Chapter 22: Microbial Diseases of Nervous System

Question 1

What is meningitis?

Answer 1

Inflammation of the meninges

Question 2

What is encephalitis?

Answer 2

Inflammation of the brain

Question 3

What are the four bacteria that commonly cause meningitis?

Answer 3

• Streptococcus pneumonia
• Neisseria meningitidis
• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
• Listeria monocytogenes

Question 4

What are some of the characteristics that these different pathogens have in common?

Answer 4

most have capsule (protects from phagocytosis) except Listeria monocytogenes

Question 5

Which type of meningitis is more common in college-aged students?

Answer 5

Neisseria meningitidis (Meningitis B)

Question 6

Which meningitis bacterial type can be transferred from mother to fetus?

Answer 6

Listeria monocytogenes

Question 7

What is a critical symptom of meningitis?

Answer 7

inflammation of the meninges (leading to swelling of the brain [encephalitis] which can then lead to death)

Question 8

How do viral and bacterial meningitis compare?

Answer 8

Viral is more common but more often is mild
Bacterial is more dangerous/deadly

Question 9

What organism is responsible for botulism?

Answer 9

Clostridium botulinum

Question 10

Is botulism caused by the organism itself or a released toxin?

Answer 10

Released exotoxin (neurotoxin)

Question 11

What type of toxin is botulism caused by? What does this cause?

Answer 11

A type of neurotoxin
Blocks release of acetylcholin

Question 12

What type of paralysis is caused by botulism?

Answer 12

Causes flaccid paralysis (muscle weakening)

Question 13

What is the connection with babies, honey, and botulism?

Answer 13

Honey can contain the Clostridium botulinum bacteria that causes infant botulism

Question 14

Know the major misconceptions about leprosy

Answer 14

• It’s not contagious
• it’s easily curable
  -it doesn’t make your limbs fall off
• It takes years to develop

Question 15

what type of organism is associated with leprosy?

Answer 15

Bacteria; Mycobacterium leprae

Question 16

What is the alternate term for leprosy?

Answer 16

Hansen’s disease

Question 17

Where does leprosy grow in the human body?

Answer 17

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Question 18

How do immune responses contribute to the pathogenesis of leprosy?

Answer 18

the bacteria grow within the peripheral nervous system, when the body’s adaptive immune system begins to attack, it damages the nerves leading to loss of feeling (numbness)

Question 19

What type of organism causes tetanus?

Answer 19

Bacteria; Clostridium tetani

Question 20

Is tetanus caused by the organism itself or a released toxin?

Answer 20

Symptoms caused by released neurotoxins

Question 21

What toxin is released from Clostridium tetani?

Answer 21

Tetanospasmin: released upon death & lysis of
growing bacteria

Question 22

How does the tetanus toxin affect a person?

Answer 22

Neurotoxin blocks relaxation pathway
- Muscle spasms, lockjaw, opisthotonos

Question 23

How is polio commonly transmitted to a new host?

Answer 23

Ingested water contaminated with feces

Question 24

How do most infections with polio affect the host?

Answer 24

Most asymptomatic or exhibit mild symptoms

Question 25

What is the chance that infection with poliovirus will result in paralysis?

Answer 25

less than 1%

Question 26

Which body structure is completely paralyzed by a severe polio infection?

Answer 26

Lungs (not able to breathe)

Question 27

What is the only disease studied in this chapter that is susceptible to vaccination after the initial exposure?

Answer 27

rabies

Question 28

Describe hydrophobia

Answer 28

Sight/thought/exposure to water sets off spasms

Question 29

What type of organism causes rabies?

Answer 29

virus

Question 30

How is dumb rabies distinct from classical rabies?

Answer 30

Minimal excitability (no foaming of the mouth or biting behavior)

Question 31

What general type of animal is more likely to show dumb rabies?

Answer 31

cats

Question 32

What is the vector for arboviral encephalitis?

Answer 32

Mosquitos

Question 33

How can Zika virus spread person to person?

Answer 33

Sexually During pregnancy & delivery Blood transfusions

Question 34

When is Zika the most severe?

Answer 34

Incidence increase in summer months

Question 35

What is the etiology of cryptococcosis?

Answer 35

Inhaling contaminated dropping of pigeons

Question 36

what type of organism can cause meningitis?

Answer 36

bacteria viruses fungi protozoa

Question 37

what type of organism is Cryptococcus neoformans? where in the body can it effect?

Answer 37

fungus can effect CNS

Question 38

True or false Bacerial meningitis is much more common than viral meningitis and tends to cause a milder form of disease

Answer 38

False

Question 39

True or false Botulism is caused by the bacteria and not the toxin

Answer 39

False

Question 40

What are the misconceptions of Hanses disease?

Answer 40

- It causes limbs to fall off - ITs highly contagious - It spread rapidly - its deadly