MICROBIO 140P Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Smallpox, Pharynx, Natural Reservoir
29 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Marburg, germany first outbreaks of marburg virus in 1967. Viruses: neither eukaryotes nor prokaryotes, singular, but not cellular. Retrovirus: single-stranded rna virus, enters host cell and uses its reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce dna, new dna incorporated into host cell genome, host cell translates and transcribes viral genes, producing new copies of the virus. Contagion: direct contact skin, mucosa, fluids, asymptomatic are not infective. Systemic fever, no appetite, internal bleeding: muscular aches, weakness. Pharynx and lungs hiccups, sore throat, difficulty swallowing/breathing. Ebola"s natural reservoir is unknown; non human primates have been the source of human infections but are not thought to be the reservoirs. Evidence suggests that bats are the reservoir host bats carrying the virus can transmit it to other animals like apes and monkeys, as well as to humans. Spillover event occurs when an animal or human becomes infected with ebola through contact with the reservoir host; could occur through hunting or preparing the animal"s meal.
