Microbial Cardiovascular and Systemic Diseases

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the bacterial, viral, and protozoan cardiovascular and systemic diseases discussed in Chapter 21.

Cardiovascular system

The system composed of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood to the heart.

Serum

The liquid part of blood.

Formed elements

The cellular components of blood, including erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets.

Septicemia

Any microbial infection of the blood that produces illness.

Bacteremia

Bacterial septicemia, specifically referring to bacteria in the blood.

Toxemia

The release of bacterial toxins into the blood.

Lymphangitis

Infection and inflammation of the lymphatic vessels, often a sign of septicemia.

Petechiae

Small hemorrhagic lesions that can develop during bacteremia.

Osteomyelitis

An infection that occurs if bacteria from the blood invade the bones.

Exotoxins

Toxins released from living microorganisms into their environment.

Endotoxin

Lipid A of LPS released from Gram-negative bacteria as they die, which can trigger fever, inflammation, and shock.

Siderophores

Molecules used by bacteria to acquire iron needed for bacterial metabolism.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

A serious blood-clotting reaction potentially triggered by the release of endotoxin.

Endocarditis

Inflammation of the endocardium, typically caused by normal microbiota like Viridans streptococci.

Vegetations

Masses of platelets and clotting factors that hide bacteria on the heart valves, visualized by echocardiogram.

Embolus

A fragment of a vegetation that can break off and block blood vessels in other organs.

Brucellosis

A disease caused by Brucella melitensis marked by a fluctuating fever that spikes every afternoon.

Tularemia

A disease caused by Francisella tularensis, characterized by skin lesions and swollen lymph nodes at the infection site.

Bubonic plague

A form of plague caused by Yersinia pestis characterized by enlarged lymph nodes called buboes.

Pneumonic plague

A 100% fatal untreated infection occurring when Yersinia pestis spreads to the lungs.

Lyme Disease

A vector-borne disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by the deer tick Ixodes.

Bull's-eye rash

The distinctive skin rash (erythema migrans) often seen at the infection site in early Lyme disease.

Infectious Mononucleosis

A disease caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV or HHV-4) that infects B lymphocytes.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

One of the most common human infections, diagnosed by identifying enlarged cells with inclusions known as 'owl's eye' cells.

Yellow Fever

A viral disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquito that travels to and replicates in the liver.

African Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

Severe diseases caused by Ebolavirus or Marburgvirus characterized by malfunctioning blood clotting and internal hemorrhaging.

Malaria

A systemic disease caused by Plasmodium species, where P. falciparum causes the most severe form.

Schizogony

A process of asexual reproduction used by Plasmodium to produce merozoites within liver cells and erythrocytes.

Merozoites

The life stage of Plasmodium that is released from ruptured liver cells or erythrocytes to infect new red blood cells.