Concept Questions

Take some time to write answers to these questions. If you can answer them, you have a good grasp of the material!

1. Why are bacteria such as Pseudomonas and coliforms so often involved in nosocomial infections?

2. Briefly describe the human infections caused by Pseudomonas, Brucella, and Francisella. How are they similar? How are they different?

3. What is the pathologic effect of whooping cough? What factors cause it to predominate in newborn infants?

4. What is unusual about Legionella? What is the epidemiologic pattern of the disease?

5. Describe the chain of events that result in endotoxic shock. Describe the key symptoms of endotoxemia. Differentiate between toxigenic diarrhea and infectious diarrhea.

6. Describe what each of the following bacteria is: an enteric bacterium, a coliform, and a noncoliform. Which bacteria in the Family Enterobacteriaceae are true enteric pathogens? What are opportunists?

7. Briefly describe the methods used to isolate and identify enterics. What is the basis of serological tests, and what is their main use for enterics?

8. Explain how E. coli can develop increased pathogenicity. Describe the kinds of infections for which E. coli is primarily responsible. Describe the roles of other coliforms in infections.

9. What is salmonellosis? What is the pattern of typhoid fever? How does the carrier state occur? What is the main source of the other salmonelloses? What kinds of infections do salmonellas cause? What causes the blood and mucus in dysentery?

10. Explain several practices an individual can use to avoid enteric infection and disease at home and when traveling.

11. Trace the epidemiologic cycle of plague. Compare the portal of entry of bubonic plague with that of pneumonic plague. Why is plague called the black death?

12. Describe the epidemiology and pathology of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis.

13. Compare the types of food-related illness discussed in this chapter according to: the Gram reaction of the agent, whether it is a food infection or intoxication, and the kinds of food involved.

14. List the bacteria from this chapter for which general, routine vaccines are given. For which special groups of bacteria are there vaccines? For which bacteria are there none? Why are there no vaccines for these?

15. Briefly outline the zoonotic infections in this chapter, and describe how they are spread to humans.

16. Give the portal of entry and target tissues for plague, pertussis, legionellosis, and shigellosis. Which are primary pulmonary pathogens? Compare and contrast the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of meningococcal meningitis and Haemophilus influenzae meningitis.

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