Bartonella, Steptobacillus, Chromobacterium, Ornithobacterium & Riemerella Flashcards
What is Bartonella? Is it motile? Where is it commonly found?
aerobic, fastidious, Gram-negative coccobacillus
yes, by lophotrichous flagella
facultative intracellular bacteria found in wild and domestic animals (esp. cats)
What kind of pathogen is Bartonella? When is infection more likely?
opportunistic pathogen causing Bartonellosis
prevalent in warmer and humid regions
How is Bartonella henselae transmitted?
by cat fleas
What are the main 3 species of Bartonella causing disease?
- B. henselae —> cat flea vector; cat reservoir; human, dog, cat incidental hosts —> cat scratch disease, endocarditis, bacteremia
- B. baciliformis —> sandfly vector; human reservoir; human incidental host —> Carrion’s disease, Andean valley
- B. quintana —> body lice vector; human reservoir; humans, dog, cat incidental host —> Trench fever
What is the reservoir of Bartonella henselae? What does it tend to cause when transmitted to incidental hosts?
cats
CATS: subclinical bacteremia, feline bartonellosis
DOGS: endocarditis
HUMANS: subclinical bacteremia (from cat scratch)
How do humans become infected with Bartonella henslae from cats? What does this cause?
- 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
How does the immune status of the host affect symptoms of cat scratch disease? What are some general symptoms?
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
How does Bartonella infection develop in cats?
- 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
What 4 virulence factors are responsible for Bartonella henslae attachment? 3 responsible for secretion/invasion?
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
What stain is used on Bartonella for identification? What media is growth best on?
Warthin-Starry stain —> won’t Gram stain
blood-enriched media
Why isn’t serological testing recommended to diagnose Bartonella (cat scratch disease) in cats?
common false positive results
What is commonly seen on histology of Bartonella infection? Radiographs?
inflammation
pulmonary edema and cardiac enlargement in dogs
How is Bartonella infection usually treated/controlled?
- 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
What is Streptobacillus moniliformis? In what conditions does it typically grow?
highly pleomorphic, filamentous, Gram-negative, non-motile, facultative anaerobic bacilli (string of chains)
fastidious, microaerophilic
What are the 2 variant types of Streptobacillus moniliformis based on morphology?
- bacilary form - pathogenic, normal configuration
- L form - non-pathogenic, lack cell wall, unfavorable conditions
Where is Streptobacillus moniliformis commonly found? What is it the causative agent of?
upper respiratory tract of rodents - mice, guinea pigs, gerbils, squirrels
rate bite fever
- S. moniliformis in US
- Spirillum minus in Asia (sodoku)
What are the main 3 modes of tranmission of rat bite fever?
- rate bite or contact
- ingestion of contaminaed products by rodent urine or droppings (Haverhill fever)
- transmission from rats to cats and dogs to humans
(Streptobacillus moniliformis = zoonosis associated with rodent contact)
What are the common clinical symptoms of rat bite fever? What are some complications?
- fever
- rash
- joint and muscle pain
- headache
- vomiting
- sore throat
~ abscess
~ pneumonia
~ hepatitis
~ nephritis
~ meningitis
~ endocarditis