NURS 2550H Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Arenavirus, Cranial Nerves, Tetanus
26 Jun 2018
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Week 2 September 17th 2017 NURS 2550
Ch. 18- Infections of the cardiovascular and circulatory systems (p.363-367)
Zoonotic Diseases
- Any disease and/or infection that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals to
humans is classified as a zoonosis.
- Zoonoses may be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and unconventional agents such
as prions.
*Conservation Medicine: an emerging field of study that deals with relationships among
humans, animals, nonhuman hosts, and pathogens within the environment.
Brucellosis (Undulant Fever)
- Found in areas with insufficient standards for public health and domestic animal health
programs
- Infectious disease caused by various Brucella species; small, gram-negative, aerobic (or
carbon dioxide loving) coccobacilli that are adapted to intracellular replication
- These bacteria affect primarily sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, dogs and other
animals
- Zoonotic, humans become infected by contact with animals or animal products
contaminated with the bacteria
- Person-to-person spread is extremely rare; may happen with breastfeeding
- Unpasteurized milk or other dairy products
- Flu-like symptoms, including chills, excessive sweating, fever, sweats, anorexia,
weakness, headache, abdominal pain, and joint pain
- severe infections of the CNS or the lining of the heart (endocardium) may occur
- can have chronic symptoms; arthritis, undulant fever, chronic fatigue syndrome,
depression
- low mortality rate, usually able to treat with antibiotics depending on timing of
treatment and severity of infection
Tularemia
- “rabbit fever”
- caused by francisella tularensis, a gram-positive bacillus
- infects the blood and lymph nodes
- transmitted by contact with infected animals, most commonly rabbits and ground
squirrels
- can be contracted through an infected tick, deerfly, or other ingestion of contaminated
food or water
- not known to spread from person to person
- most commonly enters through an abrasion in the skin, where an ulcer will occur
- symptoms appear 3-5 days after exposure, can take up to 14
- fever, chills, headache, nausea, dizziness, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, loss of
appetite, fatigue…
- low infective dose
- can lead to sepsis if not contained
1
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Week 2 September 17th 2017 NURS 2550
- included in the bioterrorism preparedness response by the CDC
Cat Scratch Disease
- bartonella henselae, an aerobic, gram-negative, rod shaped bacterium that is found in
all parts of the world
- transmitted by cat scratches, bites, or even by exposure of saliva on broken skin or
contact with the eye
- 40% of cats (especially kittens!) carry the disease without showing symptoms at some
point in their lives
- initial bump at infection site, swelling of lymphnodes near the infection site, fever,
headache, malaise, fatigue
- treatment not usually necessary except in immunocompromised patients’ ad in severe
cases of infection
- does not pass from person to person
Rat-Bite Fever
- rare systemic infectious disease that develops after an individual has been bitten or
scratched by an infected rodent or rat, handled an infected rodent, or ingested
contaminated food or water
- the disease cannot be transmitted from person to person
- symptoms occur 2-10 days after exposure; abrupt onset of chills and fever, vomiting,
pain in the back and joints, headache and muscle pain
- approx. 2 to 4 days after the onset of the fever a rash develops on the hands and feet,
and one or more large joints may become swollen, red, and painful
- treatable with antibiotics
- complications may occur; abscesses in the brain or soft tissue, mumps, can potentially
be fatal
Vector-transmitted Diseases
- vectors are animals that can transmit infectious diseases
- flies, mites, fleas, ticks, rats…
- insects are a major cause of human mortality and morbidity due to the transmission of
infectious pathogens by blood-feeding species
- vectors are mobile which makes it difficult
Plague
- usually infected by a flea bite or infected rodent or another animal
- after the flea bite, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and proliferate the in the lymph
and blood
- can reproduce within cells
- causes swelling of the lymph nodes, especially in groin and armpits
- can be treated with antibiotics in early stages
- can lead to septic shock
2
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
18- infections of the cardiovascular and circulatory systems (p. 363-367) Any disease and/or infection that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans is classified as a zoonosis. Zoonoses may be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and unconventional agents such as prions. *conservation medicine: an emerging field of study that deals with relationships among humans, animals, nonhuman hosts, and pathogens within the environment. Found in areas with insufficient standards for public health and domestic animal health programs. Infectious disease caused by various brucella species; small, gram-negative, aerobic (or carbon dioxide loving) coccobacilli that are adapted to intracellular replication. These bacteria affect primarily sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, dogs and other animals. Zoonotic, humans become infected by contact with animals or animal products contaminated with the bacteria. Person-to-person spread is extremely rare; may happen with breastfeeding. Nurs 2550 included in the bioterrorism preparedness response by the cdc.
