BUGS Flashcards
Which microorganism is bacitracin-sensitive ?
Streptoccus pyogenes
What is the most common cause of rheumatic fever ?
Untreated pharyngitis caused by strep pyogenes.
What type of HSR is rheumatic fever ?
Type II HSR.
IgG against M protein cross-reaction with our own cardiac myosin.
What type of HSR is glomerulonephritis that occurs following strep infection ?
Type III HSR.
Against hyaloronic acid capsule (same as our basement membranes)
What is the organism that causes erysipelas ?
Streptococcus pyogenes
What is the main cause of pharyngitis is children ?
Streptococcus pyogenes
What is a rare complication of untreated pharyngitis in children ?
Scarlet fever
Possible complication of strep throat from phage-infected, Spe-producing strains.
Streptolysin O and S are virulence factors responsible for hemolysis in what strain of bacteria ?
S. pyogenes
SpeA, SpeB are superantigens responsible for toxic shock syndrome that belong to what strain of bacteria ?
S. pyogenes
What is the bacteria refered to as group A strep ?
S. pyogenes
What is the bacteria refered to as group B strep ?
S. agalactiae
S. agalactiae : bacitracin-sensitive or resistant ?
Resistant
Otherwise, S. agalactiae looks very similar to pyogenes. It is catalase ‘‘negative’’, grows in long chains of gram + cocci and is beta-hemolytic. However, s pyogenes is CAMP negative and S. agalactiae is CAMP positive.
What bacteria can cause meningitis in babies exposed to it during or just after birth ?
S. agalactiae
Due to its polyscaccharide capsule, the bug is able to cross baby’s BBB.
Which bacteria normally inhabit the lower GI and genital tract of 20% of females and can cause problems if the baby inhales it at brith ?
S. agalactiae
Which bacteria is the main cause of mastitis in breastfeeding women ?
S. agalactiae
Babies who are exposed to S. agalactiae in the vaginal canal during birth start showing signs of meningitis how long after they are born ?
within 1 week after birth.
Which strain of strep is optochin-sensitive and lysed by bile ?
S. pneumoniae
What strain of strep is alpha-hemolytic, has neurominadase A, has the capacity to autolize, causing localized inflammation and better susceptibility to atb due to release of cell wall material ?
S. pneumoniae
Antibiotics that target cell walls that are effective against S. pneumoniae ?
B lactams
Vancomycin
Always grows in chains of 2 bacteria ?
‘‘Lancet-shaped’’
‘‘diplococci’’
S. pneumoniae
Has > 90 types of capsular polysaccharides, can disable complement, cleave IgA and adhere to tissues using PspA and PspC surface proteins ?
These are virulence mechanisms of S.pneumoniae.
Leading cause of lobar pneumonia ?
S. pneumoniae
Especially in pts older than 65 y.o.
Smokers have î risk.
Leading cause of bacterial meningitis in older adults (> 65 y.o.) ?
S. pneumoniae
from untreated lobar pneumonia.
Leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children < 3 months old ?
S. agalactiae
Catalase ‘‘negative’’ gram + cocci that grows in chains and does b-hemolysis, especially when CO2 is present (capnophile):
Streptococcus pyogenes.
PCV13 vaccine :
**Protein conjugated **vaccine that protects against 13 capsule types of s.pneumoniae and recommended for use in children.
PPSV23 vaccine :
Non-protein conjugated vaccine that protects against 23 different capsule types of s.pneumoniae and recommended for use in older adults.
Boosters are required.
Older adults have decreased thymic functions, therefore, there is more benefits in offering them coverage against many capsule types vs protein-conjugated with longer memory because they can’t make proper T cell responses anyway.
Most common bacterial cause of otitis media in young children ?
S.pneumoniae
True or false, 80% of cases of otitis media resolve on their own?
True
Encapsulated bacteria are pros at natural transformation. Which bacteria is the number one best at undergoing natural transformation ?
