Bacteria Flashcards
Genus: Borrelia
B. burgdorferi
Causes Lyme disease. Vectored into humans by the bite of a deer tick, ixodes scapularis
What are the characteristics of spirochetes?
Corkscrew shape and are mobile due to their axial filaments
Genus: Treponema
T. pallidum
Causes syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease.
Genus: Campylobacter
C. jejeuni
Often found in cattle, pig, chicken intestines and contaminating meat products. Probably as common a cause of enteritis (food poisoning) as Salmonella.
Genus: Heliobacter
H. pylori
Prerequisite for a gastric ulcer. Ulcers are now treated with antibiotics
Genus: Legionella
L. pneumophila
Common in streams and water lines of AC systems. Responsible for a significant number of pneumonia cases in nursing homes
Genus: Neisseria
N. gonorrheae
Cause of gonorrhea an STD, often results in pelvic inflammatory disease which can scar Fallopian tubes and cause sterility.
Genus: Neisseria
N. meninigitidis
The ‘meningococcus’, causes meningococcal meningitis
Genus: Pseudomonas
Various ‘pseudomonads’, very common in water and soil. Resistant to many antibiotics and disinfectants. Are able to grow in quaternary- ammonium compound disinfectants. UTIs, wound infections, pneumonia in people with cystic fibrosis, often produce green or blue pigments and smells like Concord grapes.
Family: Enterobacteriacae
a.k.a the ‘enteric’ bacteria
Live in the intestines of humans and other animals. Generally ferment glucose and other carbs (id in phenol red broth) the generally ‘non pathogenic’ ones can cause UTIs and wound infections.
Genus: Enterobacteriacae
E. aerogenes, part of the family Enterobacteriacae
Genus: Escherichia
E. Coli
The prokaryotic guinea pig. Used in pioneering studies of genetics. Some strands cause Traveler’s diarrhea. Strand O157:H7 is pathogenic.(hemolytic uremic syndrome) has killed people especially children
Genus: Klebsiella
K. pneumoniae
Cause of pneumonia in elderly and immunocompromised
Genus: Proteus
P. vulgaris
Highly motile
Genus: Salmonella
S. typhi
Severely pathogenic. Cause of typhoid fever. Killed many people before good sanitation practices. Some people are asymptomatic carriers of S. typhi
Genus: Salmonella
S. enteritidis
cause of salmonellosis a.k.a food poisoning, very common
Genus: Shigella
no examples given. Pathogenic. Resembles E. coli except it almost invariably produces a variety of enterotoxins
Genus: Yersinia
Y. pestis
Vectored into humans by the bites of infected fleas, causes plague. Bubonic plague (lymphatic infection) has an untreated death rate of 50-75%, pneumonic plague nearly always kills.
Family: Vibrionaceae
Found in aquatic habitats, particularly coastal marine environments. Transmitted by contaminated drinking water and eating contaminated, under cooked fish ans shellfish.
Genus: Vibrio
V. cholerae
cause of cholera, produces a powerful enterotoxin that inhibits water re-absorption by the large intestine, prodigious quantities of watery diarrhea, death by dehydration in hours. Treatment is supportive. Happens in poor countries.
Genus: Haemophilus
H. influenzae
It only grows on blood based media in the laboratory. Found in the nasopharynx of about 75% of people, virulent strands cause meningitis, earache, epiglottitis, and pneumonia. Immunization is part of the childhood vaccines (Hib) since 1985.
Genus: Bacteroides
B. fragilis
Strict anerobe, very common in the human colon, cause of peritonitis from penetrating abdominal wound or ruptured appendix (gun shot etc)
Rickettsias
obligate intracellular parasite, transmitted to humans via the bites of ticks (Rocky Mountain spotted fever) or fleas (typhus)
Chlamydias
obligate intracellulr prasite, transmitted to humans by direct contact or airborne contact. Causes nongonococcal urethritis which may be the most common STD in the U.S. Children born to infected mothers may suffer eye infections which can lead to blindness if untreated.
Genus: Staphylococcus
S. aureus
can be quite pathogenic. commonly found on skin, nares, groin, axillae. Produces a variety of toxins and tissue destroying enzymes. Very resistant to drying and heat and often resistant to antibiotics (MRSA, VRSA) Can cause toxic shock syndrome, abscesses, wound infections, and food intoxication.
