Diseases

Question 1

What is the cause of tuberculosis?

Answer 1

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (bacterium)

Question 2

What are the general characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis?

Answer 2

• acid fast

- rod shaped

Question 3

What is the route of transmission of tuberculosis?

Answer 3

through air (coughing and sneezing)

Question 4

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?

Answer 4

Long lasting cough (weeks), chest pain, coughing up blood/sputum, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, chills, fever, and night sweats

Question 5

What is the cause of bubonic plague?

Answer 5

Yersinia pestis (bacterium)

Question 6

What are the general characteristics of Yersinia pestis?

Answer 6

• gram negative

- rod shaped

Question 7

What is the route of transmission of bubonic plauge?

Answer 7

• Bite of an infected flea or exposure to infected material through a break in the skin (infected fleas from rats are most common)
• Vector-borne
• Prairie dogs, cats

Question 8

What are the symptoms of bubonic plague?

Answer 8

Fever, headache, chills, weakness, swollen and painful lymph nodes (buboes)

Question 9

What is the cause of tetanus?

Answer 9

Clostridium tetani (bacterium)

Question 10

What are the general characteristics of Clostridium tetani?

Answer 10

• Gram-positive

- Rod shaped

Question 11

What is the route of transmission of tetanus?

Answer 11

• Environmental (soil, dust, manure) - forms endospores

- Broken skin, usually caused by contaminated objects

Question 12

What are the symptoms of tetanus?

Answer 12

Headache, muscle spasms (including in the jaw - lockjaw), painful muscle stiffness, trouble swallowing, seizures, fever and sweating, high blood pressure and elevated heart rate

Question 13

What is the cause of smallpox?

Answer 13

Genus Orthopoxvirus

Question 14

What are the general characteristics of Genus Orthopoxvirus?

Answer 14

• Ovoid (egg shaped)

- dsDNA genome

Question 15

What is the route of transmission of smallpox?

Answer 15

• Person to person
• Usually, direct and prolonged face to face contact
• Bodily fluids or contaminated objects
• Air transmission is rare

Question 16

What are the symptoms of smallpox?

Answer 16

• General ill feeling (fever, achiness, and high fever)

- Followed by rash (starts in mouth), then bumps filled with fluid that become hard and scab

Question 17

What is the cause of rabies?

Answer 17

Lyssaviruses

Question 18

What are the general characteristics of Lyssaviruses?

Answer 18

• RNA genome

- “Bullet” shape (one flat end and one curved end)

Question 19

What is the route of transmission of rabies?

Answer 19

Infected saliva is passed into an uninfected animal/individual (usually animal to human)

Question 20

What are the symptoms of rabies?

Answer 20

• Flu like symptoms initially along with discomfort around the bite location
• Progresses to neurological symptoms (confusion, agitation, hallucinations, insomnia, etc.)

Question 21

What is the cause of pertussis?

Answer 21

Bordetella pertussis (bacterium)

Question 22

What are the general characteristics of Bordetella pertussis?

Answer 22

• Gram-negative

- Coccobacillus (very short rod)

Question 23

What is the route of transmission of pertussis?

Answer 23

• Person to person

- Coughing, sneezing, or close contact

Question 24

What are the symptoms of pertussis?

Answer 24

• Similar to cold initially (runny nose, low grade fever, occasional cough, and pauses in breathing for infants)
• After 1 to 2 weeks, severe coughing fits (lead to characteristic “whooping” sound; coughing can be hard enough to break ribs), vomiting, and exhaustion (this stage can last up to 10 weeks)