S. pneumoniae
Are known to be effective antibiotics against s. pneumoniae, but known to cause *crisis by lysis *?
B lactams
Synergistic beta hemolysis with S.pyogenes or S.aureus:
S. agalactiae
What is the best b-lactams to give to a child with strep throat ?
Amoxicillin
What is the best atb to give to a pregnant woman who is infected with s.agalactiae ?
Ampicillin
Crosses the placenta
Viridians streptococci include what organisms ?
Streptococcus mitis, salivarus & mutans.
Optochin-resistant
alpha hemolytic
Not bile-soluble
Viridians are all normal oral flora. Which one is the number one cause of cavities and can also cause endocarditis in individuals who already had a underlying heart murmur ?
Streptococcus mutans
How to distinguish Streptococcus mutans from Streptococcus pneumoniae ?
On gram-stain, s. mutans grows as long chains vs diplococci.
S. mutans is not dissolved by bile vs S. pneumoniae.
What kind of hemolysis do Viridians do ?
alpha hemolysis
What strain of bacteria is part of normal gut flora but can be problematic if they enter the bloodstream or colonize the urinary tract ?
Enterococcus fecalis
Enterococcus faecium
Are broadly **atb resistant **and known to cause UTIs and wound infections ?
Enterococcus fecalis
Enterococcus faecium
What is the gene that allows Enterococcus species to resist Vancomycin ?
vanA cassette
Codes for an alternate peptidoglycan structure.
By extension, you can’t use b-lactams either.
2 bacteria that are PYR test positive :
S. pyogenes
Enterocci
Strains that are CAMP-test +
S. agalactiae
S. lugdunensis
Listeria monocytogenes
They can break down esculin in the agar and turn the plate to black ?
Enterococcus fecalis
Enterococcus faecium
grow in high salt conditions.
not lysed by bile
resistant to optochin
PYR + ; same as s.pyogenes.
Gram +, aerobic, b-hemolytic, spore forming rod that is motile :
Bacillus cereus
Cereolysin allows b-hemolysis in what spore forming gram + bacteria ?
Bacillus cereus
Foodborne illness linked with rice is typically from what spore forming bacteria ?
Bacillus cereus
Spore forming bacteria able to produce a poly-glutamate capsule, aerobic, non-motile and usually grows as large white ground glass colonies on blood agar?
Bacillus anthracis
B anthracis’s virulence comes from 2 A/B toxins that have the same B-subunit (protective antigens or PA), but 2 different A-subunits. One of the A subunit = edema factor (upregulates cAMP) ; the other = Lethal factor ( by cleaving MAPK stops translation).
The genes for PA, EF & LF are located on plasmids or chromosomes ?
Plasmids
Most common source of anthrax infections?
Livestock
Most common form of anthrax infection ?
Cutaneous anthrax.
represents > 95% of cases.
Low case fatality (20% if untreated).
Cutaneous anthrax is painless, necrotic wound infection with surrounding adema with usually no lymphadenopathy or swelling.
What other form of anthrax infection is caused by spores that have a very long latency and high case fatality.
Also called Woolsorter’s disease.
Pulmonary anthrax.
Not a lot of inflammation in the lungs, but a lot of edema. Usually the cough is not productive and both lobes are affected.
What is the mechanism of action of macrolides ?
The mechanism of action of macrolides revolves around their ability to bind the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit causing the cessation of bacterial protein synthesis.
The CDC recommends what atb for mass casuality infections with anthrax ?
Fluoroquinolones
(Tendon damage is risk of long term usage)
The CDC recommends what type of atb for agriculture-related individual anthrax infections ?
Beta-lactams
Bacillus cereus and anthracis are both environmental bacteria that are broadly susceptible to atb. In case of intoxication with these, what is the course of treatment ?
No atb required
rehydration only
Specie of spore forming rods that are obligate anaerobes ?
Clostridium
Why are clostridium spore forming rods inconsistently stained ?
