CHAPTER 23
CARDIOVASCULAR, LYMPHATIC, AND SYSTEMIC DISEASES
 Chapter Overview
Virtually all diseases have an adverse effect on the human body. However, the diseases that
have the most profound effect are those that affect the cardiovascular system and those that are
capable of causing systemic disorders. In no other way is the body so completely involved and
dramatically affected. Diseases such as human plague, anthrax, typhus, and malaria have caused such
widespread devastation, misery, and death that they have drastically altered the history of entire
civilizations. The populations of whole countries have been decimated to the point that it would be
difficult to consider them viable entities. Whole armies have been conquered and destroyed, not by
cannons and bullets, but by microscopic bacteria. Even with all these horrors, the thought that some of
these agents have already become the arsenal of present day armies makes the prospect of future wars
a nightmare.
Fortunately, science has, in most cases, found weapons sufficient to control these diseases and
perhaps even to eradicate them. It is hoped that in the very near future, we will begin to see realistic,
concerted global efforts to eradicate many of these disease agents rather than to use them as agents of
destruction.
 Chapter Objectives
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List the components of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems and their normal microflora.
List the important pathogens that cause bacterial septicemias and related diseases, and describe the
important epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases.
List the important pathogens that cause parasitic diseases of the blood and lymph, and describe the
important epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases.
List the important pathogens that cause bacterial systemic diseases, and describe the important
epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases.
List the important pathogens that cause rickettsial systemic diseases, and describe the important
epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases.
List the important pathogens that cause viral systemic diseases, and describe the important
epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases.
List the important pathogens that cause parasitic systemic diseases, and describe the important
epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases.
1. Animations and videos – online
A. iVillage Total Health site with videos on Lyme disease http://www.healthscout.com/animation/1/43/main.html. Once at the
site you need to scroll down to the Animations and Illustrations box
and choose the one you want to view.
B. Virtual Endocrine Centre 3D Medical Animations List site http://www.virtualendocrinecentre.com/animations.asp. Scroll down
and click on Anthrax to see a video.
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 Web Destinations
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http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/insects/index.htm
CDC site on insect vector diseases
http://www.malaria.org/
Malaria Foundation International site
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/
CDC site on animal related diseases
http://www.aldf.com/
American Lyme Disease Foundation
http://medent.usyd.edu.au/travelbug/travel_bugs.htm
University of Sydney (Australia) Department of Medical Entomology Web site on vectors of
disease.
http://www.kcom.edu/faculty/chamberlain/
Dr. Neal Chamberlain’s infectious disease site
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets//
World Health Organization web site.
 Discussion Topics
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What keeps schistosomiasis from occurring in this country, since we have the snails necessary for
intermediate hosts? Is this disease of concern to public health officials?
Since anthrax has now been used as a bioterrorist weapon, should an effective vaccine be made
available to those at risk? Should it become a mandatory vaccine for the general population?
Dengue fever is on the increase in Central and South America and in several Southern states.
What steps should be taken to control this disease since there is no treatment or vaccine currently
available?
 Track It Down
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The recently completed Three Gorges Dam in China has exposed millions of Chinese to
schistosomiasis. What steps have been taken toward the prevention and treatment for these people
and what is the current status of this disease in China?
What is the TORCH syndrome? What diseases does it represent and what should be done to
prevent them?
Ticks are the major vector for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. What efforts are
employed to reduce the tick population? What repellents work on ticks?
What is the current status of a vaccine for malaria? Why is it so difficult to develop?
How was the senate office building decontaminated after a terrorist attack with anthrax spores?
 Chapter Outline
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I.
The Cardiovascular System
A.
The heart and blood vessels
1.
Pericardial sac
2.
Endocardium, myocardium, epicardium
3.
Atria and ventricles
4.
Blood vessels
B.
The blood
1.
Plasma
2.
Formed elements
C.
Normal microflora of the circulatory system
1.
Bacteremia
2.
Septicemia
II.
Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Diseases
A.
Bacterial septicemias and related diseases
1.
Septicemias
a.
Septic shock
b.
Lymphangitis
2.
Puerperal fever
3.
Group B Streptococcal disease
4.
Rheumatic fever
5.
Bacterial endocarditis
a.
Vegetations
b.
Myocarditis
c.
Pericarditis
B.
Helminthic diseases of blood and lymph
1.
Schistosomiasis
a.
Causative agents
b.
Incidence
c.
The disease
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
2.
Filariasis
a.
Causative agents
b.
The disease
c.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
III.
Systemic Diseases
A.
Bacterial systemic diseases
1.
Anthrax
a.
Causative agent
b.
Transmission
(1.)
Endospores spread via occupational exposure
(2.)
Bioterrorism
c.
The disease
(1.)
Cutaneous anthrax
(2.)
Respiratory anthrax
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(3.)
Intestinal anthrax
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
d.
Plague
a.
General features
b.
Causative agent
c.
The disease
1.
Bubonic plague
2.
Septicemic plague
3.
Pneumonic plague
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
3.
Tularemia
a.
General features
b.
Causative agent
c.
The disease
1.
Transovarian transmission
2.
Ulceroglandular form
3.
Typhoidal tularemia
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
4.
Brucellosis
a.
General features
b.
Causative agents
c.
The disease
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
5.
Relapsing fever
a.
General features
b.
Causative agent
c.
The disease
1.
Epidemic relapsing fever
2.
Endemic relapsing fever
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
6.
Lyme disease
a.
General features
b.
Causative agent
c.
The disease
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
Rickettsial and related systemic diseases
1.
General features
2.
Typhus fever
a.
Epidemic typhus
b.
Brill-Zinsser disease
c.
Endemic or murine typhus
d.
Scrub typhus
3.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
a.
General features
b.
Causative agent
c.
The disease
2.
B.
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C.
D.
d.
Diagnosis
4.
Rickettsialpox
5.
Trench fever
6.
Bartonellosis
a.
Oroya fever
b.
Verruga peruana
7.
Ehrlichiosis
8.
Bacillary angiomatosis
Viral systemic diseases
1.
Dengue fever
2.
Yellow fever
3.
Infectious mononucleosis
a.
Causative agent
b.
The disease
c.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
d.
Burkitt's lymphoma
e.
Other effects
f.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
4.
Other viral infections
a.
Filovirus fevers
b.
Bunyavirus fevers
c.
Hantaviruses
d.
Arenavirus fevers
e.
Colorado tick fever
f.
Parvovirus infections
g.
Aplastic crisis
h.
Fifth disease
i.
Coxsackie virus infections
Protozoan systemic diseases
1.
Leishmaniasis
a.
Causative agents
b.
The disease
c.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
2.
Malaria
a.
General features
b.
Causative agents
c.
The disease
d.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
3.
Toxoplasmosis
a.
Causative agent
b.
The disease
c.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
4.
Babesiosis
a.
Causative agents
b.
The disease
c.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
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