Virulence Factors
Pathogen Types
Pathogens (Scientific Names)
Disease Transmission
Disease Prevention
Disease Treatment
100

Name two virulence factors that allows a microbe to stick to body surfaces of a host.

adhesins (ex: Pseudomonas infections, plague, malaria)

or 

fimbriae (ex: meningococcal meningitis)

100

What general type of pathogen causes all of the following diseases?

Hansen's disease, listeriosis, tularemia, cutaneous anthrax, & botulism

These are all bacterial diseases.

The specific pathogens are:

Hansen's (leprosy) - Mycobacterium leprae

listeriosis (bacterial meningitis) - Listeria monocytogenes

tularemia (rabbit or tick fever) - Francisella tularensis

anthrax - Bacillus anthracis

100

Name the disease caused by:

Clostridium perfringens

Gas gangrene (aka: gangrene)

100

What do all of the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

gas gangrene, wound botulism, tetanus, & cutaneous anthrax

All require direct contact of bacterial endospores into a deep wound.

100

Name two diseases that can be prevented through proper wound care.

examples:

septicemia, folliculitis, gas gangrene, necrotizing fasciitis, cellulitis, SSSS, pyoderma/impetigo, botulism, Pseudomonas infections

NOTE: tetanus could also be included on this list, but it is prevented MUCH more effectively via routine vaccination

100

What form of treatment may be used for all of these diseases?

anthrax, endocarditis, Hansen's disease, bubonic plague, ehrlichiosis, & septicemia

These are all bacterial diseases that may be effectively treated with antibiotics.

Some may require immediate administration (ex: anthrax, septicemia) or long-term administration (ex: endocarditis) to be effective. 

Some may also require other supportive measures, such as surgical removal of vegetations in endocarditis, etc.

200

Name the virulence factor that allows a microbe to avoid phagocytosis via camouflage.

Give one example disease.

capsule (ex: meningococcal meningitis, plague, etc.)

200

What general type of pathogen causes all of the following diseases?

rubella, shingles, & infectious mononucleosis

These are all viral diseases.


200

What general type of disease may be caused by any of these pathogens?

Listeria monocytogenes

Streptococcus agalactiae

Haemophilus influenzae


bacterial meningitis

aka:

"listeriosis"

"streptococcal pneumonia"

200

What is the mode of transmission for:

cryptococcal meningitis

inhalation of fungal spores

200

What method of prevention is shared by:

transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, listeriosis, toxoplasmosis, & brucellosis

avoid consumption of undercooked or contaminated foods

200

Name two diseases of the nervous system for which there is NO effective treatment & the only option is to "let it run its course".

transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (aka: prion diseases)

viral (aseptic) meningitis

poliomyelitis 

300

Briefly explain how a ‘cytokine storm’ works as a virulence factor.

Give one example disease.

Cytokines released en masse trigger multiple aspects of immune defenses simultaneously.

ex: smallpox, septicemia

300

What general type of pathogen causes both:

impetigo & Lyme disease

They are both bacterial diseases.


300

Name the specific disease caused by each of the following:

Rubivirus causes...

Varicella-Zoster virus causes...

human herpesvirus 4 (HH4) (aka: Epstein-Barr virus) causes...

Rubivirus - rubella (aka: 'German measles')

Varicella-Zoster virus - chickenpox/shingles

human herpesvirus 4 (HH4) (aka: Epstein-Barr virus) - infectious mononucleosis

300

What do all of the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

Dengue fever, West Nile encephalitis, & malaria

All require biological vector transmission via mosquitoes

300

What method of prevention is shared by:

anthrax, rabies, & brucellosis

animal vaccination, specifically:

anthrax - livestock

rabies - pets

brucellosis (aka: undulant fever) - all dairy producing livestock

300

Why won't antibiotics effectively treat the following diseases?

measles, poliomyelitis, West Nile encephalitis, & yellow fever

These are all viral diseases and "antibiotics" target bacteria.

NOTE: Only some viral diseases can be effectively treated with "antiviral" medications (ex: acyclovir for herpes), but they generally do not cure the infection.

400

Briefly describe how exotoxins serve as virulence factors.

Give one example disease & the specific type of exotoxin involved.

