AEROBIC GRAM-POSITIVE BACILLI Flashcards
Microscopic appearance of Bacillus
Large, boxcar-shaped, gram (+) rods with clear, unstained, central spore of “empty space”
Spore-forming, facultative anaerobic, motile, (+) Catalase and VP
Bacillus
Common isolates of Bacillus
B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. subtilis, B. thuringiensis. B. pumilus, and B. licheniformis
Clinically significant Bacillus
B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, and B. mycoides
Common human pathogens of Bacilli
B. anthracis and B. cereus
The causative agent of anthrax
Bacillus anthracis
All bacillus are motile (peritrichous) except:
B. anthracis and B. mycoides
The most pathogenic species in Bacillus and not part of human microbiota
Bacillus anthrax
Appearance of B. anthracis if penicillin (10 U/mL) is added to the culture medium
String of pearl
Virulence factor of B. anthracis
D-glutamic capsule and protein exotoxins (edema factor, protective antigen, lethal factor)
Growth factor of B. anthracis
Thiamine
Microscopic appearance of B. anthracis
Bamboo fishing rod appearance with an unstained central spore
Appearance of colonies in BAP of B. anthracis
Medusa head appearance with swirling projections and non hemoltic
The appearance of B. anthracis if inoculating loop is used to pull up the colonies
Beaten egg white appearance
It is a disease that primarily affects animals, such as goats and sheep, by feeding one plants that are contaminated with the spores and not through animal-to-person transmission
Anthrax
Complication of anthrax
Meningitis
The most common type of anthrax and the least fatal
Cutaneous anthrax
A necrotic and painless central area that does produce pus and seen in cutaneous anthrax
Black eschar
Preferred sample for Cutaneous anthrax
Vesical fluid or swab specimen from the edge of the eschar
It is the most severe form of anthrax
Pulmonary anthrax
Other name for pulmonary anthrax
Woolsorter’s disease
Signs and symptoms of pulmonary anthrax
Mild fever, fatigue, malaise, and dyspnea
Preferred sample of pulmonary anthrax
Sputum
Spores are inoculated into a lesion on the intestinal mucosa following their ingestion
Gastrointestinal anthrax
Signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal anthrax
Abdominal pain, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea
Preferred sample for gastrointestinal anthrax
Stool
This type of anthrax has been identified among users of prohibited drugs
Injection anthrax
This type of anthrax is associated with severe soft tissue infection
Injection anthrax
Preferred sample of injection anthrax
Swab specimens from the affected areas and blood culture
Processing of samples for B. anthracis should only be done in biological safety cabinet with provisions for
Biological safety level 3
Specimen collection requirement for B. anthracis
collect 2 separate swabs, one each for the culture and molecular assay (PCR) and should be pre-moistened with sterile saline
For swab sample intended for both culture and RT-PCR, it should be transported at
2-8 degree Celsius while -70 degree Celsius is the best storage condition if the specimen will be for molecular assay only
It can provide rapid presumptive diagnosis for B. anthracis
Fluorescent microscopy
Gold standard for the laboratory diagnosis B. anthracis
cultivation/culturing
Spore stains for B. anthracis
Malachite green and McFadyean
Enrichment and selective technique for B. antracis
Application of heat or alcohol shock technique before plating
Capsule stain for B. anthracis
India ink
Recommended for identification of B. anthracis in fecal specimen
PEA
Used in isolating Bacillus from contaminated specimens
PEA and PLET
It is used to determine if the produce lecithinase, in which the medium will have an opaque zone
EYA
The appearance of B. anthracis in gelatin medium
Inverted pine tree
It serves as another point of confirmation for the presence of B. anthracis
Direct fluorescent antibody (DFA)
It detects thermostable anthrax antigens and rabbit antiserum to observe precipitin formation
(+) Formation of precipitin band after less than 15 minutes
Ascoli test (Precipitin test)
It is used for initial intravenous therapy until results for the AST are released
Ciproflaixn or doxycycline
This method has been very useful for the accurate differentiation of genus Bacillus from the emerging genera such as Geobacillus, Paenibacillus, and Brevibacillus
MALDI-TOF Spectrometry
It causes food poisoning due to ingestion of contaminated cooked rice dishes or other food products
Bacillus cereus (Fried rice bacilli)
It is the most commonly encountered bacillus spp. in opportunistic infections that causes eye and ear infection
Bacillus cereus
It has frosted glass appearance in BAP
B. cereus
Best specimen for isolation of B. cereus
Suspected contaminated food (>10^5 cells/gram)
It is associated with the ingestion of contaminated poultry, meat, and vegetables
Diarrheal type
Incubation period of Diarrheal type food poisoning of B. cereus
8 to 16 hours
Symptoms of Diarrheal type
Abdominal pain and watery diarrhea without fever
(+) Production of heat-labile enterotoxin
Diarrheal type
It is associated with the ingestion of improperly stored cooked/fried rice
Emetic type
Emetic type is caused by
B. cereus type 1
Incubation period of emetic type bacteria
1 to 6 hours
Symptoms of emetic type
Abdominal cramps, nausea, and profuse vomiting but no fever
(+) Production of heat stable enterotoxin
Emetic type
It is the most commonly encountered laboratory contaminant
Bacillus subtilis (Hay bacillus)
It is the source of bacitracin antibiotic
B. subtilis
It is used as a biological indicator in sterilization method
B. pumilus
BAP- Colonies are large and moist with a blister like appearance, and beta hemolysis
Bacillus pumilus