Nervous System Infections

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Nervous System Infections

• WT 2006
• Bad Bugs An Introduction to Infectious Disease

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Nervous System Anatomy
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Usual Suspects Bacteria

• Gram
• Clostridium botulinum
• Clostridium tetani
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Acid fast
• Mycobacterium leprae

• Gram -
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Neisseria meningitidis
• Spirochete
• Treponema pallidum

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Meningitis

• Inflammation of meninges
• Most common causes
• Neiserria meningitidis
• Strepococcus pneumoniae
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Less common causes
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Group B Streptococcus
• Escherichia coli

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Meningitis

• Symptoms
• Mild cold
• Sudden onset of severe headache
• Fever
• Pain and stiffness of neck back
• Nausea
• Vomiting

http//www.babydirectory.co.uk/p3.gif
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Meningococcal Meningitis

• Only epidemic form of meningitis.
• In addition to previously mentioned symptoms,
  petechial hemorrhages form.

http//www.dh.sa.gov.au/pehs/Youve-got-what/specif
ic-conditions/meningococcal-image.jpg
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Meningitis

• Treatment
• Ampicillin
• Ceftriaxone
• Rifampin prophylaxis
• Vaccines
• Tetravalent meningococal (A, C, Y, W135
  capsules)
• only for those at high risk
• Hib (Haemophilius influenzae type B)
• Pneumococcal vaccine

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Leprosy (Hansens Disease)

• Mycobacterium leprae
• Acid fast rod
• Cant be cultivated on artificial lab media so it
  is grown in 9-banded armadillo.
• Attacks peripheral nerves.

http//ctl.unbc.ca/outloud/docs/marko/microbe_2.jp
g
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Leprosy (Hansens Disease)

• 2 major forms
• Lepromatous
• Diffuse
• Most intense in cooler areas (peripheral
  locations)
• Immune response cant control spread
• Tuberculoid
• Localized
• Immune response controls spread
• Not easily transmitted to others.
• Sensory and motor loss

http//pathmicro.med.sc.edu/fox/mycobacteria.htm
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Tetanus (Lockjaw)

• Clostridium tetani
• Gram bacillus
• Anaerobic
• Spore former (terminal endospores)
• Common in soil

http//www.cat.cc.md.us/courses/bio141/lecguide/un
it1/prostruct/diseases/ctetani/images/sporectetani
1_scale_final.jpg
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Tetanus (Lockjaw)

• Symptoms
• Caused by tetanus toxin
• Spastic paralysis
• Death due to respiratory failure
• Treatment
• Antitoxin
• Penicillin to kill vegetative cells
• Vaccine
• Toxoid is part of DPT vaccine

http//www.brown.edu/Courses/Bio_160/Projects2004/
pertussis/tetanus.jpg
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Neurosyphilis

• Treponema pallidum
• Symptoms
• Personality change
• Emotional instability
• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Ataxia (uncoordinated movement)
• Treatment
• Penicillin

http//medic.med.uth.tmc.edu/edprog/PATH/infdis/in
fect11.jpg