Week 7 Microbiology Short Answers

     Periodontal disease is more commonly known as gum disease or gingivitis. This infection is serious enough, that it can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. This chronic infection starts around the tooth and it affects the supporting bone and gums. Periodontal disease can affect anywhere from one tooth to all thirty-two teeth. The disease pathology starts with the plaque that builds up on your teeth everyday.

In order to develop this disease, you must come into contact with a tick that caries Borrelia Burgdorferi. Some of the more common ticks that transmit this disease are the deer tick, dog tick, and lone star tick. In Indiana, there are about fifteen different species of ticks and only people and their pets encounter three. They are the dog tick, lone star tick, and blacklegged tick (www.harrisoncountyhealth.com).

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii. This type of bacteria is carried by American dog ticks and Rocky Mountain wood ticks. People get infected through a bite from a tick that is infected with the bacteria. The bite is painless and frequently goes unnoticed.

Very simple steps can be taken in order to prevent the virus, or stop it from spreading. Hand washing with hot soapy water is a must, especially if you believe you may have handled an infected surface. Most importantly, if you are not feeling well or believe you may have been infected, avoid preparing food for others and always make sure to stay home when you are sick to avoid giving it to others.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), also called blue disease [1], was first identified in the rocky mountain region of the United States but has since spread across Northern and Southern America. The disease is transmitted by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsia and is spread to humans by the Dermacentor tick species. It is a fatal illness in humans but is curable with effective antibiotic treatment of Tetracycline and Chloramphenicol which, since the 1940s has drastically decreased the number of deaths associated with RMSF. Diagnosis of the disease in the early stages is often difficult due to the diverse clinical features, therefore the disease is often referred to as “the great imitator”. Symptoms usually appear with 2-14 days of infection

Those diagnosed with Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the most severe type of spotted fever, have the rickettsia rickettsii bacterium to thank. This gram-negative obligate intracellular pathogen has varying levels of virulence, from avirulent to highly virulent, and thus the severity of the disease differs among individuals. Highly virulent strains include the Sheila Smith strain and an avirulent strain is the Iowa strain. Despite their virulence, various strains of the rickettsia rickettsii pathogen have the potential to be transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors, like ticks. The article also notes that

One of the most common Tick communicable diseases plaguing the United States today is a human transferable infection called Lyme disease, which is spread by Deer Ticks Ixodes scapularis, they are small arthropods often found in wooded areas of eastern United states (Orkin.com “Deer ticks” accessed may 8 2016); transmission of the infection occurs when an contaminated deer tick I. scapularis bites its victim transmitting the blood borne infection to its host; a bacteria called spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. (CDC) invades the body and begins it journey of destruction. Symptoms are not felt right away, yet over the

A skin rash called erythema migrans (Bulls- eye lesion) is seen in 70 to 80% of patients who have LD, which develops seven to ten days after a tick bite. The second stage occurs several weeks to months after the tick bite. The spirochetes spreads to lymph nodes and the blood causing disseminated skin lesions. If not treated, meningitis, facial palsy, heart block, and carditis may occur in some patients. The late persistent stage occurs months to years after initial infection. If patients are untreated, joints and muscle pain, arthritis of big joints, sleep disturbance, numbness, ataxia, and mood changes may occur (McPhee & Papadakis, 2015.p. 1488).

Gum disease or periodontal disease is caused by a sticky film of bacteria that has formed in tiny pockets around your teeth. The sticky bacteria called plaque. Plaque causes the tissues that support your teeth get infected. Gum disease can cause the loss of teeth, tissue, and bone. Chronic periodontitis affects 47.2% of adults over 30 in the United States” (Gum Disease, MouthHealthy.Org). However, according to the book, A Wellness Way of Life by Robbins, Powers, and Burgess; “Gum disease can increase inflammation and can be prevented by practicing good oral health (i.e. flossing every day and brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day)” (A Wellness Way of Life,

Periodontal disease has two categories to classify that is known as gingivitis and periodontitis. Periodontal disease is known as a “bacteria infection that induces an inflammatory response in the periodontal tissue”(230 Gehrig,J).

Gum diseases (sometimes called PERIODONTAL or GINGIVAL DISEASES) are infections that harm the gum and bone that hold teeth in place. When plaque stays on your teeth too long, it forms a hard, harmful covering, called TARTAR, that brushing doesn't clean. The longer the plaque and tartar stay on your teeth, the more damage they cause. This is called GINGIVITIS. If gingivitis is not treated, over time it can make your gums pull away from your teeth and form pockets that can get infected. This is called PERIODONTITIS. If not treated, this infection can ruin the bones, gums, and tissue that support your teeth. In time, it can cause loose teeth that your dentist may have to remove.

Chronic periodontitis has been identified as the most prevalent form of periodontitis affecting the adults and occasionally the adolescents and children.(Merin, 2015) This periodontal disease of inflammatory origin is thought to be the result of host immune response against bacterial colonies in the subgingival plaque.(Merin, 2015) In many cases, systemic and environmental factors play a significant role in the disease progression. Common risk factors such as uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and smoking, contribute to periodontal destruction in genetically susceptible individuals by modifying the host’s immune reactions towards periodontal pathogens. Clinically, the diagnosis of chronic periodontitis is made based on the presence of supragingival and subgingival plaque and calculus, signs of gingival inflammation, periodontal attachment loss and radiographic bone loss. Chronic periodontitis can be further classified based on the extent and severity of periodontal destruction. Localised chronic periodontitis is diagnosed when less than 30% of the sites are affected; whereas the generalised form of the disease affects more than 30% of the sites. The severity of the disease is determined by the amount of clinical attachment loss. It is classified as mild, moderate or severe when 1-2mm, 3-4mm or 5mm or more attachment loss is recorded respectively. (Merin, 2015)

Periodontitis is an infectious disease that affects all organs of the tooth structure: gums, root surface, bone and ligaments that tooth is attached to the bone. Periodontitis begins inconspicuously as gingivitis, which is manifested mainly by bleeding. Later, the inflammation spreads to the depth and results in a progressive loss of bone. Gums begin to recede, the roots of the teeth is exposed arise periodontal swelling and pus. Teeth start to wobble, spacing and release. The decisive factor is the quality of oral hygiene, not

According to the CDC, there are several ways to prevent the spread of C. hominis. Practicing good hygiene is of utmost importance. Washing hands with soap and warm water frequently is one of the best ways to prevent infection. Infected children should be kept home from daycare and school to prevent infection from spreading to their peers. Persons using pools and other public water sources should shower before entering the water and ensure children are clean before entering the water. Minimizing contact with animal feces by wearing protective gloves during clean up and disposal and washing hands after contact.

Residence within host gingival epithelia cells provides bacteria with a nutrient-rich, generally reducing environment that is partially protected from the host immune system. Accessing this secure environment isvital in the early stages of sulcus colonization by periodontal bacteria, as low numbers of bacteria are susceptible to clearance by immune mechanisms. While this does not immediately contribute to disease, invasive bacteria use the intracellular location to safely persist and replicate. The main bacteria focused in this essay isP. gingivalis. It is a gram-negative anaerobic bacteria that is associated with more severe forms of the periodontal disease.P. gingivalisuses many mechanisms for adhesion and internalisation into host cells such a frimbriae, gingipains, and proteolytic enzymes. These and other processes cause induction of host’s immune-inflammatory activity, which affects the structures supporting the teeth. This may also lead to the destruction of the surrounding bone and connective tissue, and ultimately tooth loss.