They use their own cell walls to make the spores, so some may appear lighter than the typical purple on gram stain even though gram +, due to the fact that they initially have fewer peptidoglycan layers than other aerobic spore forming bacteria (Clostridium use fermentation- less efficient metabolism).
Responsible for ‘‘gas’’ gangrene ?
Pushing on necrotic wound makes crepitance noise;
Develop rapidly and high case fatality.
Clostridium perfringens
Large, gram +, spore forming, strickly anaerobic, b-hemolytic (a toxin = phospholipase C)
A cellulitis with radiating, but no directional spread can be caused by what spore-forming Gram + bacteria ?
Clostridium perfringens
Myonecrosis with gas gangrene in the absence of infected wound can be caused by ?
‘‘Swarming’’ motility pattern on agar gel.
Clostridium septicum.
Mainly in pts with occult colon CA, leukemia or diabetes.
C. septicum escapes from GI tract –> blood –>muscles (low O2).
Bacteria responsible for food intoxication in buffets that only causes diarrhea approx 8-24h post ingestion?
C perfringens.
Large, gram +, spore-forming, strictly anaerobic, motile, and produce large terminal spores that makes them look like lollipops ?
Clostridium tetani
Rigid paralysis following a puncture wound is likely ?
Tetanus
Spastic paralysis with classic ‘‘lockjaw’’ or rictus sardonicus.
A/B toxin
B : binds motor neurons
A : stops GABA+ glycin release (inhibitory signal)
How do you treat tetanus ?
Metronidazole
Anti-tetanus toxin immunoglobulin (TIg)
Tetanus toxoid is part of the DTaP vaccine, which is recommended for babies as soon as ?
Adults needs boosters at what frequency ?
2 months old
boosters q 10 years
Clostridium strain that is most commonly non-motile and like Clostridium tetani, causes paralysis ?
Clostridium botulinum is non-motile.
C. tetani is motile.
Which strain of clostridium causes a flaccid paralysis as a result of A toxin preventing Ach release for vesicle in the neuromuscular junction ?
Clostridium botulinum
Main sources of C. botulinum ?
Homemade canned vegetables
Honey
Soy-based infant formulas
Honey should never be given to baby < 6 months old.
In adults and children > 1 year old, C. botulism presents as :
An intoxication
Adults and children have normal gut flora to outcompete botilinum.
Remember that bacteria that make spores do not grow well in the body as they are usually bacteria that thrive in the environement (unstable conditions)
In neonates (< 1 y.o.) botulism presents as :
Causes ‘‘floppy baby syndrome’’
An infection
(in intestinal tract)
What other conditions could present at as flaccid paralysis in the baby ?
Neonatal myasthenia gravis
Pompe’s disease
If MG is the cause, the baby is born with flaccid parylasis and sx will be better over time.
Pompe babies are born normal, quickly get parlaysis when galactose is introduced and sx get worse over time.
Baby is born normal and develop a progressive flaccid paralysis after having normal development.
How do you test for a suspected botulism in a baby?
Stool culture
(look for botulism toxins)
How do you test for suspected botulism in older children and adults ?
Test the suspected implicated food, not the patient. They don’t have the bacteria in them at all, the toxin is already on the neurons if they are symptomatic.
Which bacteria causing infection/intoxication have we not develop a vaccine against, but advise people to proper food handling practices instead ?
Clostridium botulinum
Both C. tetani and botulinum are broadly susceptible to atb. What is the atb of choice for both of these ?
Metronidazole
Less likely to harm normal flora
For babies who are infected with botulism the treatment is :
Atb
Anti-botulism toxin immunoglobulin
What bacteria is responsible for pseudomembranous colitis ?
Pseudomembrane : bunch of dead cells sloughing off all together (as a membrane).
C. difficile
carried asymptomatically by 5% of the population
Starts as watery diarrhae, then becomes more and more bloody and rich with mucous. Typical very foul odor.
Quite good at colonizing normal flora compared to other spore forming bacteria and following long-term antibiotic use, can cause inflammation and destruction of colonic epithelia ?
