Terminology, Pathogens & Immunity
What is an example of a disease that is infectious but not contagious? What do these terms mean?
Infectious = caused by an infectious organism/pathogen
Contagious = transmitted from host to host
Alternative terms for "modified live" and "killed" vaccines?
Modified live = attenuated
Killed = inactivated
What body systems are impacted by canine distemper?
Respiratory, GI, neuro
What are some bacterial causes of CIRDC? Which is the most dangerous?
Bordetella, Mycoplasma, Strep equi ss. zooepidemicus. The latter is the most dangerous and causes hemorrhagic pneumonia.
How is ringworm diagnosed and what is the other term for this disease?
Dermatophytosis; diagnosed via Wood's Lamp, cytology, and DMT (culture). Should do confirmatory testing.
Name the 2 arms of the immune system and describe components of each.
Innate: WBCs, complement, skin, hair, sweat
Adaptive: Cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immunity
What test is being shown in this photo?
Which bacteria is more resistant overall?
Antimicrobial sensitivity testing
The plate on the right is more resistant.
Why should dogs not be called the "reservoir" of rabies in the United States?
Because canine rabies has been eliminated, and only wildlife strains remain. Dogs are not the reservoir for any of the wildlife strains.
Who are the reservoir vs. accidental hosts for leptospirosis?
Rodents are common reservoirs
Dogs are the reservoir host for specific strains, but in other instances are accidental hosts
Humans are accidental hosts
How are the 3 major systemic mycoses transmitted?
All are soil-borne and are transmitted from the environment and are considered non-contagious.
Histoplasma is carried in the GI tract of bats and birds so they can amplify the infection, but do not transmit it directly.
Is it normal to find bacteria...
- In the upper respiratory tract?
- In the lower respiratory tract?
- In the intestinal tract?
- In the urinary tract?
Yes
No
Yes
No
What is one way to make an antibody testing (serology) more reliable as a diagnostic method?
Paired titers
How do we treat cases of Canine Influenza? Is there a vaccine?
Supportive care only; we do NOT use Tamiflu. There is a vaccine; it is non-core.
What role is played by each of these species in Lyme disease: tick, mouse, deer, and dog
Tick: Vector
Mouse: Reservoir
Deer: Required for tick life cycle
Dog: Accidental host
Are dogs and cats the usual culprit for transmission of Giardia to humans?
No, most cases are human to human. Zoonotic spread from dogs and cats is rare.
Which antibiotic or antibiotic class would be a good choice for an anaerobic bacterial infection? (consult chart)
Metronidazole, clindamycin, Clavamox
Does a test with high sensitivity have a high or low rate of false negatives?
Tests with high sensitivity have a low rate of false NEGATIVES. In other words, if it's negative, you can be confident it's a true negative.
Tests with high specificity have a low rate of false POSITIVES. In other words, if it's positive, you can be confident that it's a true positive.
For each of the feline viruses, describe the age group affected and how it is transmitted.
FIV, FeLV, FIP
FIV: adults, biting/fighting
FeLV: kittens, grooming/close contact
FIP: kittens, non-contagious - mutation of FeCoV
How it Bartonella transmitted to cats?
The cat flea deposits infected feces onto cats, who then scratch and self-inoculate with the bacterium.
Describe the heartworm life cycle.
Larvae go through molts to become adults, process takes 6 months.
Adult worms produce microfilariae which are taken up by mosquitoes, molt to L3 within mosquito, life cycle continues.
Why do we worry more about immediate nursing in foals and calves compared to puppies and kittens?
Failure of passive transfer is more life-threatening in the first two species because there is 0 transfer of maternal antibodies during gestation. This is due to differences in placentation.
What are ideal characteristics of a good screening test?
Easy
Cheap
Non-invasive
High sensitivity
What is the reasoning behind the 10-day quarantine period for an animal that bites someone?
If rabies actually caused the animal to bite (i.e. it has reached the salivary glands), the animal is already symptomatic and will succumb to rabies within days.
What would you tell an owner who is concerned that she might get leptospirosis from her infected dog?
Practice good hygiene; avoid contact with urine; casual contact will not transmit this.
List some reasons why zoonotic transmission of toxoplasmosis from a cat living in the house is relatively rare.
- Cats only shed for a few weeks once in their lifetime
- Oocysts must sporulate in the environment to be infective
- Most people are already exposed/immune
- Have to also have poor hand hygiene