Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Meningitis
Select one bacterial, one fungal, and one viral pathogen capable of producing meningitis in humans.
Bacterial: Neisseria meningitidis
Fungal: Cryptococcus neoformans
Viral: Epstein-Barr virus
Describe the general characteristics and structure of each pathogen.
Neisseria meningitidis: parasitic, aerobic, Gram-negative, non-endospore forming, nonmotile, coccal bacterium (Devoe 1982,-page 162).
Cryptococcus neoformans: grows as a yeast, unicellular, replicates by budding, makes hyphae during mating, eventually creates basidospores (Heitman 2011).
Epstein-Barr virus: mature particle has diameter of 120 nm to 180 nm; has protein capsid, embedded with glycoproteins (Odumade 2011).
Describe in detail the pathogenic process for each pathogen. (How does the microbe produce meningitis?)
Neisseria meningitidis: Human infection begins with inhalation, attaching itself to the epithelial cells. Bacteria then passes the mucosal barrier and enters the bloodstream (Todar 2007).
Cryptococcus neoformans: Spores are inhaled by human beings. Infection can then spread throughout the body, most particularly the central nervous system (McClelland 2007,-page 131).
Epstein-Barr virus: The virus infects...
The growth cycle of the virus is completed in this gland. At this point, infectious virus particles are created. This permanently alters the body's lymphatic system (Epstein-Barr 2013).
4. What are the risk factors for infection with each pathogen?
Neisseria meningitidis: Approximately 1 in 10 patients die, most within 24-48 hours after the onset of symptoms. Up to 1 in 5 of all survivors suffer from brain damage, loss of hearing, amputation of an arm or leg, or other permanent harm to the person's body (Dangers 2013).
Cryptococcus neoformans: People can die within 30 days of infection.
Epstein-Barr virus: This can lead to the development of serious diseases, including cancers. Rupture of the spleen is also a possibility. Obstruction of the airway can occur because of swelling lymph nodes (Stoppler 2013).
5. What are the common methods used to diagram infection?
Neisseria meningitidis: Diagnosis is usually made by taking sterile bodily fluid and isolating the infection. If bacteria have already reached the circulatory system, blood cultures can be performed. These tests usually take between 2 and 48 hours to assess (Mole 2008).
Cryptococcus neoformans: Diagnosis is performed…
Works Cited
CDC. (2013). Epstein-Barr virus and infectious mononucleosis. Center for Disease Control:
Atlanta, GA.
Dangers. (2013). Menveo.
Devoe, I.W. (1982). The meningococcus and mechanisms of pathogenicity. Microbiological Reviews. 162-90.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the coverings of spinal cord and brain. Meningitis results from an infection to the cerebrospinal fluid in the spaces that surround the brain and spinal cord (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Either infections from viruses or from bacteria can cause meningitis; however, the viral form of meningitis is often significantly less severe than its bacterial counterpart and usually resolves without much treatment
Meningitis Letter Dear: We are excited to have you as a student at Neisserian College and seek ways to make your educational experience here as rewarding as possible. We recognize that as a college student you are now a young adult and want to give you some important medical information regarding life at college. While schools do everything they can to protect their students' health, occasionally students will acquire an infectious disease. In
Carriers might pass on the disease, but they may not suffer from it for days, months, years or even indefinitely. The cause of susceptibility, other than the obvious -- a weakened immune -- system is not known. People who come in close contact, such as members of a family, children and youngsters at school of day care, those that are sexually or otherwise intimate will transmit the disease. These individuals
Introduction Meningitis infects the meninges, the delicate membranes that house the spinal cord and the brain. It is a rare infection that can affect adults and children alike. The disease manifests in several types such as through viral, bacterial and fungal varieties. Bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous and infectious variety. It is a life threatening disease. It infects people in physical contact. Incidentally, viral meningitis is not as severe as
It can be quite contagious. Fungal meningitis generally occurs in patients who are immune compromised. The symptoms are similar to viral and bacterial meningitis. As with many opportunistic fungal infections of immune compromised patients, it can be quite serious, and treatment is difficult or impossible. Diagnosis and Treatment The biggest question for physicians treating patients with suspected meningitis is: "is it viral or is it bacterial?" Rapid tests for Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) were found to be a biomarker in cerebrospinal fluid during the presence of bacterial meningitis; however, it is not yet recommended for clinical practice (Brouwer et al., 2010). Blood cultures and skin biopsy have been used to detect causative pathogens in patients when cerebrospinal fluid cultures are negative or unavailable, but these tests are not definitive enough to be used