Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Microbiology > Tropical diseases > Flashcards

Tropical diseases Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is the most common cause of fever in travellers from Sub-Saharan Africa?

A

Malaria - 62% of systemic fever cases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are some of the symptoms of Malaria?

A 
GI toxicity 
Respiratory problems
- cough, breathlessness
Headaches
FEVER
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are some of the travellers diseases that present with systemic fever?

A 
Malaria
Dengue fever
Mononucleosis
Salmonella typhi - Typhoid 
Ricketsial infection
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the most common cause of fever in travellers from the Carribean and South East Asia?

A

Dengue fever

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the most common cause of fever in travellers from Asia?

A

Typhoid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Which diseases are mosquitoes responsible for?

A

Malaria
Zika virus
Dengue fever

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the two types of mosquitoes which commonly transmit disease?

A

Aedes - day-biter

Anopheline - evening biter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Which season means there’s an increase in mosquito numbers?

A

End of the rainy season - increased amount of stagnant water for mosquitoes to lay eggs in

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How can people physically avoid mosquitoes?

A 
Stay indoors - AC, screens
Impregnated netting
- Permethrin (insecticide)
- tucked in before the sun goes down (mosquito free)
Clothing
- Cover up (arms, legs, ankles, feet)
- Spray/soak clothing
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Which insect repellent works (Evidence based results)?

A

DEET

- makes you taste really bad to mosquitoes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What do you have to do to ensure DEET works?

A

30% DEET
Re-apply every 3-4 hours (more if you go swimming)
Remember to put it on the ankles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the worldwide distribution of Malaria?

A

South America
- Amazon basin
Sub-Saharan Africa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the life-cycle of Malaria?

A

Mosquito bites you
Malarial virus enters the bloodstream
Travels to the liver and sits there, growing (incubation period)
Spill out of liver and into blood where they lyse RBCs
- symptom development
- sticky RBCs (causing clots)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How long is the incubation period of Malaria?

A

Varies depending on the type of Malaria

  • P.falciparum - 7-14 days
  • P.malaria - 18-40 days
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the different types of malaria?

A

P.falciparum (most deadly kind)
P.vivax
P.ovale
P.malaria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How is malaria diagnosed?

A

Blood films
Antigen test
PCR

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Describe thick and thin blood films in Malaria diagnosis

A

Thick
- a thick blob of blood is put on a slide and stained with a substance that lyses RBCs
- the parasite can be seen stacked up on the film under a microscope
- helps see if the patient has Malaria at all
Thin
- a thin blob of blood is smeared on a slide
- the parasites can be seen within the RBCs
- easy to miss Malaria due to thin nature of the film
- helps diagnose which type of Malaria the patient has

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Describe antigen testing in regards to Malaria diagnosis.

A

Like a pregnancy test

Comes up with bands depending on which antigens are present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Describe how PCR can be used to diagnose Malaria?

A

Amplification of the DNA can help diagnose which type of Malaria the patient has

20
Q

What is the classic presentation of Malaria?

A 
Fever
Malaise
Headache
Myalgia
Diarrhoea
21
Q

What are some possible clinical features of Malaria? (aside from the classical presentation)

A

Anaemia - lysis of RBCs
Jaundice - lysis of RBCs
Renal impairment
- block microcirculation

22
Q

What are some of the symptoms of severe malaria?

A 
Parasitaemia (greater than 2% of RBCs infected)
Cerebral malaria - blockage of micro-circulation 
Severe anaemia
Renal failure
Shock
DIC
Acidosis 
Pulmonary oedema
23
Q

How is malaria treated?

A 
Quinine and Doxycycline 
- dual therapy because of resistance 
Artemether compounds
- don't have side effects of quinine  
- better in severe Malaria
Prevention is best method of treatment 
- avoidance 
- chemoprophylaxis
24
Q

What are the different types of malarial chemoprophylaxis?

