Skin infections

Question 1

What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Answer 1

Inflammation and pain in the uterus, uterine tubes, or ovaries.

Question 2

What pathogens usually cause PID?

Answer 2

Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Question 3

Describe primary syphilis.

Answer 3

Small, painless, reddened hard lesion (chancre) forms at infection site.

Question 4

Describe secondary syphilis.

Answer 4

Widespread rash doesn’t hurt, lymphadenopathy. Persist for months.

Question 5

What is latent syphilis?

Answer 5

No symptoms; may last a decade or longer.

Question 6

Describe tertiary syphilis.

Answer 6

Dementia, blindness, paralysis, heart failure, syphilitic gummas.

Question 7

What organism causes syphilis?

Answer 7

Treponema pallidum(Gram-negative spirochete).

Question 8

How is syphilis transmitted?

Answer 8

Mostly sexual contact; sometimes mother to child.

Question 9

What happens if syphilis crosses the placenta?

Answer 9

Fetal death (primary/secondary) or birth defects/mental retardation (latent).

Question 10

What is the most common STD in the US?

Answer 10

Chlamydia.

Question 11

Which STD is surging in newborn cases?

Answer 11

Syphilis (congenital).

Question 12

Why is Chlamydia challenging to treat?

Answer 12

Often asymptomatic; can lead to PID and infertility if untreated.

Question 13

Why is HSV-2 challenging to treat?

Answer 13

Virus becomes latent in nerve cells; requires lifelong antiviral therapy.

Question 14

What age group is at greatest risk for STDs?

Answer 14

15–24 years old.

Question 15

Are STDs communicable?

Answer 15

Yes, they are communicable (transmitted person-to-person).

Question 16

What is the portal of entry for most STDs?

Answer 16

Mucous membranes of genitals, mouth, or rectum.

Question 17

How does a wart form in HPV infection (papillomas)?

Answer 17

HPV causes rapid division of infected skin cells, creating a wart.

Question 18

Describe Chlamydia’s life cycle.

Answer 18

Exists as elementary body (EB, infectious) and reticulate (RB noninfectious); EBs enter, infect, & differentiate to RBs which divide and convert back to EBs, causing cell damage.

Question 19

What cell type does HIV primarily infect?

Answer 19

Helper T cells (CD4+ lymphocytes).

Question 20

Describe Stage 1 of untreated HIV.

Answer 20

Primary infection: Fever, fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, body aches (2–4 weeks).

Question 21

Describe Stage 2 of untreated HIV.

Answer 21

Clinical latency: asymptomatic or mild symptoms (5–10 years).

Question 22

Describe Stage 3 of untreated HIV.

Answer 22

AIDS: Helpter T cells <200 cells/μL; opportunistic infections; death.

Question 23

What is the most common cause of death in HIV?

Answer 23

Opportunistic infections due to weakened immune system.

Question 24

Compare HSV skin vs. genital infections.

Answer 24

Both cause blisters and recur. Skin: often HSV-1; genital: HSV-2, more severe systemic symptoms.

Question 25

Compare genital warts to skin warts.

Answer 25

Genital: HPV 6/11/16/18; cancer risk. Skin: other HPV types; harmless.

Question 26

What are signs of folliculitis?

Answer 26

Infection of hair follicule leads to pimple/boil; can progress to furuncles (abscess) or carbuncles (clusters).

Question 27

What pathogen causes folliculitis?

Answer 27

Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive cocci; salt-tolerant).

Question 28

How is folliculitis treated?

Answer 28

Antibiotics for severe cases (e.g., furuncles/carbuncles).

Question 29

How is folliculitis prevented?

Answer 29

Hand antisepsis, proper wound care.

Question 30

What is MRSA’s role in folliculitis?

Answer 30

Resistant strain causing severe follisculitis, hard-to-treat folliculitis.

Question 31

How is MRSA transmitted?

Answer 31

Direct contact or fomites (e.g., in healthcare settings).

Question 32

How does someone get folliculitis?

Answer 32

Staphylococcus  enters through skin breaks via contact/fomites.

Question 33

What are  Chlamydia  symptoms in women?

Answer 33

Cervicitis, urethritis; often asymptomatic.

Question 34

What are  Chlamydia  symptoms in men?

Answer 34

Urethritis, discharge; often asymptomatic.

Question 35

How is gonorrhea transmitted?

Answer 35

Sexual contact; mother to newborn during birth.

Question 36

What are gonorrhea symptoms in women?

Answer 36

Cervicitis, pelvic pain; often asymptomatic.

Question 37

What are gonorrhea symptoms in men?

Answer 37

Urethritis, painful urination, discharge.

Question 38

How is syphilis diagnosed?

Answer 38

Blood tests and dark-field microscopy for chancres.

Question 39

What is a chancre?

Answer 39

Painless, hard lesion in primary syphilis.

Question 40

What is congenital syphilis?

Answer 40

Syphilis passed to fetus, causing stillbirth or developmental issues.

Question 41

What is PID?

Answer 41

Pelvic inflammatory disease; complication of untreated STDs like chlamydia/gonorrhea.

Question 42

What are PID complications?

Answer 42

Infertility, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain.

Question 43

How is HPV transmitted?

Answer 43

Sexual or direct contact with warts.

Question 44

What cancers are linked to HPV?

Answer 44

Cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, penile cancers.

Question 45

How is HPV prevented?

Answer 45

Vaccination (Gardasil 9), safe sex.

Question 46

What is HSV-2’s latency?

Answer 46

Virus hides in nerve ganglia; reactivates periodically.

Question 47

What triggers HSV-2 reactivation?

Answer 47

Stress, illness, immunosuppression.

Question 48

How is HSV-2 diagnosed?

Answer 48

PCR or viral culture from lesions; blood tests for antibodies.

Question 49

What is HIV’s window period?

Answer 49

During primary infection: Time between infection and detectable antibodies (2–4 weeks).

Question 50

What is PrEP?

Answer 50

Pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV (e.g., Truvada).

Question 51

What is ART?

Answer 51

Antiretroviral therapy; suppresses HIV replication.

Question 52

What are HIV’s virulence factors?

Answer 52

Attacks CD4+ cells; high mutation rate.

Question 53

What is folliculitis’s common nickname?

Answer 53

"Hot tub rash" (if caused by  Pseudomonas).

Question 54

What is  Staphylococcus aureus’s shape?

Answer 54

Gram-positive cocci in clusters.

Question 55

What is MRSA?

Answer 55

Methicillin-resistant  S. aureus; resists many antibiotics.

Question 56

How is MRSA prevented?

Answer 56

Hand hygiene, avoiding sharing personal items.

Question 57

What is  Treponema pallidum’s motility?

Answer 57

Corkscrew motility via endoflagella.

Question 58

What is the rash in secondary syphilis like?

Answer 58

Widespread, non-itchy, persists for months.

Question 59

What is a gumma?

Answer 59

Rubber granuloma in tertiary syphilis; affects bones/skin/nerves.

Question 60

What is the #1 prevention for STDs?

Answer 60

Abstinence or mutual monogamy with uninfected partner.

Question 61

What is the best way to test for chlamydia?

Answer 61

Nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) on urine/swab.

Question 62

What is the best way to test for gonorrhea?

Answer 62

NAAT or culture from swab.