21. Principles of Disease

Certain pathogens, like Staphylococcus aureus, hide within host cells to avoid being phagocytosed by immune cells. What other advantageous reasons would a pathogen have for hiding within host cells?

All of the following are methods that pathogens use to avoid phagocytosis by immune cells except which of these answers?

Which of the following does not represent the same mechanism for avoiding host defenses as the others?

a. Rabies virus attaches to the receptor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

b. Salmonella attaches to the receptor for epidermal growth factor.

c. Lymphocryptovirus (mononucleosis) virus binds to the host receptor for complement protein.

d. Surface protein genes in N. gonorrhoeae mutate frequently.

e. none of the above

A 12-year-old child hospitalized for Guillain-Barré syndrome had a 4-day history of headache, dizziness, fever, sore throat, and weakness of legs. Seizures began 2 weeks later. Bacterial cultures were negative. The child died 3 weeks after hospitalization. An autopsy revealed inclusions in brain cells that tested positive in an immunofluorescence test. This patient probably had

a. rabies.

b. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

c. botulism.

d. tetanus.

e. leprosy.

After receiving a corneal transplant, a patient developed dementia and loss of motor function, then became comatose and died. Cultures were negative. Serological tests were negative. Autopsy revealed spongiform degeneration of brain tissue. The patient most likely had

a. rabies.

b. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

c. botulism.

d. tetanus.

e. leprosy.

Given that resistant strains of pathogens are a concern to the general health of a population, what can be done to prevent their development?