A

Mefloquine - once weekly with psychiatric side effects
Doxycicline - daily, and can cause photosensitisation
Malarone - minimal side effects, but very effective

25
Q

Which Salmonella bacteria cause typhoid?

A

S.typhi

S.paratyphi

26
Q

How is typhoid spread?

A

Human only reservoir

  • spread human to human
  • contaminated food/water
27
Q

What is the infectious load of typhoid?

A

1000 organisms can cause disease in 10-20%

The more organisms ingested, the quicker you become unwell and the more infectious you become

28
Q

Describe the pathogenesis of Typhoid.

A

Ingestion of the bacteria - acid resistant
Passes through Peyer’s patches in small intestine
Passes into RES
Grows in RES and then spills into the blood
- causes bacteria and sepsis

29
Q

What is the incubation period of typhoid?

A

5-21 days

- that is the time between symptoms and septic shock/death

30
Q

What factors affect the incubation period of typhoid?

A

Age
Gastric acidity
Immune status
Infectious load

31
Q

What are the symptoms of typhoid?

A 
Fever
Myalgia
Cough
GI symptoms
Neurological 
Bacteraemia 
Relative bradycardia (sign of advanced)
Rose Spots (macular rashes)
32
Q

What are the GI symptoms of Typhoid?

A

Diarrhoea/Constipation
Abdominal pain (hepatospenomeagly)
Rectal bleeding
Bowel perforation (hyperplasia of Peyer’s patches)

33
Q

What are the neurological symptoms of Typhoid?

A 
Headahce
Enteric encephalopathy 
- altered consciousness/ confusion
- increased mortality
- steriods help
34
Q

How is Typhoid diagnosed?

A 
Based off of travel history
- area visited
- food/drink
- vaccinations 
Blood cultures (for confirmation before antibiotics)
Stool cultures 
Serology (unreliable)
35
Q

What is the treatment for Typhoid?

A 
Quinolones 
- most effective, but there are high resistance rates
Cephalosporins 
- empirical therapy 
- longer courses (14 days)
Azithromycin 
- very good activity
- lack of evidence in severe disease
- oral option
36
Q

What is the most common mosquito borne disease in the world?

A

Dengue fever

  • 100 million cases/year
  • spread by the Augue mosquito (can live in pollution - cities)
37
Q

What is the incubation period of Dengue fever?

A

5-14 days

- so people tend to get ill while still on holiday

38
Q

What are the symptoms of Dengue fever?

A 
Headache (retero-orbital pain)
Fever
Arthralgia 
Rash - diffuse, macular rash like sunburn
Cough
Sore throat 
Nausea 
Diarrhoea
39
Q

What is found in the blood of people with Dengue fever?

A

Leucopenia
Thrombocytopenia
Transaminitis

40
Q

What is Dengue hemorrhagic fever?

A

The most severe form of Dengue
- occurs in less than 1% of cases
Causes increased vascular permeability (oedema), thrombocytopenia, fever and mucosal bleeding

41
Q

Is there a vaccine for Dengue fever?

A

No - only bite avoidance

- it’s a self limiting illness anyway

42
Q

Name some types of viral hemorrhagic fevers.

A 
Lassa - West Africa
Ebola - spread by the giant fruit bat
CCHF - Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
SAVHFs - South American haemorrhagic fever
RVF - Red Valley Fever
DHF
Yellow fever - vaccinated against
43
Q

Which viral hemorrhagic fevers are communicable through blood/body fluids?

A

Ebola
Lassa
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

44
Q

What is the maximum incubation period of a viral haemorrhage fever?

A

21 days - MAXIMUN

45
Q

What are the clinical signs of viral hemorrhagic fevers?

A 
Fever (non-specific)
Pharyngitis 
Conjunctival infection 
Chest pain
Haemorrhage 
Oedema, effusions - capillary leaking 
Decreased WCC
46
Q

Why do people bleed in haemorrhage fevers?

A

Decreased platelet count

- prolonged TT and APTT

Microbiology (21 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions