Anaerobic Bacteria Flashcards
Anaerobic gram + bacteria
Clostridium species (spore-forming)
Anaerobic gram - genera
Dichelobacter (foot rot in cattle and sheep)
Fusobacterium (“… “)
Bacteroides (diarrhea, abortion, mastitis, abscess)
Clostridia characteristics
Rod, spore-forming
Production of potent extracellular toxins (tetanus and botulism)
Neurotoxic, histotoxic, enterotoxic
Which organisms are neurotoxins?
C. Botulinum and C. Tetani
C. Tetani
Obligate anaerobe, spore have a drumstick shaped bacillus
Agent of Tetanus or Lockjaw
High mortality in all animals
Where is C. Tetani found?
Soil and digestive tracts of all animals
Tetanus
Horses, ruminants and swine most susceptible
Neuropathic intoxication due to neurotoxin and tetanospasm
Tonic- clonic convulsions and spastic paralysis
Portal of entry to C. Tetani
Penetrating wounds or abrasions, surgical incisions, docking, injection site, postpartum lesions, etc.
Deep wounds and necrosis provide the reduced O2 microenvironment
C. Botulinum
Obligate anaerobes, sub-terminal oval spores
1 ug can kill a person
Causes botulism
Where is C. Botulism found?
Soil, plants growing on contaminated soil
Animals carcasses and rotting vegetation
Botulism
Neuropathic intoxication with flaccid paralysis
Seen in ruminants, horses, waterfowl’s, mink
Intoxication botulism
When toxins ingested:
Animals with pica (phosphorus-deficient lame) ingest animals bones
Invertebrate larvae ingests BoNT from animals carcasses then consumed by birds
Birds consume toxin bearing fish
Poultry litter fed to cows
Toxicoinfecfion botulism
Produced inside gut of infected animals
Organism multiples in the body and produces BoNT
C. Tetani and C. Botulinum pathogenesis
Neurotoxins inhibit NT release in the CNS and peripheral NS (respectively) by cleaving vesicle fusion proteins
Tetanus pathogenesis
Toxin produced at wound site
Ascending: toxin travels along motor nerves to CNS where it acts on spinal inhibitory inter neurons
Descending: toxin disseminated through circulation
Botulism pathogenesis
Toxin absorbed from stomach and and distributed via blood —> receptor- mediated endocytosis @ myoneural junction —> hydrolysis of docking proteins —> flaccid paralysis
Common names of botulism
Horses: equine grass sickness, forage poisoning
Birds: limberneck
Babies: floppy baby syndrome
Tetanus diagnosis
Gram stain smear
Culture from wound exudate in BA + antitoxin
PCR for TeNT gene
Tetanus treatment
Injection for antitoxin (passive)
Toxoid for active immunization. (TeNT + formalin/ heat)
Botulism diagnosis
Organism isolation from feed or tissue and culture on BA
PCR to amplify BoNT genes
ELISA for toxins/ ABs detection