2- Infectious Diseases

Module 8 Lab: Infectious Diseases
It is important to remember that a pathogen is a microorganism that has the potential to cause disease. An infection is the invasion and multiplication of pathogenic microbes in an individual or population. Disease is when the infection causes damage to the individual’s vital functions or systems. An infection does not always result in disease! To cause an infection, microbes must enter our bodies; that is, through a portal of entry.

PRIMARY PORTAL OF ENTRY USE THE TERMS BELOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OF ENTRY
Microbes can enter the body through the four sites listed (below):

● Respiratory tract (mouth and nose) (e.g., influenza virus which causes the flu);
● Gastrointestinal tract (mouth oral cavity) (e.g., Vibrio cholerae which causes cholera);
● Urogenital tract (e.g., Escherichia coli which causes cystitis); and
● Breaks in the skin surface (e.g., Clostridium tetani which causes tetanus).

ASSIGNMENT
Answer the following questions below for Rhinovirus, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Athletes Foot
Note that you’ll answer some of the same questions for each microorganism. Type your answers directly into this Word document using a different color font.

Rhinovirus
A rhinovirus infection is the most common cold infection humans can contract. Normal cold symptoms usually begin within 2 to 3 days of exposure and last up to 10 days. Within a few hours, people experience nasal irritation and sometimes a sore throat, followed by sneezing and a runny nose. By the second day, nasal secretions usually become thicker and yellow or green in color. A person will be most contagious during the first 2 to 3 days, and by Day 7, the risk of contagion disappears. Symptoms clear up completely within 7 to 10 days.

1A: Is this microorganism a bacterium, virus, fungus, or protozoan?

1B: What is its scientific name?

1C: What is the primary portal of entry for this microorganism?

1D: What is the location where the pathogen anchors itself to or infects the body?

1E: What is the method which causes the pathogen to spread?

1F: How is the infection treated?

1G: Explain why antibiotics cannot be used for treating this pathogen and how the inappropriate use of antibiotics is contributing to the antibiotic resistance of bacteria.

Tuberculosis
Symptoms include a cough with thick and sometimes bloody mucus lasting more than 2 weeks, elevated heartbeat, fever, chills, night sweats, a swollen neck, fatigue, loss of appetite and unusual weight loss. Tuberculosis occurs in various areas of the body; so, it may cause varying symptoms, but the pathogen does have a primary portal of entry. Virtually all symptoms of tuberculosis can be confused with other diseases and are not always recognizable, so it is important to seek medical attention as early as possible. Know that symptoms often begin gradually and develop over an extended period of weeks or even months. Often, symptoms do not show up until the disease has advanced.

2A: Is this microorganism a bacterium, virus, fungus, or protozoan?

2B: What is its scientific name?:

2C: What is the primary portal of entry for this microorganism?

2D: What is the location where the pathogen anchors itself to or infects the body?

2E: What is the method which causes the pathogen to spread?

2F: How is the infection treated?

2G: In the late 1800s TB killed 1 out of every 7 people, as there was no treatment developed yet. How does the transmission method of TB explain why it became so prevalent during this time period?

Malaria
Symptoms include fever (up to 104 degrees F and sometimes even higher), nausea or vomiting, and headache. Sweating can accompany this disease, and since it can be contracted in tropical areas and such locations tend to be hot, one should not assume the sweating is normal if one is at risk for malaria, especially if it is coupled with any of the other symptoms.

3A: Is this microorganism a bacterium, virus, fungus, or protozoan?

3B: What is its scientific name?:

3C: What is the primary portal of entry for this microorganism?

3D: What is the location where the pathogen anchors itself to or infects the body?

3E: What is the method which causes the pathogen to spread?

3F: How is the infection treated?

3G: Describe the problem of insecticide resistance in controlling the populations of malaria-infected mosquitoes.

Athlete’s Foot
Symptoms include toes that have a soft-gray tinge or reddish scales between the toes and along the top of the foot or on the sole. Other symptoms include dead skin in between the toes, especially the fourth and fifth toes (that causes intense itching, including small blisters on the bottom of the foot or around the toes). Athlete’s foot fungus gives off a musty (sometimes appalling) odor.

4A: Is this microorganism a bacterium, virus, fungus, or protozoan?

4B: What is its scientific name?:

4C: What is the primary portal of entry for this microorganism?

4D: What is the location where the pathogen anchors itself to or infects the body?

4E: What is the method which causes the pathogen to spread?

4F: How is the infection treated?

4G: Identify at least two ways you can protect yourself from contracting this disease.