Name That Pathogen!

[Mr hawkings]

Conehead sperm. It infects oocytes and causes birth defects such as Aykroydism and an increased likelihood of Narflethegarthok syndrome later in life.

How stupid am i? I only just got the joke.

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[themule]

Bump. NNNNUUUUUURRRRRRSSSSSSSEEEEE what's the answer?

 

[bodonid]

while our host takes his latest hiatus, I'll give you another

there's a pathogen "amoung us":

http://www.scielo.org.ar/img/revistas/abcl/v40n3/3a12f3.jpg

 

[146233]

while our host takes his latest hiatus, I'll give you another

there's a pathogen "amoung us":

http://www.scielo.org.ar/img/revistas/abcl/v40n3/3a12f3.jpg

I'd say Histoplasma capsulatum; leads to histoplasmosis.

 

[OncoCaP]

while our host takes his latest hiatus, I'll give you another

there's a pathogen "amoung us":

http://www.scielo.org.ar/img/revistas/abcl/v40n3/3a12f3.jpg

An enveloped virus. Hard to say which one. Could be influenza I guess. Maybe even HIV.

 

[bodonid]

An enveloped virus. Hard to say which one. Could be influenza I guess. Maybe even HIV.

hmm... I thought this one was easier than the last one. Well, it is a fungus amoung us, so Zipmedic was on the right track; this particular budding style illustrated is indicative of the pathogen's identity, but not Histo...

edit/spoiler alert- Histoplasma capsulatum really is incredibly close. I was going for the "ship's wheel" appearance with many, narrow based buds of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis..

 

[146233]

Drat! Good one.

Here's one to get us through New Year's Day (and hopefully no one got it last night!):

 

[OncoCaP]

Drat! Good one.

Here's one to get us through New Year's Day (and hopefully no one got it last night!):

Treponema pallidum

 

[mlw47]

while our host takes his latest hiatus, I'll give you another

there's a pathogen "amoung us":

http://www.scielo.org.ar/img/revistas/abcl/v40n3/3a12f3.jpg

Is this the broad-based budding Blastomyces dermatitidis that causes blastomycosis?

 

[146233]

Treponema pallidum

 

[OncoCaP]

Name this "pathogen." Belay et al (2005)

Edited image caption: Frontal cerebral cortex of the patient who died of this disease in the United States. Marked astroglial reaction is shown, occasionally with relatively large florid plaques surrounded by vacuoles (arrow in inset) (hematoxylin and eosin stain, original magnification ×40).

Case Report
In early November 2001, a 22-year-old woman living in Florida was
evaluated for depression and memory loss that adversely
affected her work performance and may have contributed
to a traffic ticket she received for failure to yield the right
of way at a traffic sign.

In December 2001, the patient
developed involuntary movements, gait disturbances, difficulty
dressing, and incontinence. The following month,
she was taken to a local emergency department; a computed
tomographic scan of her brain showed no abnormalities,
a diagnosis of panic attack was made, and antianxiety
medications were prescribed.

In late January 2002, the patient was transported to the
United Kingdom, where her mother resided. During the
ensuing 3 months, the patient's motor and cognitive
deficits worsened, which caused falls resulting in minor
injuries; she had difficulty taking care of herself, remembering
her home telephone number, and making accurate
mathematical calculations. She also experienced confusion,
hallucination, dysarthria, bradykinesia, and spasticity.
An electroencephalogram evaluation showed no
abnormalities, but a brain magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) study showed the characteristic signal abnormalities
in the pulvinar and metathalamic regions .... Western blot
and immunohistochemical analyses of tonsillar biopsy tissue ...
supported the diagnosis....

(No, the 22 yo female is not suffering from medical schoolitis or post-call ;-) )

 

[soonereng]

Name this "pathogen." Belay et al (2005)

I wasn't going to post again in this thread but I'm bored, so how about prion...specifically vCJD?

 

[OncoCaP]

I wasn't going to post again in this thread but I'm bored, so how about prion...specifically vCJD?

 

[Climberak]

Definately not E.coli. It does look like a biofilm but i'm gonna go with C.difficile.

Pseudomembraneous colitis.

Correct! We have a 3 way tie for 1st place:


Hall of Fame
1) themule +2
1) cpants +2
1) Mr hawkings +2
4) Beachblonde +1

Since you all are quite good an naming these pathogens, I will give no more hints until sufficient time has passed.

 

[Mr hawkings]

You got me there

 

[themule]

I'm out too. I can't even tell what's host and what's not.

 

[Climberak]

Ok, time for a hint...


Think: pestilence.

 

[Whatayear]

Yersinia pestis

 

[Climberak]

Yersinia pestis

Correct! We have a new hall of famer:

Hall of Fame
1) themule +2
1) cpants +2
1) Mr hawkings +2
4) Beachblonde +1
4) Whatayear +1

This next pathogen is quite infamous.

 

[themule]

I'm guessing that it is an icosahedral virus. Polio?

 

[146233]

A pathogen that will live in infamy...

 

[Climberak]

I'm guessing that it is an icosahedral virus. Polio?

Nope. Guess again.

 

[bodonid]

human immunodeficiency virus

 

[TMP-SMX]

Correct! We have a new hall of famer:

Hall of Fame
1) themule +2
1) cpants +2
1) Mr hawkings +2
4) Beachblonde +1
4) Whatayear +1

This next pathogen is quite infamous.

