Pathogens and Disease

Dr A.Aziz Djamal
MSc.DTM&H.SpMK(K)

Pathogens ?
Patho

: Broken, derangement, deformity.

Gen : Genetic
Any living organism that contain or
bringing a destruction trait in its genome.
Extracellular product : Toxin, Enzyme,
invasive material.
Destructive structural materials: capsule,
LPS.

Non pathogens
Any

living organism that do not contain or

bringing any destructive traits in its
genome.
Commensals, Normal Flora.
In between : Opportunistic

What is a Pathogen?
Applied

term : Any living organism that

may cause disease
Including:
Viruses
Bacteria
Fungi
Protozoa
Flatworms
Roundworms

Viruses
Ebola

Considered
Two

Non-Cellular

Parts:

A Capsid:

protein coat
A Nucleic Acid: DNA or RNA
Function:

HIV

Reproduction (Replication, actually)

Method: Hijack a living host cell and use
its cellular machinery to replicate and
build new virus particles.

Non-cellular
Relatively

simple structure.
No Ribosome- No Synthetic ability.
No-energy yielding mechanism.
Absolutely depend on its cellular host.
Absolutely parasitic.
Biologic activity could be traced
Intracellular.
Extracellular non living creature ( particle )

Viral Potency as pathogen

Very

difficult to handle, intracellular site.

No antibiotic target.
Easy to do mutation due to environment .
Many cellular / organism reservoir.

Virus caused disease

Mostly

Organ / Target Specific depend on

the availability of receptor protein.
CD4 protein for HIV at T Helper Cell.
Specific viral structure/protein play as
attachment appendages.

Process of Viral Infection

Attachment.
Synthesis
Penetration.
Assembly.
Uncoating.
Release of newRelease of free genome. Viruses.
Transcription
Translation.
Replication

Cellular / Organ defect

CPE

( Citopathic effect )- Cell death.

Unassembly protein.
Immunopathologic trigger.
Fusion with host cellular genomeOncogenic Virus

Virus Examples
HIV: Human

Immunodeficiency Virus

Targets T-Cells

(Immune Cells)

Influenza
Rhinovirus
Small

Pox

Polio
Ebola,

Marburg, Hantavirus
Herpes (different simplexes)

Bacteria
Escherichia coli

Most

Staphylococcus aureus

are not pathogenic (major

decomposers, major photosynthesizers,
critical components for many ecosystems)
All prokaryotic, unicellular
Parasitic strains and those that produce
toxic byproducts are pathogenic
Most pathogenic varieties form colonies
and can be grown on TSA plates

Bacteria is a cell
Can

live autonome.
Contain necessary cellular appendages.
Protein synthesis.
Complex energy yielding mechanism.
Intra and Extracellular.
Really Infection- Invasive.

Bacteria in human body

Mostly

normal flora : Intestine, Vagina,

Skin.
A small number is pathogen.
Some are opportunistic.
Contain target site for antibiotic
destruction point.
Relatively contain reserved stable genome
fragment.

How bacteria cause disease

Extracellular

product : Toxin, enzyme,

hemolysin etc.
Toxic structure : LPS ( endotoxin ).
Antiphagocytic.
Complement Induction.
Immunopathology.

Bacteria Examples
Cocci:

Staphylococcus (Staph),
Streptococcus (Strep Throat)
Bacilli: Escherichia coli (E. coli; 0157:H7),
Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax), Clostridium
botulinum (Botulism Toxin Producer)
Spirilla: Campylobacter jejuni (causes
diarrhea esp. in children), Helicobacter
pylori (causes peptic ulcers)

FUNGI
MultiCellular-

Mold.
Unicellular- Yeast.
Mostly opportunistic.
Superficial Fungi.
Dermatophyta
Deep/Systemic Mycoses.
Eukaryotic Cell

Multicellular Fungi
Structure : Hypha/ Mycelium.
Spora/ Microsporangium
Ex. Dermatophyta
Aspergillus

Dermatophyta
Keratolytic

product./ Skin , Hair and Nail

Ex. Trichophyton.
Epidermaphyton.
Microsporum
Disease : Ring worm

Aspergillus
Hyphae.
Vesicle
Pedicle
Sporangium
Easily

contaminate other material.

