MI9.1-6 | Zoonotic, Opportunistic & Emerging Infections — Glossary

Modification of the Brucella SAT that destroys IgM; a persistent agglutination titre after 2-ME treatment indicates IgG (chronic/past infection)

'Safety-pin' appearance of Yersinia pestis on Giemsa or Wayson stain; dark-staining poles with a clear centre; used to presumptively identify plague bacillus in smears

High-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterised by t(8;14) chromosomal translocation placing c-MYC under Ig heavy chain promoter; EBV-driven in endemic African form; jaw tumour in children

H. pylori effector protein injected into gastric epithelial cells via type IV secretion; activates SHP-2 phosphatase; drives gastric epithelial dysplasia and cancer

Multi-drug resistant Candida species causing nosocomial bloodstream infections; misidentified by conventional biochemical methods; requires MALDI-TOF for accurate identification; reported in ICUs globally

India's first domestically developed HPV vaccine (Serum Institute of India, 2023); quadrivalent (HPV 6,11,16,18); approved for girls 9–26 years; included in UIP from 2024 for girls 9–14 years

Sequential progression from normal gastric mucosa → chronic gastritis → atrophic gastritis → intestinal metaplasia → dysplasia → gastric adenocarcinoma; driven by H. pylori infection

Lateral flow immunoassay detecting Cryptococcus neoformans capsular antigen in serum or CSF; >99% sensitivity; rapid point-of-care test recommended by WHO for HIV patients with CD4 <100

Class of antiviral drugs targeting specific HCV replication steps (NS3/4A protease, NS5A, NS5B polymerase); pan-genotypic regimens (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) achieve >95% cure rates

Microscopy technique using oblique illumination to visualise unstained organisms (spirochaetes) that are too thin to be seen on bright-field; used to detect Leptospira and Treponema

HPV early protein that binds and targets p53 tumour suppressor for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation, preventing apoptosis and enabling viral genome replication to continue in abnormal cells

HPV early protein that binds and inactivates Rb (retinoblastoma protein), releasing E2F transcription factors and driving uncontrolled cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase

An infection whose incidence in humans has increased in the past 2 decades or threatens to increase in the near future, often associated with ecological change, globalisation, AMR or evolution

Painless black necrotic ulcer at the site of anthrax spore inoculation or at the site of tick bite in scrub typhus; surrounded by oedema; a diagnostic skin sign

Protein capsule of Yersinia pestis; anti-phagocytic; detected by F1 antigen rapid immunochromatographic test; a key virulence factor and diagnostic target in plague

Hepatitis B virus regulatory protein that transactivates cellular oncogenes, inhibits p53 function, and promotes hepatocellular proliferation, contributing to HCC development

Passive immunisation component of rabies PEP; infiltrated into and around the wound site for immediate protection; given once on day 0 with vaccine for WHO category III exposures

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme; India's national epidemiological surveillance system monitoring communicable diseases via P (provisional), L (lab-confirmed) and S (syndromic) weekly reporting forms

Negative-stain preparation where the large polysaccharide capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans excludes ink particles, producing a clear halo around the dark-staining yeast cell in CSF

Tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to Karnataka, Goa and Kerala; caused by a Flavivirus; transmitted by Haemaphysalis ticks; uses monkeys as sentinels

Key EBV latency oncoprotein that functionally mimics CD40, constitutively activating NF-κB signalling, promoting B-cell proliferation and survival without apoptosis

Disseminated OI in advanced HIV (CD4 <50) causing fever, weight loss, anaemia, hepatosplenomegaly; diagnosed by blood culture in BACTEC; treated with azithromycin + ethambutol

Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue lymphoma; low-grade B-cell lymphoma of gastric mucosa driven by H. pylori antigen stimulation; may regress with H. pylori eradication therapy alone

Gold standard serological test for leptospirosis; detects serovar-specific agglutinating antibodies; performed at reference laboratories only

Pathognomonic eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions in hippocampal/cerebellar Purkinje cells in rabies encephalitis; represent intracytoplasmic viral replication complexes

National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (formerly RNTCP); India's programme targeting TB elimination by 2025 via DOTS, GeneXpert, digital notification (Nikshay portal) and nutritional support

A virus capable of inducing neoplastic transformation in infected host cells, either through direct mechanisms (viral oncoproteins, integration) or indirect mechanisms (chronic inflammation, immunosuppression)

Concept recognising that human health, animal health and environmental health are interconnected and that solutions to health threats require collaboration across these sectors

Infection caused by organisms of low intrinsic virulence that cause significant disease only when host immune defences are compromised (e.g., HIV with low CD4, neutropenia, transplant immunosuppression)

In rabies context: immediate wound washing + HDCV/PCECV vaccine (days 0,3,7,14) + HRIG (category III); prevents disease if started before virus reaches CNS

Public Health Emergency of International Concern; formal designation by WHO Director-General under IHR 2005 when an event may constitute a cross-border public health risk

Elongated, chain-like budding yeast cells with constrictions at the septa, characteristic of Candida species; visible on KOH mount or Gram stain

Tumour suppressor protein that normally sequesters E2F transcription factors; inactivated by HPV E7, CDK4/6, and loss-of-function mutations in various cancers

A previously controlled infectious disease returning due to breakdown of control measures, vaccine hesitancy, pathogen evolution or spread to new geographical areas

CT/MRI finding of a lesion with peripheral ring of contrast enhancement; in HIV patients with CD4 <200, strongly suggests Toxoplasma encephalitis (vs CNS lymphoma)

Serological test for brucellosis detecting agglutinating antibodies; titre ≥1:80 is significant; 2-mercaptoethanol modification distinguishes IgM (acute) from IgG (past/chronic)

Rapid stain for post-mortem diagnosis of rabies in brain impression smears; Negri bodies appear magenta on a green background

Non-invasive gold standard test for active H. pylori infection; patient ingests 13C/14C-labelled urea; H. pylori urease converts it to labelled CO₂ detected in exhaled breath

Severe leptospirosis presenting with jaundice, acute kidney injury and haemorrhagic manifestations; caused by pathogenic Leptospira serovars; associated with rat urine-contaminated water

An infection or infectious disease that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans under natural conditions