Problem
A. What are the specific symptoms associated with Giardia infection? Why does the organism cause these specific symptoms? What antibiotic can be used for both anaerobic bacterial infections and also treatment of this protozoal infection?
B. What is the name of the medication that can be bought over the counter for pin worm infection? What is the major difference in the life cycle of this worm compared to the round worm Ascaris?
C. Part 1: Why has dog whip worm been used to treat inflammatory bowel disease?
Part 2: How can hookworm infections be prevented when travelling in areas with poor sewerage disposal?
D. Why do we only rarely see tapeworm infection these days in Australia? What is the complication caused by infection with pork tapeworm?
E. Salmonella causes many cases of food poisoning but there is a type of Salmonella that is only transmitted by humans and gives rise to the disease typhoid. The difficulty in controlling typhoid is illustrated by understanding the story of Typhoid Mary.
A patient returns from Papua New Guinea. The patient is told that they have enteric fever caused by Salmonella. What aspects of enteric fever make it different to gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella.
F. Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis.
What aspects of Campylobacter infection make it different from Salmonella infection?
G. Why would the following 2 foods be at greater risk of transmitting Campylobacter infection?
1. chicken rissole
2. chicken on skewers that are cooked in a fry pan or BBQ
H. E. coli is a common inhabitant of animal intestines including humans. It sometimes causes diarrhoea.
What member of this family causes haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)? Give a scenario that could cause an outbreak leading to HUS in children.
I. What is traveller's diarrhoea caused by E. coli? Why are Australians unlikely to get traveller's diarrhoea due to E. coli while travelling in Australia?
J. A significant cause of diarrhoea in hospitalised patients is caused by Clostridioides difficile (formerly called Clostridium difficile).
Why does this organism cause disease in humans?
K. Why is this organism a problem in hospitals? Why does this organism also cause infection outside of healthcare (community acquired C. difficile infection)?
L. Why do we say that ingesting Staphylococcus aureus is safe, yet consuming foods with the organism can cause illness?
M. Why can eating cold risotto lead to a food poisoning event?
N. Why does Helicobacter pylori cause disease in some but not in others? Why is it desirable to make a future vaccine for this organism?
O. Part 1: Give a scenario for how a case of botulism cause by food might occur
Part 2: Botulinum toxin can be used to treat restless leg syndrome, Why does this treatment loose effectiveness over time?