Meningitis!!! (1 Viewer)

[maybelle6]

Hi there, I have an assignment due on Tues on Infectious Diseases and my chosen was Meningitis. Ive found its pretty hard as there are so many different types and was wondering if anyone would be able to help with one of the questions.

- Outline the host response to the disease

I thought that this meant the symptoms but it cant as theres also another question on symptoms???

Any help would b good . . . .

 

[yvettemaree47]

I did a quick google search and the host response seems to be the reaction of the person's body to that particular disease, e.g. organ failure, death, etc.

 

[zingerburger]

Generally, with all infectious diseases, part of the host response is where the immune system is triggered to create antibodies to fight the disease. Try www.vaccineplace.com for a good summary of how the immune system and antibodies work.

 

[Survivor39]

Meningitis is not a bad choice. Please remember that meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges that surround the brain.

Meningitis can be viral or bacterial. It would be good if you define which one you would like to do. I think a common form of meningitis is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria menigitidis.

Host responses are NOT symptoms. Host responses are what the host (human in this case) does when the pathogen invades the body. For example, one host response when Neisseria menigitidis attack the brain is the production of antibodies to try to bind to the surface antigens of the bacteria. You need to do more research here to outline the various host repsonse.

Symptoms are the identifiable characteristics of the disease. In this case, symptoms of bacterial meningitis are fever, stiff necks, and headache.

Other bacteria that can also cause meningitis are Streptococcus pneuminiae and E. coli.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

itis = inflammation.. ..

the host response is different depending on the caustive agent.. if i were u id focus on the bacteria... which is traditionally an antibody production response... (not completely true since the concentration of normal immune factors in the CSF (aka brain water) is less than in blood but then which yr 12 bio marker tend to have a recent PhD in bacterial meningitis? ).

interesting to note is that.. meningitis has a high rate of death because of a poor host defence in the CSF (google it.. im not explaining all the acronyms).

80% are traditionally quoted as being caused by encapsulated bacteria.. S Pneumoniae, N Meningitidis, haemophilus influenza type B...

there are also viral, fungal causes that also exist.. rare.. but u need to realise these are different responses so u cant realli generalise

also u have to realli talk about "acute" (like one off attacks..) some ppl get chronic meningitis.. which would be different in the host response.. hence why they still have it or arent dead yet..

id word it.. "Acute bacterial meningitis caused by S Pneumonia [ or watever you pick]".. this will just prepare the assessor to see if u know how a bacterial host response is mounted..

1st 3-4 paragraphs of pathophysiology will help u http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2613.htm

Survivor39: actualli the clinical triad of "classic" symptoms for meningitis is the neck stiffness, mental state changes and fever. headache is too non-specific.

 

[Survivor39]

Point: the initial symptoms of menigitis are quite non-specific anyway. Stop trying to show off.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

of course they arent.. but so is the flu.. however initial in medicine is the 1st day.. not the 1st hr... the meningitis 'triad' pops up about 4-6 hrs into the inflammation..

i deal in facts not speculation..

there are something lik 70ish catagories of things that cause headaches... trust me.. not every headache is meninigitis.. and srsly.. if someone makes me a referral for a headache suspected of being meningitis.. i will find where u live.. and slap u.. (<-actualli trauma is one of the 70ish causes of headaches) =).. mental state changes are more important in meningitis..

 

[maybelle6]

Thanks for all the help, one more thing would anyone be able to find me some good graphs or pics for meningitis??? thanks a bunch

 

[Survivor39]

maybelle6, unfortunately we are here only to guide you, not to do your assignment.

 

[Survivor39]

i deal in facts not speculation..

Yes after all, it's your job to deal with the symptoms, and mine to find the underlying pathogenesis

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

Yes after all, it's your job to deal with the symptoms, and mine to find the underlying pathogenesis

exactly and i agree we arent here do the assignment.. i think we have given plenty of information..

interestingly the pathogenesis of meningitis is curious cos we can chart its severity compared to say pneumonia by the same species of bacteria but the host defenses are quite different... leading to a different severity in changes in the symptomatology... food for thought i guess