Actinobacteria Flashcards
What are the major morphological characteristics of Actinobacteria?
Gram-positive bacteria showing filamentous formation and granulomatous lesions in infected animals
How do Nocardia, Actinomyces, Dermatophilus, and Actinobaculum compare in respiration, Ziehl-Neelson staining, growth on Sabouraud dextrose agar, and aerial filament production?
NOCARDIA: aerobic, +, +, +
ACTINOMYCES: anaerobic/facultative anaerobic and capnophilic, -, -, -
DERMATOPHILUS: aerobic and capnophilic, -, -, -
ACTINOBACULUM: anaerobic, -, -, -
What is the predilection site of Arcanobacterium pyogenes, Actinobaculum suis, Actinomyces bovis, and Actinomyces hordeovulneris?
A. pyogenes: nasopharyngeal mucosa
A. suis: preputial mucosa
A. bovis: oropharynx mucosa
A. hordeovulneris: unknown
What kind of hemolysis does Arcanobacterium pyogenes (Trueperella pyogenes) do?
β-hemolysis
What are the major morphological features of Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes?
- Gram-positive rod
- pleomorphic
- non-spore forming
- non-motile
- non-capsulated
- facultative anaerobe
What is the characteristic metabolism that Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes undergoes? What other strong activity does it have?
fermentative metabolism
strong proteolytic activity
Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes is an opportunistic pathogen. Where can it be found in the normal microbiota?
- wall of bovine rumen
- wall of swine stomachs
- bovine GI tract and udders
What kind of lesions does Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes cause? What organs are typically affected?
suppurative lesions
any organs —> lymphadenitis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, neural abscesses, pyometra, mastitis
What is the pathogenesis of Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes?
exogenous infection from mechanical injuries of skin and mucous membranes
endogenous infection from internal injury allowing colonies in the microflora to pass through the epithelium and recruit monocytes, neutrophils, DC, and other proinflammatory cells to secrete proinflammatory mediators
What are the major virulence factors of Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes that promote adhesion and have hemolytic/cytotoxic activity?
ADHESION: collagen-binding protein, fibrinogen-binding protein, fibronectin-binding protein, neuraminidase H/P
HEMOLYTIC/CYTOTOXIC: pyolysin, proteases, DNAse
Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes infection:
Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes:
cow, pig, sheep
- suppurative lesion of lungs
What samples from sick animals can be tested for Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes? What is the expected histopathological result?
exudates and tissue samples should show filamentous organisms surrounded by filamentous club-shaped structures
How does Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes grow on blood agar? How does it show up on a Gram stain?
β-hemolytic
Gram-positive, short, pleomorphic rods
What 4 vaccines of Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes have been developed?
- whole cells of Arcanobacterium (Trueperella) pyogenes or culture supernatant
- recombinant: fimbria H, PLO, leukotoxin
- DNA vaccine
- autovaccine
What causes canine actinomysis? What is the characteristic lesion? Main clinical sign? Treatment?
Actinomyces viscosus
subcutaneous pyogranulomatous lesions and extensive fibrovascular proliferation on the peritoneal or pleural surfaces with anguine-purulent exudate in the affected cavity
respiratory distress
penicillin
What is another name for bovine actinomycosis? What causes it?
lumpy jaw
Actinomyces bovis
What allows for bovine actinomycosis to develop? What does this cause?
infected trauma or lesion of the oral mucosa/dental alveoli
swelling of the bone and fistulous tract formation with purulent exudate
How is bovine actinomycosis diagnosed? Treated?
clinical signs, X-rays
penicillin
Bovine actinomycosis:
lumpy jaw, A. bovis
Bovine actinomycosis, exudate:
What causes porcine cystitis? Where can it be isolated from? How does it grow on blood agar and look microscopically?
Actinobaculum suis
prepuce and preputial diverticulum
γ-hemolytic
Gram-positive pleomorphic rods with acute angle arrangements
What are the common clinical signs of porcine cystitis? When can it be deadly?
anorexia, arching back, dysuria, hematuria
when it affects the kidneys
What are Nocardia spp.? What 2 cultures do they grow on?
Gram-positive, aerobic, saprophytic actinobacteria with filamentous morphology
- blood agar
- culture medium with charcoal-yeast extract
What do Nocardia spp. look like when cultured? What can Nocardia spp. be subcultured on and how do they look different?
white, powdery, and firmly adherent to the agar
Sabouraud dextrose agar - dru, wrinkled, orange-colored colonies after 5 days of incubation
What is an important predisposing factor for Nocardia infections? What does infection cause in cattle and sows?
immunosuppression
sporadic mastitis
abortion
How do dogs develop canine nocardiosis? What are the 3 forms and how do they present?
inhalation, through skin wounds, ingestion
- THORACIC: fibrovascular proliferative reaction on the pleura and anguinopurulent fluid accumulation - respiratory distress
- CUTANEOUS: ulcer; granulomatous swelling with discharging fistulous tracts
- DISSEMINATED: non-specific clinical signs in dogs less than 12 mos; referable to organ system mainly affected
What are 2 common treatments of canine nocardiosis?
- wide spectrum Amikacin
- cotrimoxazole
What is bovine farcy? What environment is infection limited to?
bovine nocardiosis - chronic infection of superficial lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes causing an increase in their size and thickness
tropics
How does bovine farcy develop?
- early lesions consist of small cutaneous nodules often on the medial aspect of the legs and on the neck
- nodules enlarge slowly and coalesce to form swellings up to 10 cm in diameter, which can rarely ulcerate
What happens to lymphatic vessels in bovine farcy? How do internal organ lesions compare to other diseases?
become thickened and cord-like
lesions resemble those of tuberculosis