Exotoxins are secreted from living bacteria & target specific host cells/tissues/organs.  

Examples:

Neurotoxins target neurons in tetanus or botulism

or

Exotoxin A triggers T-cell tissue damage (self-inflicted) in necrotizing fasciitis or Pseudomonas infections


400

What general type of pathogen causes both:

African sleeping sickness & Chagas disease

These are protozoan diseases.

The specific pathogens are:

African sleeping sickness - Trypanosoma brucei

Chagas disease - Trypanosoma cruzi

400

Name the disease caused by the spirochete named

Borrelia burgdorferi 

Lyme disease

400

What do the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

toxoplasmosis & rubella

Both may transmit vertically (mother to baby)

toxo - also via ingestion of undercooked contaminated meats

rubella - also via respiratory droplets

400

Name two specific ways to prevent insect-borne zoonotic disease transmission.

Give one example for each.

bed-netting to exclude mosquitoes (ex: malaria).

remove ticks promptly or use insect repellents containing DEET to avoid ticks (ex: Lyme disease, RMSF, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis) 

remove mosquito breeding grounds (i.e., anything that holds water) (ex: malaria, Zika, West Nile encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue fever)

400

Explain the basic difference between:

preventing a disease with a vaccine 

vs.

treating a disease with an antiserum  

Give one example of a disease that might involve both.

Vaccines trigger an active immunological memory response before an exposure to protect the recipient long-term (ex: rabies vaccine).

Antiserum contains premade antibodies that may be given after an exposure (ex: anti-rabies IgG).  NO memory cells are made so this passive immunization can only provide temporary protection.  

500

Briefly differentiate these two virulence factors & give examples:

hyaluronic acid  vs.  hyaluronidase

Hyaluronic acid may be found in capsules to serve as camo from phagocytes.  ex: impetigo (S. aureus)

Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that dissolves basement membranes, allowing microbe to invade deeper.  Ex: necrotizing fasciitis (S. pyogenes)

500

What general type of pathogen causes all of the following diseases?

cryptococcal meningitis, pityriasis, & tineas

They are all fungal diseases.

The specific pathogens are:

cryptococcal meningitis - Cryptococcal neoformans

pityriasis - Malassezia furfur

tineas (jock itch, ringworm, etc.) - Tinea spp.

500

Name the specific diseases & their alternate names caused by each of the following:

Trypanosoma brucei     vs.    Trypanosoma cruzi 

Trypanosoma brucei - African sleeping sickness (aka: African trypanosomiasis)

Trypanosoma cruzi - Chagas (aka: American trypanosomiasis)

500

What do all of the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

tularemia, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, RMSF, & anaplasmosis

All require biological vector transmission via ticks

500

Name one vaccine preventable disease of each:

integumentary, nervous, & cardiovascular systems

integumentary: smallpox, measles, rubella, or chickenpox/shingles

nervous: tetanus, some forms of bacterial meningitis (meningococcal, pneumococcal, Haemophilus influenzae), poliomyelitis, rabies (limited use in humans; routine in pets)

cardiovascular/lymphatic: yellow fever, brucellosis, & malaria (vs. deadliest strain P. falciparum; as of 2021)

500

Name TWO nervous system diseases for which post-exposure IgG administration is a key method of treatment.

tetanus

rabies

foodborne botulism

600

Briefly explain how antigen shifts serve as a virulence factor.

Give one example disease.

Immunological memory is avoided when organisms can change their surface antigens (glycoproteins).

ex: African sleeping sickness, Lyme disease, or malaria

600

Name the general type of organisms that make: 

endospores   vs.   spores   vs.  cysts   vs.  oocysts

Give one example disease for each.

endospores = bacterial resting stages (from G+  members of Genera Clostridium, Bacillus, & Clostridioides; Ex: tetanus, botulism, gangrene, C-diff)

spores = fungal reproductive structures (Ex: chromoblastomycosis, phaehyphomycosis, mycetomas, sporotrichosis, cryptococcal meningitis)

cysts = helminth reproductive structures (Ex: cysticercosis; tapeworms)

oocysts = protozoan reproductive structures (Ex: primary amebic meningoencephalopathy)

600

Name the specific diseases caused by each of the following:

