Bartonella, Steptobacillus, Chromobacterium, Ornithobacterium & Riemerella Flashcards

1
Q

What is Bartonella? Is it motile? Where is it commonly found?

A

aerobic, fastidious, Gram-negative coccobacillus

yes, by lophotrichous flagella

facultative intracellular bacteria found in wild and domestic animals (esp. cats)

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2
Q

What kind of pathogen is Bartonella? When is infection more likely?

A

opportunistic pathogen causing Bartonellosis

prevalent in warmer and humid regions

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3
Q

How is Bartonella henselae transmitted?

A

by cat fleas

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4
Q

What are the main 3 species of Bartonella causing disease?

A
  1. B. henselae —> cat flea vector; cat reservoir; human, dog, cat incidental hosts —> cat scratch disease, endocarditis, bacteremia
  2. B. baciliformis —> sandfly vector; human reservoir; human incidental host —> Carrion’s disease, Andean valley
  3. B. quintana —> body lice vector; human reservoir; humans, dog, cat incidental host —> Trench fever
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5
Q

What is the reservoir of Bartonella henselae? What does it tend to cause when transmitted to incidental hosts?

A

cats

CATS: subclinical bacteremia, feline bartonellosis
DOGS: endocarditis
HUMANS: subclinical bacteremia (from cat scratch)

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6
Q

How do humans become infected with Bartonella henslae from cats? What does this cause?

A
  • fleas defecates on cat and deposits bacteria, and as the cat grooms, B. henslae accumulates on their claws
  • cat scratches or bites human transmitting the bacteria
  • cat scratch disease develops at the site of the scratch/bite and lymph nodes swell
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7
Q

How does the immune status of the host affect symptoms of cat scratch disease? What are some general symptoms?

A

IMMUNOCOMPETENT: local lymphadenopathy that can lead to endocarditis

IMMUNOCOMPROMISED: baciliary angiomatosis causing cutaneous lesions and lesions associated with every organ system

  • fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss
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8
Q

How does Bartonella infection develop in cats?

A
  • blood-sucking arthropod defecates and excretes Bartonella onto the skin surface
  • Bartonella colonizes the skin and enters migratory cells
  • migratory cells deposit Bartonella on the endothelium on underlying blood vessels
  • Bartonella binds to RBCs, replicates, and persists within them
  • blood-sucking arthropod ingests blood infected with Bartonella
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9
Q

What 4 virulence factors are responsible for Bartonella henslae attachment? 3 responsible for secretion/invasion?

A

ATTACHMENT
- multiple flagella
- bartonella adhesin A (BadA): biofilm, phagocytosis avoidance
- filamentous hemagglutinin
- Trw system: adhesion to RBC and endothelium

SECRETION/INVASION
- VirB/VirD-T4SS
- IaIAB proteins (RBC invasion)
- hemolysin

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10
Q

What stain is used on Bartonella for identification? What media is growth best on?

A

Warthin-Starry stain —> won’t Gram stain

blood-enriched media

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11
Q

Why isn’t serological testing recommended to diagnose Bartonella (cat scratch disease) in cats?

A

common false positive results

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12
Q

What is commonly seen on histology of Bartonella infection? Radiographs?

A

inflammation

pulmonary edema and cardiac enlargement in dogs

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13
Q

How is Bartonella infection usually treated/controlled?

A
  • treatment not usually necessary
  • antibiotics (takes 4-6 weeks): Doxycycline
  • prevention of cat scratches and bites
  • flea control
  • wash wounds with soap and water immediately
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14
Q

What is Streptobacillus moniliformis? In what conditions does it typically grow?

A

highly pleomorphic, filamentous, Gram-negative, non-motile, facultative anaerobic bacilli (string of chains)

fastidious, microaerophilic

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15
Q

What are the 2 variant types of Streptobacillus moniliformis based on morphology?

A
  1. bacilary form - pathogenic, normal configuration
  2. L form - non-pathogenic, lack cell wall, unfavorable conditions
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16
Q

Where is Streptobacillus moniliformis commonly found? What is it the causative agent of?

A

upper respiratory tract of rodents - mice, guinea pigs, gerbils, squirrels

rate bite fever
- S. moniliformis in US
- Spirillum minus in Asia (sodoku)

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17
Q

What are the main 3 modes of tranmission of rat bite fever?

A
  1. rate bite or contact
  2. ingestion of contaminaed products by rodent urine or droppings (Haverhill fever)
  3. transmission from rats to cats and dogs to humans

(Streptobacillus moniliformis = zoonosis associated with rodent contact)

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18
Q

What are the common clinical symptoms of rat bite fever? What are some complications?

A
  • fever
  • rash
  • joint and muscle pain
  • headache
  • vomiting
  • sore throat

~ abscess
~ pneumonia
~ hepatitis
~ nephritis
~ meningitis
~ endocarditis

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19
Q

What agar is necessary for Streptobacillus moniliformis growth? Why?

A

brain-heart infusion enriched with 15% blood, 20% horse/calf serum, or 5% ascetic fluid in 5-10% CO2

it’s a very fastidious bacteria

20
Q

How can the 2 morphologies of Steptobacillus moniliformis be identified on agar?

A

BACILIARY FORM - non-hemolytic, small, greyish colonies on blood agar

L-FORM - colonies stained by Diene’s stain with a fried-egg appearance

21
Q

How does Streptobacillus moniliformis respond to catalase and oxidase tests? What is recommended to confirm diagnosis?

A

catalase -
oxidase -

PCR-based assay

22
Q

How is Streptobacillus moniliformis treated?

A
  • antibiotics: penicilln
  • surgical drainage of large abscesses
23
Q

What is Chromobacterium violaceum? What is a major unique characteristic?

