30 – Mycoplasma Flashcards

1
Q

Microbiological characteristics

A
  • Smallest self-replicating prokaryotes
    o Lack cell wall, only have cellular membrane
    o Don’t stain well with Gram stains
    o *Round, pear shaped or filamentous
    o *beta lactams=target cell wall=no drug target!
  • Limited biosynthetic abilities
    o Heavy reliance on host cells
    o Genome reduction
  • Biocontainment level 2 and 3
  • Some slow growing
  • Specialized requirements to go in vitro
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Appearance of mycoplasma colonies

A
  • Fried egg
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Specialized requirements to go in vitro

A
  • Extra nutritious media
    o Precursors for nucleic acid and protein synthesis (serum)
    o Precursors for lipid biosynthesis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Mycoplasma is host associated

A
  • Found on mucous membranes
  • Upper respiratory tract
  • Genital tract
  • Intestinal tract
  • *subclinical carriage is CHALLANGEING
  • Pathogenic species to animals can survive for SHORT periods (days) in protected environments
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

It is useful to divide Mycoplasma into

A
  • Hemotrophic: can NOT be grown on agar plates
  • Non-hemotrophic: CAN be grown on agar plates
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Virulence factors

A
  • Variable surface proteins
  • Adhesions
  • Lipoproteins
  • Capsule
  • Biofilm
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What does Mycoplasma mycoides cause in cattle?

A
  • Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
    o Very old disease
    o 3 major eradication efforts globally
    o Only endemic in sub-Sharan Africa
    o Currently notifiable to WHOA (Stamping out in Canada)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (Mycoplasma mycoides) characterized by?

A
  • SEVERE fibrinous pneumonia
    o High morbidity and mortality
    o Major production losses
  • *marbling appearance on cut section of lung
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Acute disease of SEVERE fibrinous pneumonia (Mycoplasma mycoides)

A
  • High fever
  • Severe respiratory distress
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Sub-acute to chronic disease of SEVERE fibrinous pneumonia (Mycoplasma mycoides)

A
  • Usually those which have RECOVERED
  • Often coughing and progressive cachexia
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the incubation period of Mycoplasma mycoides?

A
  • 3 weeks to 6 months
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How is Mycoplasma mycoides transmitted in cattle?

A
  • Prolonged contact with carriers
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What does Myoplasma capricolum cause in goats?

A
  • Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
    o High morbidity and mortality
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (Myoplasma capricolum) characterized by?

A
  • Cough, hypernea, pyrexia
  • Weakness, anorexia, nasal discharge
  • Progessing to open-mouth-breathing, frothy saliva
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How is Myoplasma capricolum transmitted?

A
  • Aerosols
    o Shown to travel up to 50m!
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Where is Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia found?

A
  • Africa
  • Middle east/east mediterranean
  • Asia
  • *foreign animal disease in Canada
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the variety of clinical syndromes associated with Mycoplasma bovis in cattle?

A
  • Arthritis
  • Pneumonia: caseonecrotic pneumonia (often polymicrobial)
  • Genital infections/abortions
  • Mastitis
  • *infections can be intracellular=therapeutic challenge
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What does Mycoplasma bovis do once inside the host?

A
  • Disseminates hematogenously
    o Infection of one body site=can progress to infection of another
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Where are Mycoplasma bovis organisms maintained?

A
  • By carriers
    o Sub-clinical disease, recovered, ID in colostrum and semen
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How do you control Mycoplasma bovis?

A
  • No vaccines
  • Isolating affected animals if possible
    o Ex. don’t milk mastitis animals with same equipment
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How do you treat Mycoplasma bovis?

A
  • Antimicrobials
  • Chronic disease may not response to appropriate antimicrobials
22
Q

What was the last country in the world to be infected with Mycoplasma bovis?

A
  • New Zealand
    o Eradication program in 2017
23
Q

Mycoplasma gallisepticum in birds

A
  • Most pathogenic mycoplasma in birds
    o Turkeys affected more than chickens
24
Q

Mycoplasma gallisepticum in turkeys

A
  • Infectious sinusitis
    o mucopurulent sinusitis and air sacculitis
  • role in polymicrobial infections
  • *transmitted vertically (within egg) and horizontally (aerosols)
25
Q

Mycoplasma gallisepticum in broilers

A
  • chronic respiratory infections
26
Q

Mycoplasma gallisepticum in layers

A
  • usually subclinical
  • reductions in number of eggs
27
Q

How do you control Mycoplasma gallisepticum in birds?

