Week 5 Travel Related Infections Flashcards
Name some common travel related infections
Malaria Typhoid Meningococcal septicaemia- non travel related infection Dengue Yellow fever
Apply the infection model to a pt presenting with an infection linked to travel?
Patient
- person- age, gender, physiological, pathological and social factors (low income country)
- time- CALENDAR TIME, RELATIVE TIME
- place- current, RECENT
Why is a travel history so important?
- Imported diseases- rare/unknown in UK
- Different strains of pathogens-antigenically different, impact on protection and detection, AB resistant
- infection prevention- on ward and in lab
Describe the incubation period and symptoms of malaria
incubation period- 1-3 weeks after bite- differs with species
sympts- Fever, shaking, sweating, headache, fatigue, dry cough, nausea, vomiting, spenomegaly at first and progressively getting worse.
What are the 4 key aspects of the travel history and name some other things to consider?
WHERE- sub saharan africa , SE asia, S/C America must risky WHEN- did sympts begin WHAT- are the signs/sympts HOW- did they acquire it? Accommodation How long Specific risks- sexual contacts Foreign healthcare exposures Preventive measures, vaccines
Describe the 4 main species of malaria
Plasmodium - falciparum (most dangerous), vivax, ovale, malariae
Describe the bacteria causing enteric fever (typhoid and paratyphoid) and how it is contracted
bacteria- salmonella typhi/ paratyphi A,B or C
- aerobic gram -ve rod - similar to e coli and others found in bowel
- virulence- invasin- allows intracellular growth, fimbtiae- adhesion, peyers patch- lymphoid tissues- pass through bowel
mainly from asia, africa and S america
due to poor sanitation
faecal oral transmission- contaminated food- street food, water
Where and how do you look up information of travel related infections?
public health england
WHO
interhealth worldwide
Describe influenza virus and its transmission
RNA viruses
influenza virus A, B or C
influenza A- wild birds are the natural host- occasionally transmitted to other species and may cause outbreaks in domestic poultry and give rise to human pandemics
- most virulent human pathogen
- has different serotypes based on antibody response to the virus
influenza B- affects humans most, less common, 1 serotype- immunity often acquired at young age but mutations enough
influenza C- humans, dogs, pigs, less common, mild disease in children
transmission- direct- sneeze mucus into eye, nose, mouth
- aerosols- coughing
- hand to; eye, nose or mouth
Describe legionella pneumophilia and an example of its clinical importance
- aerobic bacillus gram -ve bacterium - found in aquatic systems
- causes legionnaires disease - atypical pneumonia
- inhalation of aerosolised water, NOT airborne or person to person
- bacteria invades macrophages and lung epithelial cells and reproduces within these infected cells
- incubation 2-10 days
- sympts- fever, chills, cough- dry or sputum, can be blood, muscle aches, headache, tired, loss of appetite, loss of coordination, chest pain, D&V
- half people have GI symps and have have neurological sympts- confusion, impaired cognition
- abnormal kidney function, LFT, and electrolytes, CXR
what are the 3 main WHERE places to consider?
sub-saharan africa, SE asia, S/C America
what are the different time categories relating to when symptoms begin?
> 10days acute
10-21 subacute
21 chronic
what are some of the possible signs and symptoms of infectious disease?
resp- SOB/cough
GI-diarrhoea
Skin-rash
Jaundice- pre or post hepatic
CNS- headache/ meningism
Lymphoreticular- lymphadenopathy- glands increase in size in neck and groin/ spenomegaly- part of reticular endothelial system
Eosinophilia- eosinophils should not be raised- if are could be due to asthma, large increase- helminth disease
what are the main HOW a person acquires an infectious disease and give an example of each?
food/water- Travellers diarrhoea insect/tick bite- malaria swimming- helminth infections sexual contact- hep A animal contact (bite/safari)- tick bites, rabies beach/ recreational activities
what common investigations might you do in order to diagnose an infectious disease?
FBC- HB- may be low, WCC- low, platelets- low
Biochemistry- urea, creatinine-high, bilirubin- high, LFT, CRP- high