A

Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic rod motile by polar or lateral flagella

production of the violet pigment (violacein)

24
Q

Where in the environment is Chromobacterium violaceum commonly found? What kind of pathogen is it?

A

soil and water of subtropical and tropical regions

opportunistic pathogen of mammals that can lead to fatal systemic disease

25
Q

What is the purpose of the violacein produced by Chromobacterium violaceum?

A

has antibiotic activity against Gram-positive bacteria, especially Staph. aureus

26
Q

What are the 2 most common symptoms of Chromobacterium violaceum in humans? What can it progress into?

A
  1. skin abscesses
  2. septicemia

septicemia can progress into multiorgan abscesses and pneumonia

27
Q

On what media do Chromobacterium violaceum grow well on? What are major characteristics of its growth?

A

nutrient agar, blood agar, and MacConkey agar

  • produces violet pigment
  • almond-like smell
  • β-hemolysis
28
Q

How does Chromobacterium violaceum respond to catalase and oxidase tests? What 2 treatments does it tend to be resistant to?

A

catalase +
oxidase +

  1. cephalosporins
  2. ampicillin
    (use fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides)
29
Q

What is Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale? Where is it commonly found?

A

Gram-negative, non-motile, microaerophilic, pleomorphic rods

wild and domesticated species of birds

30
Q

What is Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale the causative agent of? What does it cause? Is it zoonotic?

A

emerging poultry pathogen - Ornithobacteriosis

acute, contagious respiratory disease (pneumonia, airsacculitis) in chickens, turkeys, and older birds

NO - horizontal and vertical transmission to the same species

31
Q

What are the 5 common clinical symptoms of Ornithobacteriosis?

A
  1. coughing
  2. reduced weight gain
  3. reduced egg production
  4. airsacculitis with accumulation of yogurt-like exudates
  5. pneumonia with accumulation of fibrin
32
Q

How does Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale grow on blood agar and MacConkey agar? How does it respond to oxidase and catalase tests?

A

BLOOD: pinpoint, circular, small, gray non-hemolytic colonies
MACCONKEY: no growth

oxidase +
catalase -

33
Q

What is the recommended treatment of Ornithobacteriosis?

A

ampicillin administered in the drinking water

34
Q

What is Riemerella anatipestifer? Where is it commonly found?

A

non-spore forming, non-motile, Gram-negative rods

  • ubiquitous in the environment
  • wild and domestic birds
35
Q

What is Riemerella anatipestifer the causative agent of? What is characteristic of this infection? How is it transmitted?

A

duck septicemia; new duck disease in domestic ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens, and other wild birds

high mortality in ducklings up to 6 weeks of age

bird-to-bird transmission through respiratory tract and skin wounds

36
Q

What are 7 clinical symptoms of Riemerella anatipestifer infection?

A
  1. ocular and nasal discharge
  2. sneezing and coughing
  3. leg paddling
  4. head and neck tremors
  5. incoordination
  6. depression and anorexia
  7. greenish diarrhea
37
Q

What are 4 common postmortem findings in Riemerella anatipestifer infection?

A
  1. fibrinous pericarditis*
  2. fibrinous perihepatitis*
  3. fibrinous meningitis
  4. fibrinous airsacculitis
38
Q

On what media does Riemerella anatipestifer grow best on? What does it not grow on?

A

blood or chocolate agar - small, transparent, and glistening colonies (non-hemolytic)

MacConkey

39
Q

How does Riemerella anatipestifer respond to catalase and oxidase tests?

A

catalase +
oxidase +

40
Q

In what 3 ways is Riemerella anatipestifer treated/controlled?

A
  1. antibiotic therapy
  2. vaccination - bacterin, avirulent live vaccine
  3. hygiene management
41
Q

Duck farm report - Infectious outbreak in a 14-21 day old flock where 2020 out of 4000 were infected, with 316 dead. Affected ducks exhibited reduced movement, ataxia, and dorsal recumbency with leg paddling. Fibrinous pericarditis, airsacculitis, perihepatitis, ventriculitis and meningitis were observed. What microorganism is likely responsible?

a. Streptobacillus moniliformis
b. Chromobacterium violaceum
c. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale
d. Riemerella anatipestifer

A

D

S. moniliformis = rat bite fever
C. violaceum = mammals
O. rhinotracheale = respiratory disease

42
Q

A 63 y/o male originally from Brazil and now living in a homeless shelter presents with a fever, headache, rash, and bone pain in the shins, neck, and back. On examination, lice are visible on the patient’s clothes and hospital sheets. What is the likely causative agent?

a. Bartonella henselae
b. Bartonella quintana
c. Bartonella baciliformis
d. Bartonella bovis

A

B, Trench fever

B. henselae = cat scratch fever (cat flea)
B. baciliformis = Carrion’s disease (sandfly)
B. bovis = cattle endocarditis (biting flies)

43
Q

A 20 y/o male presented with a week history of fevers, rash, and polyarthralgia affecting his knees, elbows, and wrists. He denied any history of bites, but kisses his pet rat daily. What is likely associated with these symptoms?

a. Bartonella henselae
b. Streptobacillus moniliformis
c. Chormobacterium violaceum
d. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale
e. Riemerella anatipestifer

A

B

44
Q

What activity is asociated with infection of Chromobacterium violaceum?

a. inhaling cigarette smoke
b. eating raw oysters
c. drinking unpasteurized milk
d. swimming in a creek

A

D; environmental opportunistic pathogen

45
Q

What should be associated with Bartonella henselae, Streptobacillus moniliformis, Chromobacterium violaceum, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, and Riemerella anatipestifer? Which are zoonotic?

A

cats
rats
environment
chicken
ducklings

B. henselae
S. moniliformis