travel related infection

Question 1

What are some water related infections

Answer 1

Schistosomiasis
leptospirosis
liver flukes
stronglyoidiasis
hookworms
guinea worms

Question 2

What are arthropod-borne infections

Answer 2

Malaria
dengue fever
rickettsial
lyme disease

Question 3

What are important tropical diseases

Answer 3

malaria
typhoid
dengue fever
schistosomiasis
rickettsiosis
Viral haemorrhagic fever

Question 4

What is the vector for malaria

Answer 4

Anopheles mosquito

Question 5

Describe the life cycle of malaria

Answer 5

Mosquito injects sporozoites into patient which go through blood stream to the liver where they multiply and become merozoites

The merozoites then go into the blood stream and invades red blood cells where it multiplies and causes the blood cells to burst

Question 6

What are the symptoms of malaria

Answer 6

Common symptoms :
fevor
rigors
aching bones
abdo pain
headache
dysuria
frequency
sore throat
cough

Question 7

What are th complications of malaria

Answer 7

cerebral malaria - encephalopathy - patient becomes drowzy and has seizures

Black water fever - renal failure caused by excess haematuria due to the red blood cells being broken down

Pulmonary oedema

Severe anaemia

Jaundice due to RBC breakdown which increases billirubin

Algid malaria - septicaemia and bacteraemia in addition to malaria

Question 8

How is malaria diagnosed

Answer 8

Thick and thin blood films : take drop of blood and stain a giemsa and look through microscope

Thick blood film - drop of blood

Thin blood film - spread drop of blood to thickness of one cell

Rapid antigen test

PCR - takes 4-5 days so not used in acute setting

Question 9

What drugs are used for malaria

Answer 9

quinine and artemisin

Question 10

What is the treatment for uncomplicated malaria

Answer 10

Riamet
Malarone
Quinine - lot’s of side effects such as deafness

Question 11

What are the treatments for severe malaria

Answer 11

IV artesunate
IV quinine

oral doxycycline or clindamycin

Question 12

What are the symptoms of typhoid fever

Answer 12

fever, headache, abdo discomfort, constipation, dy cough, confusion

Then fever peak, rose spots, diarrhoea begins and tachycardia

Then intestinal bleeding, perforation, pertonism and metastatic infections

Question 13

How is typhoid fever diagnosed

Answer 13

Bacteria is grown on blood culture

Question 14

What is the treatment for typhoid

Answer 14

Oral azithromycin first line
IV ceftriaxone if it is complicated

Question 15

Symptoms of dengue fever

Answer 15

Sudden fever, headache, myalgia and arthralgia

Macular rash

Haemorrhagic signs such as petechiae and purpura

Question 16

How is dengue diagnosed

Answer 16

thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, elevated transaminases and a positive tourniquet test

PCR and serology

Question 17

What is the treatment for dengue fever

Answer 17

supportive - IV fluids, replacing platelets and fresh frozen plasma

Question 18

Describe the life cycle of schistosomiasis

Answer 18

Infected patient passes urine into water, the eggs hatch which invade snails and multiply

Cercariae which are independent swimming parasites penetrate the skin of the patient and go into the blood stream and then the gut

Question 19

What are the clinical features of schistosomiasis

Answer 19

swimmers itch
cough
abdo discomfort
fever
urticaria
splenomegaly
diarrhoea

Question 20

What is the treatment for schistosomiasis

Answer 20

Praziquantel and prednisolone if it is severe

Question 21

What are the clinical features of rickettsiosis

Answer 21

Abrupt swinging fever, headache, confusion, rash and bleeding

Question 22

What is the management of rickettsiosis

Answer 22

tetracycline or doxycycline

Question 23

What are examples of viral haemorrhagic fevers

Answer 23

ebola
CCHF
lassa fever