Infection

Question 1

What is an infection?

Answer 1

An infection occurs when a microorganism/pathogen — such as bacteria, fungi, or a virus — enters a person’s body and causes harm. The effects of infections occur due to the immune system’s attempt to get rid of the invading organism

Question 2

What are the 5 phases of an acute infection?

Answer 2

1. Incubation – pathogen is replication and there are no sign/symptoms
2. Prodrome – pathogen still replicating, initial immune response with onset of signs/symptoms (vague & general)
3. Illness – immunity responses begin eliminating pathogen, peak of the signs/symptoms, specific to the type of infection
4. Decline – big pathogen elimination, decline in signs and symptoms
5. Convalescence/Resolution - pathogen is controlled /eliminated

Question 3

What is a fever?

Answer 3

Fever is a systemic (widespread) response to infection. It is an adaptive response that temporarily raises core body temperature.

Fever action:
kill or inhibit the growth of pathogens
decrease iron and zinc availability for pathogen growth
enhance chemical reactions and immune activity

Question 4

Vertical transmission is a type of what?

Answer 4

Diseases which are transferred vertically entail direct contact and a parent-offspring relationship

e.g., can be acquired in utero (via breaks in the placental barrier or transcytosis of cell-associated virus), during delivery (intrapartum), or via breastfeeding.

Question 5

What are the three ‘common vehicles’ for common vehicle transmission?

Answer 5

Air
Food
Water

Question 6

Which of the following is the most widely used method of sterilisation?

Answer 6

Application of heat

Question 7

Which type of microorganism do antibiotics affect?

Answer 7

Bacteria (prokaryotes) and occassionally some fungi

Question 8

Which of the following types of influenza most readily mutates, regularly resulting in new strains?

Answer 8

Influenza A

Question 9

Which virus types most commonly cause genital warts?

Answer 9

HPV 6
HPV 11

Question 10

Which virus types most commonly cause cervical cancer?

Answer 10

HPV 16
HPV 18

Question 11

Which of the following sexually transmitted infections has a high association with cervical cancer?

Answer 11

HPV

Question 12

Which of the following infections often presents with productive cough, night sweats and weight loss?

Answer 12

Tuberculosis

Question 13

What is the defining manifestation of the icterus phase of a viral hepatitis infection?

Answer 13

Jaundice

Question 14

What is the primary method of transmission for coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Answer 14

Droplet transmission

Question 15

Name the 3 main types of pathogen transmission?

Answer 15

1. Contact
   Direct, indirect, droplet, vertical eg. parent/offspring
2. Vector
   biting insects
3. Common vehicle transmission
   Airborne
   Waterborne
   Foodborne

Question 16

Give 2 examples of bacterial infections? And their transmission route?

Answer 16

Example 1 = Tuberculosis
- droplet

Example 2 =Group A strep
- droplet/direct contact with sores

Question 17

Give 2 examples of viral infections? And their transmission route?

Answer 17

Example 1 - Influenza
* droplet/direct/indirect

Example 2 - Viral Hepatitis
* type A via food/water,
* types B & C via contact with bodily fluids, sexual, vertical

Question 18

What is HPV?

Answer 18

DNA virus spread through contact that infects human epitelial cells of the skin and mucous membranes

S&S
warts
cancerous lesions
carcinomas

Treatment
Removal of warts
Immune modifiers
low risk types can resolve on their own
Vaccinations recommended