Pathogens and Bacterial Diseases Lecture Notes

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering major bacterial pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium perfringens, and Mycobacterium leprae.

Borrelia burgdorferi

A spirochete with internal flagella that causes Lyme disease, transmitted to humans via ticks.

Ixodes scapularis

The deer tick responsible for transmitting Borrelia burgdorferi to humans in the Northeast US.

Ixodes pacificus

The dusky footed woodrat tick that transmits Lyme disease to humans on the Pacific Coast.

Erythema migrans

A "bull’s eye" rash that typically appears at the site of a tick bite $7-10$ days after infection.

Ceftriaxone

The antibiotic used to treat neurologic and arthritic disorders resulting from untreated Lyme disease.

DEET

A chemical tick repellant used for the prevention of Lyme disease.

Helicobacter pylori

A Gram-negative, nonsporulating, microaerophilic, spiral bacillus found in $95\%$ of patients with peptic ulcer disease.

Urease

An enzyme produced by H. pylori that creates an alkaline environment through urea hydrolysis and the release of ammonia.

Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren

Winners of the $2005$ Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the role of Helicobacter pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

Clostridium perfringens

Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming rods found in soil and the human large intestine that cause gas gangrene.

$\alpha$-toxin

A substance secreted by Clostridium perfringens that causes muscle necrosis, breakdown of muscle tissue, and accumulation of gas.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

A specialized treatment used to manage gas gangrene infections caused by Clostridium perfringens.

Mycobacterium leprae

The bacterium responsible for causing leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease.

Nine-banded armadillo

An animal reservoir for Mycobacterium leprae, though it does not transmit the disease to humans.

MDT (Multi-drug therapy)

A treatment regimen for leprosy involving combinations of drugs such as rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine.

Rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine

The specific cocktail of drugs used in blister packs to treat multibacillary (MB) leprosy in adults.