Subacute Encephalitis Flashcards
What are the causative organisms for Subacute Encephalitis?
Toxoplasma gondii, Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, Prions, other conditions to consider
What are the most common modes of transmission for Toxoplasma gondii?
Vehicle (meat) or fecal-oral
What are the virulence factors for Toxoplasma gondii?
Intracellular growth
How do you culture/diagnose Toxoplasma gondii infection?
Serological detection of IgM, culture, histology
How do you prevent Toxoplasma gondii infection?
Pyrimethamine and/or leucovorin and/or sulfadiazine
What are the distinctive features of Toxoplasma gondii?
Subacute, slower development of disease
What are the epidemiological features of Toxoplasma?
15%-29% of U.S. population is seropositive; internationally, seroprevalence is up to 90%; disease occurs in 3%-15% of AIDS patients; considered a neglected parasitic infection (NPI)
What are the most common modes of transmission for Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis?
Persistence of measles vius
What are the virulence factors of Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis?
Cell fusion, evasion of immune system
How do you culture/diagnose Subacute sclerosing pancephalitis?
EEGs, MRI, serology (Ab versus measles virus)
How do you prevent Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis infection?
None
How do you treat Subacute sclerosing pancephaltiis?
None
What are the distinctive features of Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis?
History of measles
What are the epidemiological features of Subacute sclerosing pancephalitis?
Research in 2016 suggests it is 6-14 times more common than previously realized
What are the most common modes of transmission for Prions?
CJD= direct/parenteral contact with infected tissue, or inherited vCJD= vehicle (meat, parenteral)
What are the virulence factors for Prions?
Avoidance of host immune response
How do you culture/diagnose Prions infection?
Biopsy, image of brain
How do you prevent Prions infection?
Avoiding infected meat or instruments; no prevention for inherited form
How do you treat Prions infection?
None
What are the distinctive features of Prions?
Long incubation period; fast progression once it begins
What are the epidemiological features of Prions?
CJD: 1 case per year per million worldwide; seen in older adults
vCJD: 98% of cases originated in United Kingdom
What other conditions may display subacute encephalitis symptoms?
Rickettsial diseases (Rocky Mountain spotted fever) (chapter 20)
Lyme disease (chapter 20)
Bartonella or Anaplasma disease (chapter 20)
Tapeworm disease– Taenia solium (chapter 22)
Syphilis–Treponema pallidum (chapter 23)
