Textbook Question
This organism causes meningitis and is transmitted mainly by the inhalation of dried, contaminated bird droppings. Infections are treated with amphotericin B and flucytosine.
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Ch. 22 - Microbial Diseases of the Nervous System
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - The Microbial World and You18
- Ch. 2 - Chemical Principles20
- Ch. 3 - Observing Microorganisms Through a Microscope18
- Ch. 4 - Functional Anatomy of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells21
- Ch. 5 - Microbial Metabolism20
- Ch. 6 - Microbial Growth20
- Ch. 7 - The Control of Microbial Growth20
- Ch. 8 - Microbial Genetics19
- Ch. 9 - Biotechnology & DNA Technology20
- Ch. 10 - Classification of Microorganisms15
- Ch. 11 - The Prokaryotes: Domains Bacteria and Archaea14
- Ch. 12 - The Eukaryotes: Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths17
- Ch. 13 - Viruses, Viroids, and Prions20
- Ch. 14 - Principles of Disease and Epidemiology21
- Ch. 15 - Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity19
- Ch. 16 - Innate Immunity: Nonspecific Defenses of the Host20
- Ch. 17 - Adaptive Immunity: Specific Defenses of the Host20
- Ch. 18 - Practical Applications of Immunology20
- Ch. 19 - Disorders Associated with the Immune System19
- Ch. 20 - Antimicrobial Drugs19
- Ch. 21 - Microbial Diseases of the Skin and Eyes21
- Ch. 22 - Microbial Diseases of the Nervous System19
- Ch. 23 - Microbial Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems20
- Ch. 24 - Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System20
- Ch. 25 - Microbial Diseases of the Digestive System20
- Ch. 26 - Microbial Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive Systems19
- Ch. 27 - Environmental Microbiology20
- Ch. 28 - Applied and Industrial Microbiology19
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 22, Problem 9
Provide evidence that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is caused by a transmissible agent.
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Understand that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by rapid dementia and spongiform changes in the brain, which suggests an infectious etiology despite the absence of conventional pathogens like bacteria or viruses.
Review historical experiments where brain tissue from CJD patients was inoculated into healthy animals (such as primates or rodents) and observe whether these animals developed similar neurological symptoms, indicating transmission of the disease.
Examine the resistance of the infectious agent to treatments that typically destroy nucleic acids (like UV radiation or nucleases), which supports the idea that the agent is a proteinaceous infectious particle (prion) rather than a conventional microorganism.
Analyze biochemical evidence showing the presence of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein (PrP^Sc) in infected brain tissue, which can induce misfolding of normal prion proteins (PrP^C) in recipient organisms, thus propagating the disease.
Consider epidemiological data demonstrating cases of CJD transmission through contaminated surgical instruments, corneal transplants, or growth hormone treatments, providing real-world evidence of a transmissible agent causing the disease.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Prion Theory
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that induce abnormal folding of normal cellular proteins. Unlike viruses or bacteria, prions lack nucleic acids but are infectious and can transmit disease by converting normal proteins into the pathogenic form.
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Prions
Transmission Experiments
Evidence for transmissibility comes from experiments where brain tissue from CJD patients is inoculated into healthy animals, leading to disease development. This demonstrates that the agent causing CJD can be transmitted and cause infection, fulfilling Koch’s postulates for infectious agents.
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08:56The Griffith Experiment
Resistance to Conventional Sterilization
The infectious agent in CJD is resistant to standard sterilization methods that destroy bacteria and viruses, such as heat and radiation. This unusual resistance supports the idea that the agent is a prion, a proteinaceous infectious particle, rather than a conventional microorganism.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Outline the procedures for treating rabies after exposure. Outline the procedures for preventing rabies prior to exposure. What is the reason for the differences in the procedures?
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Textbook Question
Match the following choices to the statements in questions 7 and 8:
a. antirabies antibodies
b. HDC
Used for passive immunization.
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Textbook Question
On the following figure, identify the portal of entry of H. influenzae, C. tetani, botulinum toxin, M. leprae, poliovirus, Lyssavirus, arboviruses, and Acanthamoeba.
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Textbook Question
Use the following choices to answer the question given below:
a. Cryptococcus
b. Haemophilus
c. Listeria
d. Naegleria
e. Neisseria
Microscopic examination of cerebrospinal fluid from a person who washes windows on a building in a large city reveals ovoid cells.
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Textbook Question
Use the following choices to answer the question given below:
a. Cryptococcus
b. Haemophilus
c. Listeria
d. Naegleria
e. Neisseria
Microscopic examination of cerebrospinal fluid reveals gram-positive rods.
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