Microbia Disease of the Nervous System

Cerebrospinal fluid

Provides cushioning

Blood-brain barrier

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Meningococcal Meningitis

Microbe type: Bacterial

Causative agent: Neisseria meningitis

Reservoir: humans

Transmission respiratory droplets or close contact with secretions

Sign & symptoms: Causes bleeding under the skin that creates pink rashes that turn purple

Prevention: MenACWY, MenB, MenABDWY

Treatment: antibiotics immediately

Pneumococcal Meningitis

Microbe type: Bacteria

Causative agent: streptococcus pneumoniae

Reservoir: humans

Signs & symptoms: Fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, vomiting, photophobia

Transmission: respiratory droplets

Prevention: Antibiotics

Treatment: Two vaccines

Haemophilus Meningitis

Microbe type: bacterial

Causative agent: haemophilus influenzas

Reservoir: humans

Signs & symptoms: fever, headache, stuff neck, convulsions, and coma

Transmission: respiratory droplets

Prevention: Hib vaccine

Treatment: antibiotics immediately

Listeria Meningitis

Microbe type: bacteria

Causative agent: listeria monocytogenes

Transmission: ingesting contaminated dairy products, poultry meat, and juices

Sign & symptoms: fever, diarrhea, sore throat

Prevention: follow food-safety guidelines

Treatment: antibiotics

Crytococcus neoformans

Microbe type: Fungus

Causative agent: Cryptococcus neoformans

Reservoir: mostly birds

Transmission: inhalation of cells from dust and air

Sign & symptoms: Chronic form of meningitis

Prevention: avoid areas with lots of bird droppings

Treatment: antifungal medications

Coccidioides (Valley fever)

Microbe type: Fungus

Causative agent: coccidioides species

Reservoir: environment (soil)

Transmission: inhalation or spores

Sign & symptoms: Mild respiratory symptoms

Prevention: avoid dust exposure and limit soil disruption

Treatment: antifungal medications

Viral Meningitis

The one you’d want

Neonatal meningitis (S. agalactiae)

Microbe type: Bacteria

Causative agent: streptococcus agalactiae

Reservoir: humans

Transmission: direct contact during birthing process

Sign & symptoms: typical meningitis symptoms

Prevention: screened prior labor

Treatment: antibiotics

Neonatal meningitis (E.coli)

Microbe type: bacterium

Causative agent: E.coli

Reservoir: humans

Transmission: direct contact during birth

Prevention: prior labor

Treatment: antibiotics

Neonatal meningitis (cronobacter)

Microbe type: bacteria

Causative agent: cronobacte

Reservoir: Environment

Transmission: ingestion of contaminated powdered infant formula

Prevention: using FDA approved formula, wash hands when preparing forumula, and discard leftovers

Treatment: antibiotics

Zika Virus

Microbe type: Virus

Causative agent: Zika virus

Reservoir: humans

Transmission: vector - mainly through mosquito bites

Sign & symptoms: skin rash and conjunctivitis in adults and microcephaly in fetus

Prevention: avoid mosquito bites

Treatment: none

Polio

Microbe type: virus

Causative agent: poliovirus

Reservoir: humans

Transmission: ingestion of contaminated food/water/fomites and mechanical vectors

Sign & symptoms: mild symptoms that can get into the CNA and become neurotropic

Prevention: Vaccine

Treatment: Easing pain and suffering

Meningencephalitis

Microbe type: Protozoans

Causative agent: Naegleria fowleri and acanthamoeba

Reservoir: warm freshwater sources and humans

Transmission: accidental inoculation of the nasal passage or broken skin

Sign & symptoms: amoebas make their way into the brain

Prevention: swim in clean pools and don’t ingest or open eyes in contaminated water

Treatment: futile

Arthropod-Borne virus (arbor virus)

Causative agent: arbor virus

Transmission: vector

Reservoir: warm-blooded vertebrates

Sign & symptoms: coma, convulsions, paralysis, tremors, loss of coordination

Prevention: Eliminating the vector population

Treatment: None

JC Virus Encephalitis

Microbe type: virus

Causative agent: JC virus

Reservoir: humans

Transmission: respiratory droplets, direct contact, contaminated food/water; contaminated blood transfusions, vertical transmission

Sign & symptoms: typical asymptomatic

Prevention: None

Treatment: None

Toxoplasmosis (subacute encephalitis)

Microbe type: protozoan

Causative agent: toxoplasma gondii

Reservoir: mammals (primarily cats)

Transmission: inhalation, ingesting, transplacental

Sign & symptoms: mostly asymptomatic or mild symptoms

Measles virus (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis)

• Slow infection virus

• Symptoms appear years later

• Always fatal

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalitis

Causative agent: prions

Reservoir: ingestion or surgical contamination

Transmission: ingestion or surgical contamination

Sign & symptoms: altered behavior, memory loss; impaired senses, delirium, premature senility

Rabies Virus

Microbe type: Virus

Causative agent: rhabdovirus

Reservoir: animals

Transmission: animal bite, scratch, droplet; inhalation (rare)

Sign & symptoms: begins with muscle spasms of the mouth and pharynx, hydrophobicx ends with fatal encephalitis

Prevention: Pre-exposure vaccine and post-exposure vaccine

Treatment: vaccine

Tetanus

Microbe type: bacteria

Causative agent: clostridium tetani

Reservoir: Environment (soil)

Transmission: direct contact, enter through open wound, or injected

Sign & symptoms: spasticity paralysis

Prevention: vaccination (tetanus toxoid vaccine)

Treatment: tetanus immune goblin (TIG)

Botulism

Microbe type: Bacteria

Causative agent: clostridium botulinum

Reservoir: environment (soil)

Transmission: ingestion, entering a wound, intoxication

Sign & symptoms: flaccid paralysis

Prevention: propped canning

Treatment: supportive care and antitoxin