Afla Toxin.

Yeast
Candida
Reproduction

: Budding
Inflammation- due to extracllular product.
Opportunistic.
Ex. C. Albicans

Deep Mycoses
Mostly

Lung infection.
Ex. Histoplasma capsulatum.
Blastomycoses brasiliensis.
etc.
Inhalasi inflamasi lung destruction.
Dimorphic form.

Pathogenetic
Destructive

Extracelluler product.
Toxin : Afla toxin - Hepatotoxic
Triggering Hypersensitivity.
Slightly Immunopathologis.
Dimorphism.

Reproduction
Mostly Asexual

: Hyphae.
Spora.
Sexual ( a few species )

Fungi
Decomposers

that occasionally dont wait

until an organism is dead to feed on it
Examples: Valley Fever (lung), Ringworm
(skin), Athletes Foot (skin)
Most are surface/epidermal, some (rarely)
become invasive

Protozoa
Protozoa

are unicellular animal-like

protists (motile)
Pathogenic examples include:
Giardia
Cryptosporidium
Trypanosoma

Many

have insect
vectors

Giardia

Flatworms
Flatworms

belong to a group called

platyhelminthes
Many are parasitic
Examples include:
Tapeworms
Flukes

(liver fluke)
Schistosoma

Roundworms
Roundworms

are nematodes that range in

size from macroscopic to microscopic
Many parasitic roundworms inhabit the
intestines of a host organism
Examples include:
Pinworms

like Enterobius vermicularis

Hookworms like Necator and Ancylostoma
Trichinella spiralis (larvae migrate to muscle)

Round worm
Ascaris

lumbricoides .
Necator americanus Ankylostoma
duodenale.
Strongyloides stercoralis.
Trichinella spiralis.
Trichuris trichiura.

Disease Transmission
Direct

Contact: Person to person

communicable (mononucleosis)
Kissing
Shaking

hands
Touching open wounds or sores
Sexual contact body fluids

Disease Transmission
Indirect

Contact:

Objects

doorknobs, telephones, ect...

Air (tuberculosis)
Food (botulism)
Water (typhoid fever)
Vectors
Animal

Bites disease to organism to

humans (rabies, West Nile virus)

Disease Transmission
Portals of Entry
Respiratory Tract

nose, mouth, lungs

Gastrointestingal Tract throat, stomach,
intestines
Mucous Membranes nose, eyes, etc.
Penetration bites, cuts, injections

Opportunistic Pathogens
MDR TB

and Staph Infections

Malaria (hiding in liver cells)
HIV attacking T-cells and rapid mutation
Influenza and Rhinovirus rapid mutation
rate (flu shots every year)

Prevention/Treatment Options
Antibiotics
Attack

existing bacterial infections only

Began with Penicillin (1928 Fleming)
Resistance observed rapidly
Overuse,

Incompletion of Prescription, Livestock

application

Vaccinations
Prepare

an immune system in advance of a viral

(usually) or bacterial infection (i.e. tetanus)
Dead or inactive parts of a pathogen or synthetic

HIV
Blood-born

pathogen
Transmitted via:
Sexual

Contact
Used Hypodermic Needles
Early Blood Transfusions (pre-testing)
Uses

only Helper T-Cells for replication

Compromises Immune Response
Rapidly mutates differently in each host
Not a cause of death
Subsequent

infections finish off host

Social Implications
HIV

in Sub-Saharan Africa:

22.5

million people living with it by 2008

1.7 million contracted it this year.
11 million orphans as a direct result
Varies widely from country to country
Impacts are widespread and threaten to hold up/roll
back decades of progress/economic development
Causes: poor education system (lack of basic
understanding), lack of access to contraceptives,
employment situations...
Insult to Injury: lack of quality health care or testing,
lack of funds for ARV drugs, poor sanitation
(additional diseases)