A
  • Good biosecurity
28
Q

How do you treat Mycoplasma gallisepticum in birds

A
  • Tetracyclines
  • Macrolides
29
Q

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs

A
  • Chronic, mild disease
    o Endemic pneumonia
    o Persistant dry cough
    o Reduced feed efficiency/growth rate
  • Flare ups seen with poor management
  • *common to see lung lesions at slaughter
30
Q

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae flare ups with poor management (pigs)

A
  • Poor ventilation
  • Transmits as aerosol=can be over long distances (1.5km in cold wet conditions)
31
Q

How do you control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs?

A
  • Custom bacterins used for vaccination
  • Preventing mixing: all in all out, SPF herds
32
Q

How do you treat Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs?

A
  • Macrolides
  • Tetracyclines
33
Q

Mycoplasma felis

A
  • Variety of species involved
  • Member of upper respiratory microbial community
  • Lower respiratory tract disease
34
Q

Mycoplasma felis: member of upper respiratory microbial community

A
  • Can find in healthy cats and in association with disease
  • Often polymicrobial infections (unclear if it is primary or secondary)
  • Associated with conjunctivitis (serous discharge becomes mucoid)
35
Q

Mycoplasma felis: lower respiratory tract disease

A
  • If find it=likely clinically significant
  • Pneumonia in kittnes
36
Q

How do you treat Mycoplasma felis?

A
  • Tetracyclines
  • Macrolides
  • Fluoroquinolones
37
Q

Myoplasma haemofelis

A
  • Parasitizes erythrocytes
  • *ANEMIA is hallmark of infection
    o Immune-mediate process can be fatal
  • *incubation period of 2-30 days
38
Q

Myoplasma haemofelis characterized by (anemia, immune-mediated process)

A
  • Lethargy, weakness, depression
  • Tachycardia, dyspnea
  • Hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy
39
Q

What is thought to be the most important mechanism of transmission of Myoplasma haemofelis?

A
  • *Aggressive interactions (biting)
  • Vertical transmission from clinically affected queens
  • Experimentally: by fleas
40
Q

How do you control Myoplasma haemofelis?

A
  • Keeping cats inside
  • Prevent fighting among outdoor animals
41
Q

How do you treat Myoplasma haemofelis?

A
  • Tetracyclines
  • Fluorquinolones
42
Q

Haemotrophic Mycoplasma species

A
  • *reclassification is INCOMPLETE
    o Eperythrozoon and Haemobartonella)
  • *should be a differential if an animal has ANEMIA!
43
Q

Sample handling

A
  • Organisms susceptible to advere environments
  • Transport media=MUST
  • *all for non-hemotrophic Mycoplasma spp.
44
Q

Sample collection

A
  • Respiratory fluids
  • Synovial fluid
  • Necropsy collected tissues
  • Milk:
    o Often add ampicillin to inhibit growth of other bacteria
    o Alos send samples w/o ampicillin for ‘normal’ bugs
  • Blood
45
Q

Lab ID: 4 options

A
  • Culture
  • Serology
  • PCR
  • Fluorescent Ab
46
Q

Culture: Lab ID

A
  • Make sure to request Mycoplasma culture
  • Fried egg like colonies
  • M. mycoides is fastidious=requires specialized media
47
Q

Serology: Lab ID

A
  • ELISA
  • Hemagglutination inhibition
  • Complement fixation
  • *wide variety depending on species
48
Q

PCR: Lab ID

A
  • Real time and conventional
  • Singleplex and multiplex assays available
49
Q

Lab ID of hemotropic Mycoplasmas

A
  • Cytology: basophilic structures on erythrocytes
    o Lacks sensitivity (if don’t see it=can’t rule out)
    o High specificity
  • PCR
  • *do NOT freeze
50
Q

Zoonotic/interspeices transmission

A
  • Generally are host specific
  • Zoonotic transmission rare
    o Even amongst people with severe immunosuppression
51
Q

Treatment options

A
  • NO standardized methods
  • *intrinsically beta-lactam resistant
  • **Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones=generally GOOD choices