Define R0
R0 = the number of secondary cases arising from each primary case - it relates to the contagiousness of the disease, the higher the R0 the more likely a pathogen is to cause an epidemic
Name the two major Fungi groups - give some examples
Yeast
Mould
Define a parasite
A parasite is an organism which exploits another for the purpose of staying alive - parasites do not form symbiotic relationships because they do not contribute to the other organism, instead they depend on them for food/energy.
Parasitic infections can be harmless or pathogenic
What is the difference between an ectoparasite and an endoparasite? Give examples
Ectoparasite
Endoparasite
(a) What two hosts can schistoma species infect?
(b) How do schistoma spread?
(c) What disease do they cause?
(a) Freshwater snails & humans
(b) Contaminated water
(c) Schistomaniasis
(a) What disease do onchocerciasis cause?
(b) What type of parasite is onchocerciasis?
(c) What is the intermediate host?
(a) River blindness
(b) Parasitic Worm - nematode
(c) blackfly
(a) Name one of the major soil transmitted helminths?
(b) What diseases to STHs cause?
(a) Hookworm
(b) Intestinal Worms
(a) What are the two hosts of tapeworm?
(b) How is tapeworm transmitted?
(a) Human & Pig
(b) Via contaminated, undercooked pork & through human stool
What is the major causative pathogen of UK cases of malaria?
Falciparum malaria
What are the risk factors for developing malaria in the UK?
What causes malaria?
Plasmodium (a protozoan parasite)
How is malaria transmitted?
Female anopholes (mosquito)
Outline the lifecycle of plasmodium
*Human Host = asexual phase, Mosquito Host = sexual *
Outline the major diagnostic points for malaria
History
Signs & Symptoms
**Investigations **
Confirmation
Describe the treatment of malaria
Treatment varies depending on whether it is falciparum or non-falciparum malaria
Define viruses
Virsues are infectious obligate intracellualr parasites
What are two key features of viruses?
**Structural Simplicity **
Intracellular Parasitism
Briefly name and describe the categories of the Baltimore Classification
Outline the general stages of the viral lifecycle
Outline how viral entry differs for enveloped and non-enveloped viruses
What kind of virus is influenza?
Class V = enveloped negative sense, segmented RNA
What is unique about the lifecycle of influenza?
Influenza encodes two proteins - sialic acid (binds to host membrane) and haemagglutinin (facilitates fusion and entry) which re importnt for entry into the host cell
Define the following terms:
What are the major routes of transmission