Syphilis and Disease Terms

study of disease

study of the cause of disease (bacteria/prionr/virus)

*development of a disease

*abnormal state of body (not functioning normally)

*colonized (not disease causing) microbes on body

commensalism= no easily identifiable benefit
parasitism= only one benefits
mutalism= both benefits

*takes nutrition from host or comprimes uptake of nutrition

permanently colonize the host

present for dys/weeks/months

When there is a microbiota imbalance (often assoicated with disease)

DNA/RNA (genomes) of microbiota

*microbiota= living organisms (bacteria/fungus/protists) community of microscopic organisms
*microbiome= living organisms and genomes and environment (nutritional componenets

competition between microbes

*ectoparasites (superficial, think mites and anthropods)
*endoparasides (inside body, think elephantitis)

*the ability of a organism to overcome hosts defenses and cause disease

the level of harm caused by a pathogen following infection

greater virulence (toxicity)
higher indicates lower virulence

cause disease after infecting healthy host (rapidly reproduce and have high virulence)

less likely to cause disease in a healthy host (low virulence)

*change in body function that is felt by a patient

*change in body that can be measured by clinician (not necessarily felt, ex RBC count)

*a specific group of signs and symptoms that accompany a disease

sign (measured by clinician) symptom (felt by patient)

stand up too quick (light-headed, blood pressure issue)

*incubation period
*prodromal period
*period of illness
*period of decline
*period of convalescence

*patient is asymptomatic, pathogen present at low levels

*mild signs, pathogen levels increasing

peak of signs and symptoms (most pathogen present)

sign and symptoms lessen, amount of pathogen begins to decline

*patient is recovering, still not at 100%, very low amounts of pathogen

-illness is short, the patient recovers and is immune

*chronic illness (persists over long time)

*illness may recur if immunity weakens
ex) HIV (viral infection)

Syphilis (STI)

Treponema pallidum (it's a Spirochete, non-gram staining)
-it's motile (axial filaments)
-considered a "stealth pathogen"
-its a microaerophile (thrives in low oxygen environment)

*thrives in low oxygen environment

No, due to inability to syntehize fatty acids, nucleotides, and most amino acids (needs host)

*slow division, simple exterior (not easily detected by the immune system)

*5 million cases a yr

Reservoir: humans, ammals
Portal of entry: mucosa and compromised skin (mouth, rectum, urogenital system)
Mode of transmission: direct (STI) and Vertical (mother to fetus)

*10-90 dys until (primary infection)

*spirochete penetrate mucus membrane and multiplies
*spreads to lymph nodes and blood stream
*inflammatory response causes (chancers and lesions)
Notes= immune system evasion allows chronic infections with relapsing symptoms

*non-painful lesion or chancre sore at site of infection
symp resolve in 3-6 wks

*widely distributed skin and mucosal rash or lesions
*inflammed lymph nodes
*patchy hair loss
*malaise
*mild fever
*headache
symp resolve in 3-12 wks

*palms of hands and soles of feet

*lesions affecting other tissues (brain, eyes, heart, initial legion but worse)

*2 yrs.
*symp. free except perinatal tranmission

still births

*10-30 yrs after infection

brain

eyes

heart

initial lesion (almost cancer looking like)

*abstinence
*barrier methods of contraception
*detection

*Long acting injections of
-BPG benzathine PCN
*Azithromycin
*Ceftriaxone