Microbial Diseases: Nervous, Cardiovascular, and More

Central Nervous System

The brain and the spinal cord.

Meninges

Protect the brain and spinal cord.

Blood-brain barrier

Not leaky, protects from bacteria and chemicals.

Meningitis

Inflammation of Meninges.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain.

Meningoencephalitis

Inflammation of both the meninges and the brain.

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Causes pneumococcal meningitis.

Haemophilus influenzae

Causes URI and infantile meningitis (Hib meningitis).

Neisseria meningitidis

Causes meningococcal meningitis, common in dorms, prisons, or daycares.

Listeria monocytogenes

Causes listeriosis (meningitis).

Clostridium tetani

Causes tetanus, associated with rusty things.

Clostridium botulinum

Causes botulism, main symptom is paralysis.

Mycobacterium leprae

Causes Hansen's Disease, with 192,246 cases in 130 countries in 2011.

Staphylococcus aureus

Causes Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Streptococcus pyogenes

Commonly associated with Strep throat but can be anywhere in the body.

Leptospira interrogans

Causes Leptospirosis.

Poliovirus

Causes Polio; 9/10 have minor or no side effects.

Arboviruses

Causes encephalitis, including West Nile.

Lyssavirus/Rhabdovirus

Causes Rabies, enters tissue from saliva of biting animal.

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

Causes African Sleeping Sickness.

Naegleria Fowleri

Causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis.

Cryptococcus neoformans

Causes meningoencephalitis, associated with pigeon and chicken droppings.

Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease

A prion-caused human disease.

Septicemia

Persistent pathogens or their toxins in blood.

Sepsis

Systemic inflammatory response.

Severe sepsis

Sepsis and decreased blood pressure.

Septic Shock

Sepsis and uncontrollable decreased blood pressure.

Lymphangitis

Inflamed lymph vessels accompanying septicemia and septic shock.

Endocarditis

Inflammation of the endocardium.

Subacute bacterial endocarditis

Caused by alpha-hemolytic streptococci (S. mutans) from mouth.

Rheumatic Fever

Inflammation of heart valves. Autoimmune complications of Streptococcus pyogenes infections. Large joints of the body (especially in the knees and elbows) are affected; pain and swelling are common.

Tularemia

Francisella Tularensis. Gram Negative Rod.

Brucellosis

Brucella Spp. Gram-negative rods that grow in phagocytes. B. Abortus, B. suis, B. melitensis. Undulating fever spikes to 40c each evening. Transmitted via milk from infected animals or contact with infected animals.

Anthrax

Bacillus anthracis. Gram-positive endospore-forming aerobic rod found in the soil. Cattle are routinely vaccinated.

Cutaneous anthrax

Endospores enter through minor cut. 20% mortality.

Gastrointestinal anthrax

Ingestion of undercooked, contaminated food. 50% mortality.

Inhalation of pulmonary anthrax

Inhalation of Endospores 100% mortality.

Gas Gangrene

Clostridium Perfringes. Ischemia: Loss of blood supply to a tissue. Necrosis: Death of tissue. Gangrene: Death of soft tissue. Gram-positive, endospore-forming anaerobic rod. Grows in necrotic tissue. Treatment includes surgical removal of necrotic tissue and/or use of a hyperbaric chamber.

Cat-scratch disease

Systemic diseases caused by bites and scratches. Pasteurella multocida, Clostridium, Bacteroids, Fusobacterium, Bartonella henselae.

Bubonic Plague

Black Plague. Yersinia pestis.

Lyme Disease

Borrelia burgdorferi.

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rickettsia rickettsii (tickborne typhus).

Epstein-Barr virus

Infectious mononucleosis; "The kissing disease". Burkitt's lymphoma.

Cytomegalovirus

Mononucleosis.

Ebola Virus

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever.

Hantavirus

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.

Yellow Fever

Arbovirus.

Dengue

Arbovirus.

Chikungunya

Arbovirus.

Chagas' Disease

Trypanosoma cruzi.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii.

Malaria

Four major forms: Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium falciparum.

Schistosomiasis

Schistosoma haematobium.

