Case Study: Peter Smith, a 19-year-old man, was suffering from influenza and visited his local GP. He said he began

Case Study: Peter Smith, a 19-year-old man, was suffering from influenza and visited his local GP. He said he began to feel unwell two days earlier and his condition had worsened since, with an acute onset of a sore throat (pharyngitis).

On examination the following observations were made: –

Fever of 38.9 degrees

C – Runny nose – Sneezing –

Enlarged anterior cervical lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)

Peter’s throat was observed to have the following signs: – Redness – Swelling – Having a patchy covering of yellow-white exudate over his tonsils The doctor prescribed phenoxymethylpenicillin 500 mg twice per day for ten days.

answer the 10 following questions:

Q1. Explain what fever is and the pathophysiology of how Peter’s fever developed. State, with explanation, two benefits of fever.

Q2. Given that influenza is caused by a virus, why was Peter prescribed an antibiotic? The doctor prescribed phenoxymethylpenicillin. Discuss the mode of action of phenoxymethylpenicillin. Explain why antibiotics are not effective against viruses.

Q3. Name and describe three (3) possible ways that Peter could have contracted the influenza virus (starting from the source followed by modes of transmission). Identify and explain two (2) ways by which these three modes of transmission could be broken.

Q4. Compare and contrast the processes by which viruses and bacteria replicate