Lecture 14 [Exam 4] Flashcards
(109 cards)
What are the three types of defenses mammals have against disease-causing microbes?
Physical, chemical, and immunological defenses
What is the fundamental question of microbial pathogenesis?
How can an organism too small to be seen with the unaided eye kill a human a million times larger?
Who discovered that Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax?
Robert Koch
Define parasite.
An organism that receives benefits at the expense of a host. It refers to disease-causing protozoa and worms.
What are ectoparasites?
Parasites that live on the surface of the host.
Give an example of an ectoparasite.
Trichophyton rubrum, causes athlete’s foot
What are endoparasites?
Parasites that live inside the host’s body.
Give an example of an endoparasite.
Wuchereria bancrofti, causes elephantiasis
What does the term ‘infection’ imply?
A pathogen or parasite enters or begins to grow in or on a host.
What are primary pathogens?
Disease-causing microbes that can breach the defenses of healthy hosts.
Give an example of a primary pathogen.
Shigella flexneri, causes bacillary dysentery
What are opportunistic pathogens?
Pathogens that cause disease only in compromised hosts or unprotected sites.
Give an example of an opportunistic pathogen.
Pneumocystis jirovecii, causes pneumonia in AIDS patients
What is a latent infection?
An infection where microbes enter a dormant state and cannot be found by culture.
Give an example of a latent infection.
Herpesvirus, which remains dormant in peripheral nerves
Define pathogenicity.
An organism’s ability to cause disease.
What are the two components of pathogenicity?
- Infectivity
- Virulence
What does virulence measure?
The degree or severity of disease caused by a pathogen.
What is the lethal dose (LD50)?
The dose required to cause death in 50% of an experimental group of animal hosts.
What is the infectious dose (ID50)?
The dose required to cause disease, but not death, in 50% of an experimental group of animal hosts.
What is horizontal transmission?
Passage of infection from one person or animal to another. Can be occur through direct contact or indirect transmission.
What are fomites?
Inanimate objects that can transmit infectious agents.
Define vertical transmission.
Passage of infection from a mother to her fetus during pregnancy or birth.
What is a reservoir in the context of infection?
An environment or animal that harbors a pathogen.