Genus: Streptococcus
S. mutans
Normal oral flora, forms biofilm on teeth, acids produced by fermentation of carbs, results in caries. Oral surgery can inocculate them into the blood stream.
Genus: Streptococcus
S. pneumoniae
encapsulated, cause of pneumonia especailly in children and the elderly
Genus: Streptococcus
S. pyogenes
Group A strep. Cause of strep throat and occasionally life- threatening complications if enters the kidneys or heart. Impetigo, otitis media, necrotizing fasciitis.
Genus: Streptococcus
S. lactis
Lactose fermenter used in yogurt mnufacture
Genus: Bacillus
B. anthracis
First bacterium identified as the cause of disease. Primarily a disease of livestock. Infection results from inhalation or ingestion of spores. Vegetative bacteria produce deadly exotoxins which cause death by circulatory collapse and pulmonary edema.
Genus: Bacillus
B. cereus
Produces enterotoxins, grows in cooked warm rice, common cause of Chinese restaurant acquired food poisoning
Genus: Clostridium
strict anerobes, members produce powerful exotoxins, spores common in soil
Genus: Clostridium
C. botulinum
Extremely powerful neurotoxins (considered the most deadly natural toxin) causes flaccid paralysis, respiratory arrest, and death. Happens from eating contaminated foods containing the botulinum toxin
Genus: Clostridium
C. difficile
common cause of superinfection involving the colon, toxins damage lining of the colon. Very difficult to eradicate once established in the colon
Genus: Clostridium
C. perfringens
produces an assortment of tissue destroying enzymes and toxins. Cause of gas gangrene and almost an inevitable sequel to battle field wounds. (WWII)
Genus: Clostridium
C. tetani
produces powerful neurotoxins which cause spastic paralysis
Genus: Lactobacillus
Ferment carbs, producing acids. A common and necessary member of the vaginal normal flora. Prevents colonization of vaginal epithelium by yeasts and other pathogens. Some strands used in food preparation
Genus: Listeria
L. monocytogens
Is able to grow readily in refrigerated foods. Found widely in animal populations. Infection in pregnant women can cause serious consequences to the fetus. Occasional cause of sepsis and meningitis ( in elderly and immunocomprised)
Genus: Corynebcterium
C. diphtheriae
Cause of diphtheria a serious upper respiratory infection. Killed lots of children. Now standard vaccine.
Mycobacterium
Very hard to stain, once stained, very hard to decolorize. Have waxy cell walls (mycolic acid), grow slowly, are acid fast, are areobic, and resist many drugs and disinfectants. They prefer growth temperature of about 30-35 C
Genus: Mycobacterium
M. tuberculosis
a growing problem, especially in AIDS patients, many strands multiply- resistant, some strands re not treatable with any antibiotics
Genus: Mycobacterium
M. leprae
cause of Hansen’s disease (leprosy), extremities affected (bacterium grows best at lower temperatures found in hands, feet, and face.
Genus: Mycobacterium
M. avium
complex, a group of related mycobacterial species that have become a significant opportunistic pathogen in HIV/ AIDS patients.
Streptomyces
a large group of over 500 identified species of soil- dwelling filamentous bacteria, various members of this genus are responsible for the production of many of our natural antibiotic drugs.
Genus: Mycoplasma
M. pneumoniae
tiny bacterium (0.1- 0.25 um), cause mild ‘walking’ pneumonia
Trichophyton
fungus, “dermatophyte” genera, produces keratinases that allow it to digest, and thus live in, the keratin abundant hair, skin, or nail tissues. Responsible for many fungal infections of the hair, skin, and nails
Epidermophyton
another dermatophyte genus, usually only affects skin and nails
Microsporum
a third dermatophyte genus, tends to prefer hair or nails to skin
Candida
the yeast genus responsible for most human yeast infections, both of the vagina and the mouth (thrush)
Histoplasma
often abundant of bird or bat droppings, humans become infected by inhalation. This fungus can grow in the lungs and can occasionally enter the blood stream causing a dangerous generalized infection (histoplasmosis)
Aspergillus
a common mold that can grow on plants, and sometimes produce very toxic afltoxins. Corn and peanuts are particularly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Consumption of aflatoxins can cause serious illness in humans and livestock
Pneumocystis
historically thought to be a protozoan, recent evidence suggests that this organism is a fungus. Although mostly harmless to healthy persons, Pneumocystis pneumonia is a significant illness in persons with HIV/AIDS
