Exam 3 (Respiratory System Infections)

lower respiratory tract infections vs upper respiratory tract infections

Lower are typically more severe

Diphtheria is caused by

gram-positive bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Diphtheria symptoms

inflammation in the neck lymph nodes (bullneck appearance), followed by presence of a pseudomembrane (leathery gray patch consisting of dead host cells, pus, red blood cells, and infectious bacteria)

Diphtheria transmitted by

mostly droplets; bacteria are shed from pseudomembrane

Diphtheria treated with

antibiotics or vaccine

Streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) is caused by

Streptococcus pyogenes (also called Group A Streptococcus)

Streptococcal pharyngitis symptoms

bright red arches of inflammation with the presence of dark-red spots, often painful and difficulty swallowing

Streptococcal pharyngitis treated with

antibiotics (although drug-resistant cases occur)

Pertussis (whooping cough) is caused by

gram-negative bacterium Bordetella pertussis

Pertussis symptoms

severe coughing, both acute and chronic, in young children the disease can be fatal

Pertussis is transmitted by

primarily droplets

Pertussis is treated with

antibiotics or vaccine

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by

acid-fast bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis symptoms

chronic severe bloody cough and significant weight loss, many patients develop "Ghon lesions" (granuloma in lung), not common in US

Tuberculosis is transmitted through

droplets and fomites; bacterium is durable in the external environment and can remain infectious for months, but is only transmissible when patient is symptomatic

Tuberculosis is treated with

some select antibiotics, such as Rifampicin

Pneumonia is

a general term for inflammation of the lungs, usually followed by the air sacs filling with fluid (pus), caused by different pathogens

Pneumonia symptoms

fever, shortness of breath, and mild chest discomfort at first, followed by productive coughing; disease can progress to be more severe

Pneumococcal pneumonia is caused by

gram-positive coccus bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae

Pneumococcal pneumonia symptoms

common form of pneumonia, productive cough, sometimes bloody phlegm and mucus, can progress to respiratory distress, fever is usually present

Pneumococcal Pneumonia is treated with

beta-lactam antibiotics or vaccine

Mycoplasma Pneumonia (Walking Pneumonia) is caused by

bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma Pneumonia symptoms

mild form of pneumonia, low-grade fever and persistent but productive cough

Mycoplasma pneumoniae anatomy

lacks cell wall, does not stain on gram stain or simple positive stain

Mycoplasma pneumoniae treated with

most antibiotics, although antibiotics targeting cell wall synthesis are not effective

Klebsiella pneumonia is caused by

gram-negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumonia symptoms

among the more severe forms of pneumonia, often characterized by lung necrosis (necrotizing pneumonia), very thick bloody mucus and respiratory distress are common disease signs, fever is usually present

Klebsiella pneumoniae is transmitted through

primarily droplets

Klebsiella pneumonia is treated with

antibiotics targeting gram-negative bacteria (however it is important to run sensitivity tests because many strains are resistant to different antibiotics)

Common cold is

is a generic term for a variety of mild viral infections of the nasal cavity, caused by many different viruses (adenoviruses, coronaviruses, rhinoviruses)

Common cold symptoms

runny nose, congestion, sore throat, coughing and sneezing, fever is not common

Common cold is transmitted through

primarily droplets, aerosols, and finger-tip to eye/nose

Common cold is treated with

no treatment

Rhinoviruses (common cold virus) incidence

160 strains, highly contagious, estimated 500 million infections per year in the US, mostly in children (preschool-age children have approximately six infections per year), peak prevalence is March-October

Coronaviruses (common cold virus) Incidence

150 million infections per year in the US, from four regular occurring types (OC43, HKU1, 229E, NL63), infections do not show young age bias, peak prevalence is October-April

Measles symptoms

first mild fever, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes, small white spots (Koplik's spots) form on inner lining of cheeks two or three days after the start of symptoms, red rash on face and body develops 4-5 days later, at same time, fever can increase to very high temps (105F)

Measles incidence

Sporadic outbreaks, mostly in children, highly contagious

Measles is transmitted through

droplets or aerosols

Measles is treated by

no treatment, highly effective viruses

Influenza is caused by

influenza virus

Influenza symptoms

many of the same symptoms as common cold, in addition to fever, chills, and head and body aches

Influenza is transmitted through

primarily droplets and aerosols

Influenza is treated by

in severe cases, anti-influenza drugs (Tamiflu), or vaccine

Chickenpox is caused by

Varicella zoster virus (VZV)

Chickenpox symptoms

mild illness initially presenting with fever and chills as a result of a respiratory infection, followed by the development of blisters that fill with pus, eventually rupture, scab over, and heal, most commonly appearing on the face, throat, lower back, chest, and shoulders, causing itching and mild discomfort

Chickenpox treated with

vaccine

Viral pneumonia is caused by

a virus, most often influenzavirus, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial (RSV) virus, and SARS-CoV-2

Viral pneumonia symptoms

typical pneumonia signs/symptoms which are caused by inflammation and fluid in lungs, tends to be less severe than bacterial pneumonia, but often leads to secondary bacterial infections

Viral pneumonia symptoms is treated with

depends on virus type, but are limited because effective anti-viral drugs are hard to come by