BIO 205

Chapters 9 and 10
Diseases of the Upper Respiratory Tract
Bacterial Meningitis Can Be Life
Threatening

•The meninges are three

membranous coverings of the
brain and spinal cord

•Bacterial meningitis can be

caused by several bacterial
species

•Neisseria meningitidis causes

meningococcal meningitis

•It is spread through person-to-

person transfer of large droplet
respiratory secretions
 Streptococcus
pneumoniae
•In young children, meningococcal
meningitis can cause Waterhouse-
Friderichsen syndrome

•This results in hormone

imbalances

•Streptococcus pneumoniae causes

pneumococcal meningitis, as well
as pneumonia

•Haemophilus influenzae type b

was once thought to cause
influenza, but actually causes
Haemophilus meningitis
Haemophilus
influenzae
– All 3 species can cross the blood-brain barrier,
inflaming the meninges
– This causes pressure on the brain and spinal
cord
– The disease can cause:
• deafness
• blindness
• paralysis

• if untreated it can lead

to coma and death

– Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial

meningitis and vaccines are available
Diseases of the Lower Respiratory Tract
• Tuberculosis Is a Major Cause of Death Worldwide
– 2 million people die of TB every year, globally

– Mycobacterium tuberculosis enters the respiratory

tract in small aerosolized droplets
– About 90% of people who carry latent
tuberculosis will never develop an active
infection
• They may never even know they are
infected

– Clinical TB develops within 3 months, and can

be transmitted to others

– Sputum coughed from the lower respiratory

tract may contain blood
– Macrophages accumulate
in the lung

• They form a tubercle

that harbors M.
tuberculosis

– If a tubercle breaks apart,

bacteria spread throughout
the body
– Miliary tuberculosis is the development of
active tubercles throughout the body

– The tuberculin reaction in the Mantoux test can

be used for early detection of TB exposure

– Multidrug-resistance Mycobacterium
tuberculosis is affecting which antibiotics are
used to treat TB

– TB is a particularly big problem for AIDS

patients
Introduction to Foodborne and Waterborne
Bacterial Diseases
Many Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Have a Bacterial Cause

Intoxications are illnesses in which bacterial toxins are ingested

with food and water

Infections are illnesses in which live bacterial pathogens in food

and water are ingested

– The incubation period is the time between

• consumption of contaminated material
• appearance of symptoms

– Clinical symptoms and duration of illness depend on:

• the toxin or microbe
• the infectious dose
– Demographics can make individuals more or less prone to
food/waterborne illness
• For example, age or sanitary conditions
• There Are Several Ways Foods or Water Become
Contaminated
– Meat can be infected during improper slaughter procedure

– Fruits and vegetables can be washed with contaminated water

– Infected humans can contaminate food they handle through the

fecal-oral route

– Cross-contamination can occur:

• between foods
• via knife, cutting board, etc.

– Water contamination can occur by defecation of infected

individuals in public water sources

– Improperly stored foods can contain large numbers of

pathogens because of rapid multiplication
Cholera Can Involve Enormous Fluid Loss
Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae
V. cholerae are often consumed with raw oysters
and water
The cells are susceptible to stomach acid
A large infectious dose is needed to colonize the
intestines
•Cholera toxin causes unrelenting loss of fluid and
electrolytes through diarrhea (up to 1 L/hour)

•In untreated, fluid loss thickens the blood, leading to

shock and coma

•Antibiotics and restoration of water and electrolyte

balance are effective in treatment

•Vaccines using dead V. cholerae are available

V. cholerae
E. coli Diarrheas Cause Various Forms of Gastroenteritis

Escherichia coli is normally found in the human intestine,

but certain serotypes are pathogenic

Transmission occurs through the fecal-oral route

E. coli
Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) penetrate the intestinal
epithelium and produce a toxin that causes
gastroenteritis
a.k.a. traveler’s diarrhea
Enterophatogenic E. coli (EPEC) cause diarrhea in
infants, particularly where sanitation is lacking
•Enterohermorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is often transmitted by undercooked ground
beef (or bagged spinach!)

•The most common form is O157:H7

•Contamination also occurs in unpasteurized milk and juice, sprouts, lettuce, and
salami

•Infection can occur from contact with cattle or swimming in/consuming

contaminated water

•A small infectious does causes hemorrhagic colitis 1-8 days after infection

•Complications can occur in young children or the elderly, but most cases resolve
in 5-10 days
End of Chapters 9 and 10