Week 6 (Test 2) Flashcards
What causes prion formation?
•Misfolded protein (PrPSc)
How do you diagnose prion diseases?
pathology
Later in the lecture he says:
•Initial diagnosis made on clinical grounds
•Western blot for PrPSc in a tonsil biopsy
•Definitive diagnosis by brain biopsy
What about this slide confirms a prion disease?
The white holes which represent the spongiform changes
What are some of the clinical manifestations of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)?
•Abnormal gait and vision
•Headache, dizziness, paresthesias
•Loss of memory, speech abnormalities, anxiety, and depression
•Hyperreflexia and spasticity
•
•Vegetative state within 1 year
•Viral encephalitis characterized by hydrophobia
rabies
Describe the composition of the rabies virus.
bullet shaped virion; singe strand negative sense RNA
Describe the clinical manifestations of rabies.
•Furious versus paralytic
–Agitation, hyperactivity, fluctuating consciousness, and bizarre behavior
–Sore throat, hypersalivation, and hydrophobia
–Flaccid paralysis
A brain biopsy with this pathology would indicate what disease?
rabies
How do you make a diagnosis of rabies?
used to only be able to diagnose with a brain biopsy but now you can use a direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) stain on tissue from the nape of the neck; this looks for the presence of rabies viral antigen <!--EndFragment-->
How do we treat rabies?
- Rabies immunoglobulin
- Post-exposure vaccination
Describe clostridium bacteria.
- Large Gram positive bacilli
- Heat-resistant spores
- Strictly Anaerobic
- Toxins cause disease
causes gas gangrene and food poisoning
Clostridium perfringens
causes Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis
*clostridium difficile *
trismus =
lock jaw (tetanus)
risus sardonicus =
patient looks like they are grinning (tetanus)
What actually causes the symptoms of tetanus?
the release of the toxin tetanospasmin from clostridium tetani spores
What’s the mechanism of action of tetanospasmin?
it is a Plasmid-encoded neurotoxin (A-B toxin) which Binds to motor neurons and then undergoes Retrograde vesicular transmission;
It Blocks inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA) release
which leads to Unregulated excitatory synaptic activity and Spastic paralysis
When do you need a tetanus vaccine booster?
Tetanus booster every 10 yrs or 5 yrs with puncture wound
Which type of botulism is most prevalent?
infant botulism by far;
•Colonization of intestinal tract in 5-20 wk old
•Older children & adults are resistant
What should you do with all botulism and tetanus cases?
report them to the CDC
How many serotypes of clostridium botulinum are there?
7; types A, B, and E are the most common
How would a patient with botulism present?
- Dizziness, nausea
- Cranial nerve issues - double or blurred vision
- *-Progressive flaccid paralysis**
How does botulin toxin cause flaccid paralysis?
it prevents the release of ACh from the neuromuscular junction
How do you diagnose botulism?
symptoms and history, electromyographic studies, and
isolation of C. botulinum or toxin from stool or food
How do you treat botulism?
-Heptavalent (A-G) equine antitoxin (HBAT) [need to test them for sensitivity to horse serum first]
-Supportive therapy
(Mortality is 10%)
What’s the main way kiddos get infant botulism?
<12 month old given honey
How do you treat infant botulism?
-BabyBIG (BIG-IV) [human serum]
- Supportive therapy (ventilation)
[Mortality is 1-2%]
Virus families that include arboviruses:
<!--StartFragment-->
•Togaviruses (Alphaviruses) - Equine encephalitis viruses (but not rubella virus)
•Flaviviruses - 1West Nile virus, 2Japanese encephalitis virus, Yellow fever virus, 3Dengue virus
•Bunyaviruses - California encephalitis virus (but not hantavirus)
•Reoviruses - Colorado tick fever virus (but not rotavirus)
<!--EndFragment-->[mnemonic: Transmitted From Bites]
What are the common arbovirus characteristics?
- All have an RNA genome [ Trigger interferon!]
- Enveloped viruses (Colorado tick fever virus, a reovirus, is an exception) –> makes them Labile!
- All replicate in the cytoplasm of infected host cells.
Describe the Togavirus family.
- Enveloped viruses
- Icosahedral capsid
- Linear, plus-sense, single-strand RNA genome
- Replicate in the cytoplasm of host cell
What’s a unique feature of the Togavirus family?
•Temporally regulate expression of non-structural and structural proteins through use of subgenomic RNA.
Describe the Flavivirus family
- Enveloped viruses
- Icosahedral capsid
- Linear, plus-sense, single-strand RNA genome
- Replicate in the cytoplasm of host cell
What’s unique about the Flavivirus family?
•Entire genome translated as polyprotein, processed to structural and non-structural proteins
Describe the Bunyavirus family.
- Enveloped viruses
- **Helical capsid
- Single-strand, segmented, negative-sense RNA genome**
What’s unique about the Bunyavirus family?
•Capable of transovarial transmission
–> arthropods that have this can give it to their offspring
Arboviruses typically have a specific ____.
geography;
The presence of the natural host and vector are critical determinants of geography!
Who is most at risk for virus induced encephalitis and why?
children and elderly becuase immuno-competence is important for limiting disease
What’s the gold standard for diagnosing viral encephalitis?
•RT-PCR for specific viral genome
What should you do as soon as you suspect viral encephalitis?
start with acyclovir