Variola major? (Small Pox)

 

[146233]

Influenza?

 

[SomeDoc]

Correct! We have a new hall of famer:

Hall of Fame
1) themule +2
1) cpants +2
1) Mr hawkings +2
4) Beachblonde +1
4) Whatayear +1

This next pathogen is quite infamous.

Rotavirus..?

 

[SomeDoc]

...or coccidioiodomycosis...?

 

[Forthegood]

Yeah... this one needs to come with an attached ELISA or PCR...

 

[TMP-SMX]

Yeah... this one needs to come with an attached ELISA or PCR...

Or a clinical case.

 

[Climberak]

human immunodeficiency virus

Correct! We have yet another new hall of famer:

Hall of Fame
1) themule +2
1) cpants +2
1) Mr hawkings +2
4) Beachblonde +1
4) Whatayear +1
4) Bodonid +1

In an effort to establish some real ranking in the hall of fame, I am going to do a rapid fire round:

Mystery Pathogen #8 (no picture)
...This pathogen is part of a genus that contains 4 known species. It causes severe intestinal epithelium damage, resulting in bloody diarrhea. It also causes local inflammation by recruiting polymorphonucleocytes. Enters through M cells, and is taken up by macrophages. Induces apoptosis of host cell.

Mystery Pathogen #9 (no picture)
...This pathogen evades its degradation via macrophages by blocking phagolysosome formation. As part of a redundant immune evasion repertoire, this pathogen contains a 21 kDa lipoprotein that blocks MHC II expression.

Mystery Pathogen #10 (no picture)
...Transmitted by the kissing bug (triotomines).

Mystery Pathogen #11 (no picture)
...Gram negative bacteria. Causes upper respiratory tract infections and oitis in children. Can also cause meningitis. 1st bacterial genome to be sequenced.

Mystery Pathogen #12 (no picture)
...A patient comes into the hospital after doing missionary work in a West African village 2 weeks prior. They complain of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and a sore throat. While doing an exam, you notice facial swelling, and what appears to be conjunctivitis. Labs come back, and one of the first things you notice is your patient has proteinuria. Unsure of what is going on, you go back to the room to get a more detailed history. When you come back, you notice that your patient's gums are starting to bleed.

Please be sure to specify which pathogen you are responding to.

Courtesy of the CDC and my brand new cellular microbiology book .

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Mystery pathogen #11 is Haemophilus influenzae. Go go microbiology!

 

[TMP-SMX]

9=Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (don't know if is 21kD though)
10=Trypanosoma Cruzi (Chagas).
12=Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever? (I hope I don't see anyone with that in my hospital/office)

 

[146233]

#8 - Shigella
#12 - Lassa virus

 

[Depakote]

I agree with the responses for 8-11, but how did you get the specific dx for 12?

My differential would include (at least):

Marburg/Ebola
Secondary Dengue Infx
Lassa

and I've probably missed a few

 

[146233]

I agree with the responses for 8-11, but how did you get the specific dx for 12?

Magic.

Marburg/Ebola

- Incubation for Lassa is 1-3 weeks; Marburg (5-10d) and Ebola (2 to 21d)
- Facial swelling and conjunctivitis narrowed it down for me
- Marburg is typically seen more often in Central Africa
- Ebola more often in Angola/DRC
- Lassa is more prevalent in Western Africa

Secondary Dengue Infx

- No mention of myalgia/arthralgia or fever

It's rough, but hey; this is SDN.

 

[146233]

K, so I dunno where Climberak is, so here:

 

[Depakote]

K, so I dunno where Climberak is, so here:

I'm going to guess influenza or polio.

Blah... Virology is coming back to me and there are so many damn viruses that look like that.
Rhinovirus
HIV
ROTA
HHV1-8
SARS
Human Coronavirus

Those could also be dane particles... hmm.

 

[146233]

I'm going to guess influenza or polio.

Blah... Virology is coming back to me and there are so many damn viruses that look like that.
Rhinovirus
HIV
ROTA
HHV1-8
SARS
Human Coronavirus

Those could also be dane particles... hmm.

None of the above...

 

[Depakote]

None of the above...

I was going on the assumption that it was a budding virus...

Coccidioides immitis

 

[bodonid]

This is one of the most common (but underdiagnosed) pathogens out there. Too easy?

 

[PokeyPenguin]

Who's that pokemon?!

 

[146233]

I was going on the assumption that it was a budding virus...

Coccidioides immitis

Negative.

 

[Depakote]

Negative.

I demand supporting labs and/or a clinical presentation for this patient.

 

[146233]

I demand supporting labs and/or a clinical presentation for this patient.

44y/o male c/o chills, abdominal pain, cough, myalgia, headache, and "pissing a lot." Labs show thrombocytopenia and proteinuria.

 

[Depakote]

Well, it doesn't look like EHEC and you didn't mention diarrhea.

Flu didn't sound too bad but you already shot that down.

HTLV is probably a long shot, but I'm done guessing at this one.

 

[spicedmanna]

Any skin signs, such as rash, etc.? Other distinguishing features?

Presentation could be consistant with parvovirus, ehrlichiosis, rickettsia, or HHV-6

 

[146233]

Hantavirus.

 

[spicedmanna]

Hantavirus.

Hahaha...nice. I didn't consider it.

 

[Depakote]

Hantavirus.

makes sense.

 

[Depakote]

here's one. What microorganism caused this rash?

should be easy.