3.12 Recording

Chapter 20: Infectious Diseases Overview

Unbundled Fever

• Definition: A fever that comes and goes, often caused by immune response to pathogens.

• Source: Caused by endotoxins, particularly in response to brucella bacteria, leading to cytokine release.

Brucellosis

• Transmission: Primarily through ingestion of undercooked, raw, or unpasteurized dairy products.

• Prevention:

  • Vaccination of animals to prevent disease at the source.

  • Ensure meat is fully cooked and milk is pasteurized.

  • Be cautious with wild game, such as deer and elk, especially during field dressing.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

• High-Risk Group: Infants and toddlers are at greater risk for hospitalization and death due to pertussis.

• Prevention: Vaccination with DTaP.

• Disease Phases: The paroxysmal phase characterized by severe coughing fits.

Diarrhea Classification

• Duration: Acute, persistent, chronic.

• Severity:

  • Inflammatory (watery diarrhea)

  • Dysentery (bloody diarrhea).

• Types:

  • Toxinogenic diseases: Caused by enterotoxins leading to watery diarrhea.

  • Invasive diseases: Lead to bleeding and intestinal damage.

Escherichia coli (E. Coli)

• Virulence Factors: Strains categorized into pathotypes based on antigens.

  • Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (O157:H7) is the most severe, leading to hemolytic uremic syndrome.

• Transmission: Can result from trauma that allows intestinal contents to enter the bloodstream.

• Prevention: Cooking meat sufficiently and avoiding contaminated water and vegetables.

Other Bacterial Infections

• Serratia marcescens: Produces a red pigment when growing at room temperature, not at body temperature.

• Salmonella: Numerous serotypes, with enterica as the species name, causing foodborne illnesses.

  • Prevention: Safe cooking practices for poultry and eggs.

Typhoid Fever (Salmonella typhi)

• Transmission: Contaminated food/water and close contact with carriers.

• Symptoms: Fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

• Notable Carrier: Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary), who caused multiple infections.

• Prevention: Vaccines are available for travelers or military personnel.

Yersinia pestis (Plague)

• Forms:

  • Bubonic (swollen lymph nodes)

  • Pneumonic (infects lungs, highly contagious).

• Transmission: Flea vectors from rodents.

• Prevention: Awareness and hygiene in endemic areas.