae
describe neisseria gonorrhoeae
- gram negative diplococcus
- aerobic but requires supplemental CO2
- poor survival outside body
- fermentation of glucose
- oxidase postitive
- pilli and surface proteins help it bind to epithelium
what is the infection mechanism of gonorrhoea
- pili - attach to mucosal surfaces
- por proteins - cause holes in outer membrane of host
- Opa Proteins - helps bind to epithelial cells
- lipooligosaccharide - endotoxin
- IgA protease - destroys IgA1
- Rmp proteins - evade antibodies
- capsule - resists phagocytosis
why is gonorrhoea multi drug resistant
- overuse of antibiotics, poor quality or wrong antibiotics
- genetic mutations
- infections outside genital area
what antibiotic are used for gonorrhoea
cefixime and cefriaxone
what epithelium does gonorrhoea affect
columnar and cuboidal - mucous membrane
what is the symptoms of gonorrhoea
- purulent urethral or vaginal discharge
- dysuria and frequency - men
- asymptomatic - women
- can infect throat and rectum
- can cause pelvic inflammatory disease
what are the complications of gonorrhoea
- 6 months persistence
- can spread to prostate, epididymis and fallopian tubes
- rash, arthritis, tendonitis and endocarditis
- blindness in new borns
what is the incubation period of syphilis
3 weeks
what bacteria causes syphilis
treponema pallidium
describe treponema pallidium
- long slender helical coil
- motile
- gram negative
- cannot be cultured artificially
describe the primary stages of syphilis
- begging on skin
- heals within 3-6 weeks
- concentrated bacteria in lymph nodes
describe the secondary infection of syphilis
- 2-4 weeks after primary
- flu like illness
- rash on entire body
- spontaneous resolution - within a year
- detection with serology
describe the latent stage of syphilis
- dormant in liver and spleen
- no symptoms - years/ decades
describe the tertiary stage
- 3-30 years after secondary stage
- neurosyphilis - paralysis
- aortic lesions
- destruction of gammas of soft tissue - liver, skin and bone cartilage
how is syphilis prevented
- Condon
- screening antenatal women
- infected pregnant women treated
- baby monitored post delivery
- penicillin
how is syphilis diagnosed
- dark ground microscopy of lesion fluid
- serological tests
- NAATs
