Communicable Diseases and Vector-Borne Pathogens Review

Flashcards covering zoonotic and vector-borne infectious diseases, including Leptospirosis, Rabies, Dengue, Malaria, and Zika based on lecture notes.

Zoonotic Diseases

Infectious diseases transmitted from non-human animals to humans, or from humans to animals (referred to as reverse zoonosis).

Leptospirosis

An endemic disease caused by Leptospira species (such as Leptospira interrogans), which are thin, spiral, aerobic bacteria that require oxygen to live.

Weil's Disease

Severe form of leptospirosis occurring in 10% of cases, characterized by renal failure, hepatic failure, jaundice, meningitis, myocarditis, and pneumonia with pulmonary hemorrhage.

Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT)

The confirmatory diagnostic procedure for leptospirosis that directly detects the bacteria.

Mild Leptospirosis Treatment

Oral antibiotic therapy consisting of Doxycycline 100 mg BID or Amoxicillin 500 mg Q6.

Leptospirosis Chemoprophylaxis

Preventive regimen consisting of oral Doxycycline taken at 200 mg once a week.

Rhabdovirus

The neurotropic causative agent of rabies (Lyssa virus) that targets brain cells.

Prodromal Phase of Rabies

The initial invasion phase of Rhabdovirus characterized by fever, anorexia, malaise, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, copious salivation, lacrimation, perspiration, pain at the bite site, and sensitivity to light, sound, and temperature.

Neurologic Phase of Rabies

The excitement or furious phase of rabies marked by apprehension, delirium with nuchal rigidity, maniacal behavior, aerophobia, profuse drooling, and painful spasms of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx upon attempting to swallow.

Terminal Phase of Rabies

The paralytic phase of rabies where the patient becomes quiet and unconscious, loses bowel and urinary control, and experiences progressive paralysis leading to respiratory and circulatory collapse.

Negri Bodies

Pathognomonic cytoplasmic inclusions found in brain cells or skin biopsy samples indicative of rabies infection.

Purified Vero Rabies Vaccine (PVRV)

A purified Vero rabies vaccine (brands include Imovax, Verorab, and Abhayrab) administered intradermally at $0.1\,\text{mL}$ or intramuscularly at $0.5\,\text{mL}$.

Purified Chick Embryo Cell Vaccine (PCECV)

A rabies vaccine (brand Rabavert) administered intradermally at $0.1\,\text{mL}$ or intramuscularly at $1\,\text{mL}$.

WHO Rabies Category 1

Exposure involving feeding or touching an animal or licks on intact skin; requires immediate washing of exposed skin with soap and water without vaccine or rabies immunoglobulin.

WHO Rabies Category 2

Exposure involving minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding, or minor nibbling; requires immediate wound washing and initiation of vaccine completed within 28 days, without rabies immunoglobulin.

WHO Rabies Category 3

Exposure involving single or multiple transdermal bites, scratches, or saliva contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes; requires immediate wound washing, rabies vaccine, and rabies immunoglobulin.

Aedes Mosquito

An aggressive, low-flying day-biter mosquito with black and white striped legs that breeds in stagnant water and vectors Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and Yellow fever.

Anopheles Mosquito

Mosquito vector for malaria that is active at dawn, dusk, and night, rests at a 45-degree angle to the skin, and breeds in ponds and lakes.

Culex Mosquito

A high-flying mosquito vector for Japanese encephalitis and West Nile virus active at night, dawn, and dusk that breeds in polluted water.

Flavivirus

The causative agent of dengue featuring 5 major serotypes (Dengue V-1, V-2, V-3, V-4, and V-5).

Tourniquet Test

Also known as the Rumple Leeds test or capillary fragility test; a diagnostic procedure performed during the febrile stage of dengue where 20 or more petechial spots per square inch in the antecubital fossa indicate a positive result.

Febrile Phase of Dengue

Initial stage of dengue lasting 1 to 3 days, characterized by fever of $39^\circ\text{C}$ and above, fever convulsions, positive tourniquet test, myalgia, petechial rashes, and abdominal pain.

Toxic Phase of Dengue

Second stage of dengue lasting 4 to 7 days, marked by a fall in temperature, restlessness, cold clammy skin, and risk of hypovolemic shock, metabolic acidosis, and coma.

Dengvaxia

Live tetravalent vaccine for dengue invented by Sanofi whose license was revoked in February 2019.

DOH 4S Program

DOH dengue prevention program consisting of Search and destroy, Secure self-protection, Seek early consultation, and Support indoor/outdoor spraying.

Plasmodium falciparum

The most common and deadly species of malaria protozoa, causing malignant tertian malaria with RBC rupture occurring every 48 or 28 hours.

Plasmodium vivax

The second most common species of malaria protozoa, causing tertian malaria with an incubation period of 12 to 18 days.

Plasmodium malariae

The rarest malaria protozoa species, causing quartan malaria with signs and symptoms appearing every 4th day following a 72-hour RBC rupture interval.

Classical Paroxysm Stages of Malaria

The sequential symptomatic profile of malaria consisting of the Cold stage (chills for 1 to 2 hours), Hot stage (fever for 3 to 4 hours), and Wet stage (diaphoresis).

Malarial Blood Smear (MBS)

The confirmatory diagnostic test for malaria used at the community level.

Quantitative Buffy Coat

The confirmatory diagnostic test for malaria used at the hospital level.

Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT)

Standard treatment regimen for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children and non-first-trimester pregnant adults, including combinations like Artemether-lumefantrine, Artesunate + amodiaquine, or Artesunate + mefloquine.

Zika Virus RNA Nucleic Acid Test

The confirmatory diagnostic test for Zika fever performed using urine or blood specimens.