15) Microbiology of GI Tract Flashcards
What are obligate aerobes?
Give an example
Must have oxygen to survive e.g Pseudomonas and Mycobacterium TB
What are obligate anaerobes?
Give an example
Die in the presence of oxygen e.g. Bacteroides fragilis, clostridial organisms
What are facultative anaerobes?
Give an example
Prefer oxygen but can live without it e.g. many gram-negative enteric bacteria such as E. Coli and gram-positive skin-dwellers such as Staphylococcus
What can clostridial organisms do to survive in oxygen?
Produce spores
What are the anaerobic zones of the GIT?
Parts of mouth - deep in taste buds, between teeth, gingival crevice areas
Small bowel
Colon
Why are human colonic bacteria important?
Synthesize and excrete vitamins that are absorbed by host e.g vit K, B12 and thiamine
Prevent colonisation by pathogens
Kill non-indigenous bacteria
Stimulate development of GALT (caecum and Peyer’s patches)
Stimulate production of natural antibodies
What are some features of bacteria that can allow them to survive and infect the GIT?
Endospores e.g. bacillus anthrax, clostridum tetani
Pili - adhere to epithelia
Biofilm
Why are biofilms on a prosthetic surface particularly dangerous?
No bloody supply close so difficult to get drugs to surface
What shape are the endospores of C. tetani?
Terminal drumstick
Give some examples of gram positive aerobic cocci:
Staphylococci, streptococci and enterococci
Give some examples of gram negative aerobic cocci:
Neisseria meningitidis and gonorrhoeae
Give some examples of gram positive aerobic bacilli:
Corynebacterium (diphtheria)
Bacillus (anthrax)
Lactobacillus
Mycobacterium TB
Give some examples of gram positive anaerobic bacilli:
Clostridia (tetani, perfringens, difficile)
Give some examples of gram negative enteric bacilli:
colon normal flora
E.coli, pseudomonas, klebsiella, salmonella, shigella, camplylobacter, helicobacter pylori Bacteroides fragilis (anaerobic)
Give some examples of gram negative non-enteric bacilli:
all aerobic
H. influenza, bordetella pertussis (whooping cough), brucella
What are the majority of mouth bacteria?
Anaerobes
What is noma/cancrum oris?
Bacteria causing tissue destruction, if individual is malnourished, dehydrated or immunocompressed
What causes oral thrush and how can it be treated?
Candida albicans
Amphotericin lozenges
What risk factors are there for oral thrush?
Newborns (immune system not developed) Diabetes Antibiotics Steroids Immune deficiency
What is dental caries and what organism causes it?
Teeth colonised by mouth bacteria and Strep. mutans
Causes cavities and teeth to break down