Anaerobes Flashcards
require atmosphere of 15-21% oxygen as found in air or CO2 incubator
i.e., Mycobacteria
Obligate aerobe
require oxygen content lower than ambient air (<5%)
i.e., Campylobacter, Neisseria, Helicobacter
Microaerophilic
organisms that multiply equally in the presence or absence of air
i.e., Enterobacteriaceae
Facultative anaerobe
require increased CO2 (5-10%)
i.e., Haemophilus, Neisseria
Capnophile
can survive some oxygen exposure, but will not be able to preform metabolic processes unless in an anaerobic environment
i.e., Bacteroides
Aerotolerant anaerobe
requires strict anaerobic environment and are killed almost immediately in the presence of oxygen
i.e., Clostridium
Obligate anaerobe
Exogenous anaerobes
- exist outside of the body
- infection develops at site of entry
- i.e., Clostridium, Fusobacterium
Endogenous anaerobes
- exist inside the body
- source of infection in/throughout body
- usually polymicrobial infections
- i.e., Bacteroides, Peptostreptococcus, Actinomyces
Skin anaerobes
Propionibacterium, Peptostreptococcus
Respiratory tract anaerobes
Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium
Gastrointestinal tract anaerobes
Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, Eubacterium
Genitourinary tract anaerobes
Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus
Predisposition to Anaerobic infections
- trauma to protective barriers (bowel, genital tract)
- vascular stasis (no oxygen to site)
- bite wounds, oral surgery, oral flora into deep lungs, burns with soil contamination
Anaerobic bacteria (characteristics)
- close proximity to mucosal surface
- produces a foul odor
- large quantity of gas
- black color or brick-red fluorescence
- distinct morphological characteristics (pleomorphic, fusiform)
Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic, bacilli
Clostridium
- boxcar-shaped gram-positive bacilli
- double zone of hemolysis on Brucella blood agar or blood agar
- lecithinase +
C. perfringens
- heavily swarming
- terminal spores
C. tetani
- heavily swarming
- subterminal spores
C. septicum
Clostridium Clinical Infections
- mostly exogenous (wounds, ingest toxin)
- endogenous is C. difficile
- tetanus, gas gangrene, botulism, food poisoning
C. perfringens food poisoning
- 3rd most common after Salmonella and Shigella
- Type A and Type C
C. perfringens Type A food poisoning
- ingestion of enterotoxin
- causes diarrhea and cramps
- usually self-resolving
C. perfringens Type C food poisoning
- causes Enteritis necroticans
- acute onset of severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, vomiting
- necrotic inflammation of small intestines
- fatal without treatment
- causes Botulism
- Botulism toxins A-G
- Toxins A, B, E associated with human disease
- causes flaccid paralysis
- caused by ingestion of toxin, ingestion of spores (infants), or wound botulism
- 2 hours to 8 days
C. botulinum
infant botulism
- ingestion of spores in contaminated honey
- colonize colon and produce toxins
Tetanus
- caused by C. tetani
- tetanospasmin neurotoxin (inhibits neurotransmitters)
- symptoms begin after 7 days (long incubation)
- muscular rigidity of jaw, neck and lumbar
- vaccine available (DPT)
Myonecrosis (gas gangrene)
- most commonly caused by C. perfringens
- contaminated wounds from trauma or surgery
- alpha toxin causes tissue necrosis and deeper invasion
- tissue death that leads to amputation
- treat with antibiotics, surgical debridement and hyperbaric oxygen (to kill anaerobes)
Bacteremia
- C. perfringens is most common
- C. septicum is marker for GI malignancy
- C. bifermentans and C. tertium are secondary
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
- C. difficile
- causes pseudomembranous colitis (bloody diarrhea, necrosis)
- antibiotics destroy flora, but not Clostridium so increased toxin production (Toxin A and B)
- nosocomial infection
- test for toxin, not culture
Gram-positive non-spore-forming anaerobic bacilli
- Actinomyces, Bifidobacterium and Propionibacterium
- Mobiluncus
- Lactobacillus
Actinomyces, Bifidobacterium and Propionibacterium
- cause Actinomycosis (sulfur granules)
- P. acnes is frequent blood culture contaminant
- normal skin flora
Actinomycosis
chronic granulomatous disease characterized by sinus tracts and fistulae that erupt to the surface and drain pus that contains “sulfur granules”
- bacterial vaginosis
- overgrowth when Lactobacillus decreases
Mobiluncus
- highly pleomorphic bacilli
- contaminant
- bacteremia and endocarditis in ICP
Lactobacillus
Anaerobic gram-negative bacilli
- Bacteroides fragilis
- Prevotella
- Porphyromonas
- Fusobacterium
- # 1 normal flora in colon
- most commonly isolated anaerobe from blood cultures
- # 1 agent in peritonitis and intra-abdominal abscess
- grows on KVLB and BBE
- resistant to vanco, kanamycin and colistin disks
Bacteroides fragilis
- P. melaninogneica is #1 normal flora of gingiva
- also found in vagina
- peridontal disease, sinusitis, pneumonia, brain abscesses
Prevotella
- slow grower
- normal flora of oropharynx and urogenital tract
- head and neck infections
Porphyromonas
- commensal bacteria in gingiva
- normal in GI, GU and URT
- mixed infections (abscesses, peritoneal infections, diabetic foot ulcers)
- Lemierre disease (F. necrophorum)
Fusobacterium (necrophorum and nucleatum)