Enterovirus    vs.    Lyssavirus    vs.    Arbovirus

Enterovirus - poliomyelitis (aka: polio virus)

Lyssavirus - rabies

Arboviruses (arthropod-borne; transmitted by mosquitos) - Zika & WNV encephalitis

600

What do all of the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

Leishmaniasis, African sleeping sickness, river blindness, Chagas' disease, & bubonic plague

All require some kind of biological vector transmission via NON-mosquito insect vectors

The specific vectors are:

Leishmaniasis - female sand flies

African sleeping sickness - tse-tse flies

river blindness - black flies

Chagas' disease - true bugs (Triatoma)

bubonic plague - fleas

600

Name TWO diseases for which one mode of prevention is typically prophylactic antibiotics.

malaria - anti-protozoan meds for travelers to endemic regions 

endocarditis - anti-bacterial meds before dental procedures/surgeries for high risk patients

HIV - anti-viral meds; PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)

600

Name TWO diseases for which avoiding respiratory droplets from an infected person is a good method of prevention.

smallpox, chickenpox, rubella, measles, bacterial meningitis

also: pneumonic plague (respiratory chapter)

700

Name one virulence factor that allows a microbe to avoid desiccation.

Give one example disease.

mycolic acid (ex: leprosy) 

700

What general type of organism causes all of the following diseases?

yellow fever, infectious mononucleosis, & dengue hemorrhagic fever  

They are all viral diseases.

The specific pathogens are:

yellow fever - Flavivirus

infectious mononucleosis - Epstein-Barr virus

dengue hemorrhagic fever - Dengue viruses (n= 4)

700

Name the disease most commonly caused by:

Viridans streptococci


endocarditis

700

What do all of the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

measles, smallpox, chickenpox, & most forms of bacterial meningitis

respiratory droplet transmission

* listeriosis is one exception for bacterial meningitis; it is via ingestion rather than droplets

700

Name TWO diseases for which avoiding ticks is the key method of prevention.

RMSF (rocky mountain spotted fever)

ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis

tularemia

Lyme disease

700

Name TWO diseases for which avoiding direct contact with an infected person is the best method of prevention.

direct skin-skin contact:  SSSS, impetigo, conjunctivitis, herpes, cutaneous/superficial mycoses

also via fomites: warts, piedra, pityriasis, tineas

via saliva: mono

via wounds/burns: necrotizing fasciitis & Pseudomonas

via long-term exposure: leprosy

via bodily fluid contact or placental: CMV

800

Differentiate between the terms:

pyrogenic    vs.    pyogenic

Give one example disease for each in which the pathogen uses them as virulence factors.

pyrogenic = fever producer (ex: impetigo – Staphylococcus aureus)

pyogenic = pus producer (ex: necrotizing fasciitis – Streptococcus pyogenes)

800

What do these two diseases have in common with regards to the general type of pathogen AND mode of transmission?

malaria & leishmaniasis

These are both protozoan diseases transmitted via biological vectors.

The specific pathogens & vectors are:

malaria - Plasmodium spp. via mosquitos

leishmaniasis - Leishmania spp. via sand flies

800

Name the TWO diseases caused by members of the Genera:

Clostridium


botulism - Clostridium botulinum

tetanus - Clostridium tetani

800

What do all of the following have in common with regards to their mode of transmission?

poliomyelitis,  listeriosis, brucellosis, TSEs, tularemia, & most forms of botulism

ingestion; specifically of:

contaminated water (polio)

undercooked meats/cheeses (listeriosis)

unpasteurized dairy products (brucellosis)

contaminated meat (TSEs; prion diseases)

contaminated water or meat (i.e. rabbits) (tularemia)

ingestion of toxin (i.e., improper canning) (foodborne botulism)

ingestion of endospores in raw honey (infant botulism)

800

Which of these pathogens cause vaccine-preventable forms of bacterial meningitis?

A)  Streptococcus pneumoniae

B)  Listeria monocytogenes

C)  Streptococcus agalactiae

D)  Haemophilus influenzae

E)  Neisseria meningitidis

A)  Streptococcus pneumoniae ("pneumococcal")

D)  Haemophilus influenzae (HiB)

E)  Neisseria meningitidis ("meningococcal")