Transmission Of Pathogens Flashcards
What type of bacterium is Borrelia burgdorferi?
Loosely coiled spirochete
What is the zoonotic infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi?
Lyme disease
What is the natural host for Borrelia burgdorferi?
Mammals
What is the first stage of Lyme disease characterized by?
Expanding ring shaped skin lesion after bite
What tick is primarily responsible for transmitting Borrelia burgdorferi?
Ixodes
What is vertical transmission?
Transfer between related individuals; parent to offspring
List examples of pathogens that can cause congenital infections.
- Treponema pallidum (congenital syphilis)
- Listeria monocytogenes (miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection in newborns)
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae (neonatal conjunctivitis)
- Group B Streptococcus (neonatal meningitis and sepsis)
What is horizontal transmission?
Transfer from one individual to another unrelated individual
Fill in the blank: _______ is the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
What are common routes of horizontal transmission?
- Direct contact
- Skin to skin
- Sexually transmitted
- Faecal – oral
- Respiratory secretions or saliva
- Blood
What factors affect respiratory transmission?
- Overcrowding
- Air conditioning
- Lack of ventilation
- Season of the year
What disease is caused by Bordetella pertussis?
Whooping cough
True or False: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an aerobic bacterium.
True
What are the virulence factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
- Thick cell wall (extra layer of mycolic acids)
- Cord factor (protects from macrophage killing)
- Sulfolipids (prevents phagosome-phagolysosome fusion)
- Antigen sequestration (limits antigen presentation)
What type of vectors spread zoonotic infections?
Biological vectors and mechanical vectors
Which bacterium is associated with anthrax?
Bacillus anthracis
What is a key characteristic of Chlamydia trachomatis?
Obligate intracellular pathogen
What is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide?
Trachoma
What is the role of vectors in zoonotic infections?
Vectors transmit pathogens from animals to humans
What is the significance of the year 2017 regarding tuberculosis?
1.6 million deaths, leading killer of AIDS patients
