Bacillus

Question 1

characteristics of bacillus

Answer 1

• ubiquitous in the environment
• gram-positive large rods
• spore-forming
• aerobic, facultatively anaerobic
• spores survive decades
• resistant to heat, desiccation, radiation, disinfectants

Question 2

virulence of bacillus

Answer 2

• protective antigen
• edema toxin (plasmid)
• lethal toxin (plasmid)
  all three factors needed to work

Question 3

B. anthracis - cattle, sheep

Answer 3

level 3
gamma- hemolytic
most susceptible hosts
- 20-80% mortality
- ingestion of endospores -> peracute dz, sudden death with incomplete rigor mortis, splenomegaly, failure to clot
- SC edema, depression, skin lesions, bloody fluids exuding from body

Question 4

B. anthracis control/treatment

Answer 4

CFIA reportable
O2 exposure causes sporulation so no necropsy
burn, bury contaminated disposables with carcasses
PPE
treat with high dose penicillin, tetracyclines
vaccination
resistant to 2nd/3rd gen cephalosporins, trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole

Question 5

B. anthracis - horses

Answer 5

dz: sepsis, colitis
causes: acute colic, diarrhea, fever, depression
- localized skin lesions
- edema in thorax, abdoment, prepuce, mammary glands
- fatal septicemia

Question 6

B. anthracis humans

Answer 6

dz: 4 forms
1. cutaneous - most common
2. systemic
3. GI
4. respiratory

Question 7

B. cereus

Answer 7

level 2
host: humans
dz: gastroenteritis
food poisoning

Question 8

B. licheniformis

Answer 8

host: cattle, sheep
dz: abortion, mastitis

Question 9

B. subtilis

Answer 9

level 1

host: cattle, sheep
dz: mastitis, abortion