Toxigenic Bacteria Flashcards
How many cases of C. diphtheriae are there per year?
About 1 or 2
What does the fall of the USSR reveal about the need to continue vaccination?
When the USSR fell, people stopped receiving vaccinations and the incidence of C. diphtheriae rose. That is, it lives somewhere in the environment.
What are signs of C. diphtheriae infection?
- Pseudomembrane on the oropharynx (boy with cotton candy)
- Myocarditis (toreador’s cloth)
- Bull neck (fat bull neck)
- Conjunctivitis
What kind of bacteria is C. diphtheriae?
Gram-positive rod
Corynebacterium can also be acquired by ___________.
skin lesions (particularly C. ulcerans)
Where does C. diphtheriae live?
In the upper respiratory tract (only the toxin moves systemically)
The C. diphtheriae toxin affects which tissues?
Peripheral nerves, heart, and kidneys
How much diphtheria toxin is needed to kill a cell?
Only one molecule
How does diphtheria toxin work?
It ribosylates EF-2 (like the accordion player in the stadium).
How can you test for C. diphtheriae be tested?
It’s crucial to know if the strain produces toxin, so you need to PCR for the toxin gene or do the toxin-antitoxin test.
It’s important to give the ______________ very soon.
diphtheria equine antitoxin (antibodies cultured from horses)
Fatalities increase by each day waited.
The diphtheriae toxin is carried on ______________.
bacteriophage
The diphtheriae toxin is only expressed in low _________ states.
iron
Antitoxin is available only from the _______.
CDC
What is one of the worst potential complications of whooping cough?
Cerebral hemorrhage
