Examples of Four Major Types of Pathogens

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Bacteria
Single-celled organisms Three major types: cocci, bacilli, and spirilla Bacterial toxins cause disease. Antibiotics are used to kill bacterial infections UNLESS the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics. Antibiotics
Resistance

Other Pathogens
Fungi are hundreds of species of uni- and multicellular plant organisms that cause diseases such as candidiasis, athletes foot, and ringworm. Protozoans are single-celled organisms that cause diseases such as trichomoniasis and giardiasis. Parasitic worms are the largest of the pathogens; they include pin worms and tape worms. Prions are self-replicating, protein-based agents. Prions are responsible for Mad Cow disease

Viruses
A Virus is an OBLIGATE PARASITE. It contains a Nucleic acid and a Protein coat Many scientists dont consider Viruses ALIVE as they cannot reproduce UNLESS inside another living host!! SEE NEXT SLIDE this is how viruses replicate inside host.

Colds and Influenza

Colds are endemic, that is, always present.
You can catch a cold from the airborne droplets of anothers sneeze or contact. You cannot catch a cold from a chill.

Five to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year.

Three major varieties exist of the flu virus, each having many different strains. Those who should be vaccinated include seniors, pregnant women, those with heart and lung diseases, and those with certain other diseases.

Is It a Cold or the Flu?

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Streptococcal Infections and Meningitis (Some examples)

Streptococcal infections (Bacterial Infections of coccus-shaped bacteria, specific to STrep) Group A streptococci (GAS), or strep throat Necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating strep Group B streptococci can cause illness in newborns and immunocompromised adults Meningitis An infection of membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord

Five Modes of Transmission Waterborne transmission - drinking water or swimming (usually via ingestion) - fecal-oral route - fecal contamination of drinking water from municipal wastewater sources or animal feedlots Example: Giardia Foodborne transmission ingestion of infectious agents in food poor sanitation, hygiene (fecal-oral route) insufficiently cooked fish and shellfish in US there are 76 million cases/yr with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths

Person to person transmission requires direct physical contact between hosts sexually-transmitted diseases respiratory infections (coughing, sneezing) Example: HIV, syphilis,

Modes of Transmission (cont.) Airborne Transmission

inhalation of pathogens in aerosols aerosols created at wastewater treatment plants Examples: legionellosis, fungal infections

Vector-borne transmission

transmission by the e of an animal host Examples: malaria, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, Lyme disease Can you identify the vector in each of these diseases?

Bacterial Pathogens
High minimal infective dose
104-109 Bacterial pathogens do not remain infectious in the

environment very long

typical half-life less than 24 hours Outbreaks can be prevented with proper sanitation and chlorination of drinking water, proper food handling and preparation

Enteric bacteria -- Salmonella Found in particularly high numbers in the intestines of birds and reptiles Over 2000 serotypes can cause disease in humans serotypes differentiated by O-antigen, a cell wall antigen Serotypes Typhimurium, Enteriditis, Typhi, and Paratyphi cause human disease Genome ~ 50% homologous with E. coli Salmonellosis caused primarily by serotypes Typhimurium and Enteriditis fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea (sometimes bloody), 5-7 days disease due to cell lysis in stomach and release of endotoxin (LPS) may lead to septicemia or Reiters syndrome (e.g., chronic arthritis) minimal infective dose: 104 107 40,000 confirmed and 1.4 million estimated cases in US/yr, ~ 500 fatalities 2% develop chronic arthritis Usually a foodborne disease (food poisoning), but may also be waterborne

Typhoid fever (Read about this one) infection of intestines and blood caused by serotype Typhi fever, headache, constipation, malaise, chills, myalgia for 3-4 weeks Rare in industrialized nations (400 cases per year in the U.S. most from international travel). ~16 million cases and 600,000 deaths occur worldwide each year In 5% of cases, victims become carriers, and shed S. typhi for at least a year in feces

Waterborne Protozoan Parasites

Giardia lamblia (G. intestinalis, G. duodenalis)

Phylum Zoomastigina, Order Diplomonadida, Family Hexamitidae i.e. a flagellate Trophozoites (active, feeding stage) 14 m long teardrop shaped 4 pairs of flagella ventral sucking disk two nuclei Very primitive no mitochondria, nucleoli, peroxisomes anaerobic! rRNA more like prokaryotes in size replicates by binary fission Giardia has 5 chromosomes, with 4-10 copies of each in each nucleus

Many animals especially beavers are reservoirs of infection.

When swallowed by the host, cysts pass through the stomach and excyst in the duodenum. Consumption of contaminated water or fecal-oral transmission are common routes of infection

Excysting

Waterborne transmission is a common route of infection Cyst formation Dividing

In the colon as feces begin to dehydrate, Giardia begin to encyst. The cysts are then passed into the environment.

Giardia divide by binary fission and can swim rapidly using multiple flagella. In severe infections nearly every intestinal cell is covered by parasites.

Giardia lamblia live in the duodenum, jejunum and upper ileum of humans. They attach to the surface of epithelial cells using their adhesive disc.

Many animals especially cattle are reservoirs of infection.

Consumption of contaminated water or fecal-oral transmission are common routes of infection Excystation of oocysts Attachment of sporozoites to epithelial cells

Oocyst is expelled from cell surface

Oocyst can sporulate in the intestines and reinfect the host.

merozoite

A micro and macrogamete join to form a zygote, which differentiates into a new oocyst.

Gametocytes

Type I meront (schizont) Sporozoite is enveloped by microvilli and matures into type I meront. Asexual reproduction results in the formation of eight merozoites which can reinfect or move into sexual reproduction.

Merozoites released from type II meront attach and form either micro or macrogametocytes.

Type II meront (schizont) Four second generation merozoites formed.

Emerging Waterborne Pathogens

Helicobacter pylori
Binds to epithelium in stomach and duodenum produces urease that locally lowers pH, disrupting mucous layer and causing peptic and gastric ulcers 90% of duodenal and 80% of gastric ulcers caused by H. pylori infection, not spicy food, acid, or stress ~2/3 of the worlds population is infected
Most likely a waterborne disease In 1996, the FDA approved the use of antibiotics to treat (and cure!) peptic ulcers