Streptococcal pharyngitis

Strep Throat & Scarlet Fever = Streptococcus pyogenes.

Diphtheria

Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Middle Ear Infection

Streptococcus pneumoniae (35% of cases), Haemophilus influenzae (20-30% of cases), Moraxella catarrhalis (10-15% of cases), Streptococcus pyogenes (8-10% of cases), Staphylococcus aureus (1-2% of cases).

Common Cold

Rhinoviruses, Adenoviruses, and Coronaviruses.

Pertussis

Bordetella pertussis.

Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. avium-intracellulare.

Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Haemophilus Pneumonia

Haemophilus influenzae.

Mycoplasmal Pneumonia

Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Legionellosis

Legionella pneumophila.

Viral Pneumonia

Influenza, Measles, Chickenpox, SARS, MERS, Covid-19.

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus.

The Flu

Influenza. Symptoms: Chills, Fever, Headaches, and muscle aches. HA spikes are used for attachment to cell hosts. NA spikes are used to release virus from cell.

Antigenic shift

Shifts from HA to NA spikes. Probably due to different strains infecting the same cell.

Antigenic drift

Point mutations in genes encoding for HA and NA spikes, may only involve one amino acid, and allows virus to avoid mucosal IgA antibodies.

Histoplasmosis

Histoplasma capsulatum.

Valley Fever

Coccidioidomycosis = coccidioides immitis.

Pneumocystic Pneumonia

Pneumocystis jirovecii.

Streptococcus mutans

Dental Cavities.

Prevotella intermedia

Acute necrotizing gingivitis.

Porphyromonas gingivitis

Periodontitis.

Mumps

Mumps Virus, Swollen parotid glands. Symptoms: Low grade fever, light body aches, swelling/soreness in the face. Symptomatic for 16-18 days.

Thrush

Candida albicans

Staphylococcal food poisoning

Staphylococcus aureus. Grows in rich foods, secretes an exotoxin that causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.

Shigellosis (Bacillary Dysentery)

Shigella dysenteriae. Produces both endo and exotoxins. Destroys epithelial cell leading to dysentery.

Typhoid Fever

Salmonella typhi. May have fevers as high as 103-104F, they may also feel weak, have stomach pains, headache, or loss of appetite. In some cases they have a rash of flat rose-colored spots. 1-3% of recovered patients are forever carriers.

Salmonellosis

Salmonella serovar Enterica, Salmonella serovar Typhimurium. Causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramping. Usually acquired by eating fecal matter contaminated food.

Cholera and Vibriosis

Vibrio cholerae & Noncholera vibriosis.

Traveler's Diarrhea

E. coli, Salmonella (various types), Shigella, Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter Gastroenteritis

Campylobacter jejuni. Causes Fever, Abdominal pains, diarrhea. Its reservoir is chickens and cows.

Helicobacter Peptic Ulcer Disease

Helicobacter pylori. Causes peptic (stomach) ulcers, and Urea breath.

Clostridium difficile

Species name comes from the French from "difficult" as its difficult to grow and kill. Causes Diarrhea, colitis, and pseudomembranous colitis.

Clostridium perfringens

Number 1 cause of food poisoning. Exotoxins from cells on contaminated meat.

Rotavirus

Viral gastroenteritis. Causes Nausea, vomiting, for one to three days.

Norovirus

Viral gastroenteritis.

Hepatitis A

Fecal to oral.

Hepatitis B

Blood-to-blood, STI.

Hepatitis C

Blood-to-blood, STI.

Hepatitis D

Co-infection with hepatitis B.

Hepatitis E

Fecal to Oral.

Mycotoxin poisoning

Fungal.

Ergot Poisoning

Claviceps poisoning, Reduced blood to limbs, Mycotoxin in grain.

Aflatoxin Poisoning

Aspergillus poisoning, Liver cirrhosis; liver cancer. Mycotoxin in food.

Giardiasis

Giardia lamblia. Protozoan that adheres to intestine wall, leading to diarrhea and steatorrhea. Gained from drinking contaminated water.

Cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidium parvum, self-limiting diarrhea, may be dangerous in immunocompromised people.