C. diff
Because they are quite atb resistant, they can outcompete normal gut flora following long course of atb, where most of the normal gut flora is destroyed.
DO NOT have A/B toxins, but their toxins that cause the pseudomembranous colitis are called toxins A & B :
C. diff
Most common atb associated with C. diff ?
Clarithromycin
Ciprofloxacin
True or false.
Use of alcohol-based sanitizers increases spread of C.diff spores from person to person ?
True
Treatment of C. difficile :
Oral vancomycin
Metronidazole
Fecal transplant
Gold standard : fidaxomicin
Fidaxomicin : protein-synthesis inhibitor.
Motility depends on the temperature of its environment ?
Listeria monocytogenes
Motile at 25 degrees
Non-motile at 37 degrees
It’s motility is described as ‘‘tumbling motility’’
Listeria monocytogenes
Short gram positive rod that is weakly b-hemolytic and CAMP-test + and does not make spores ?
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes beta-hemolysis caused by :
Listeriolysin O
At 37C, rather than expressing flagella genes, they exprss actA, which causes restructuring of actin cytoskeleton forming ‘‘actin rockets’’ allowing bacteria to move from one cell to the other:
Listeria monocytogenes
In the human body, Listeria monocytogenes does not bother making flagellum. They get into my cells, use my actin cytoskeleton to make an actin tail and move around into my cell or to my other cells.
More actA is produced in cells that are trying to kill bacteria with ROS allowing Listeria monocytogenes to better survive the oxidative burst in cells. Why is that ?
actA gene is in the operon for glutathione.
Causes mild symptoms in healthy people but can cause septicemia in immunocompromised patients and pregnant women . The bacteria can also cross the placenta.
Pregnant women are 10x more likely to be symptomatic.
Listeria monocytogenes
True or false.
Anything that crosses the placenta needs to be intracellular but not everything that is intracellular crosses the placenta.
True
Only 2 intracellular bacteria are able to cross the placenta. Which ones?
Listeria monocytogenes (via actin rockets)
Syphillis
Many viruses do cross the placenta however. All intracellular.
In utero infections of Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriage or stillbirths. Among infants who survive, the case fatality is 30%. Babies who acquire listeria in utero present with what special feature at birth ?
Granulomas
(speckles all over)
Listeria monocytogenes is normal flora of many livestock animals. What is the most common source of listeria monocytogenes intoxications ?
Unpasterized dairy products.
Listeria grows pokay at frige and freezer temperatures.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause meningitis. How can you diagnose this ?
Blood/CSF culture. You incubate the plate at 4C. The reason for culturing it at 4C is that if a food is contaminated by Listeria, it is most likely contaminated by other bacteria so you don’t want them all growing on your plate. Listeria is the only one that grows ‘‘okay’’ at 4C.
Bacteria levels are quite low in the CSF so unlikely to be seen on CSF stain.
Infants who contracted Listeria in late pregnancy or near birth develop :
Meningitis 2 weeks postpartum.
Facultative psychrophile that grows at 4C and causes foodborn intoxications related to soft cheese/ice cream ?
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes does what type of hemolysis ?
B hemolysis
Often not seen on gram-stain slides of patients infected with meningitis ?
Listeria monocytogenes.
Gold standard treatment for Listeria monocytogenes?
Penicillin or Ampicillin (if pregnant)
Because Listeria monocytogenes is an environmental organism, it is broadly susceptible to atb.
Gram + rod shaped bacteria and shows pleomorphism, is non spore-forming and responsible for erysipeloid ?
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
Gram + rod shaped bacteria and shows pleomorphism, is non spore-forming and responsible for erysipeloid ?
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
What distinguises Erysipelas from Erysipeloid ?
Usually painful
Only on hands
Lesion is purple vs red
Susceptible to many atb (environmental bug)
People who work with pigs
Can cause rapidly destructive ocular infections following traumatic inoculation of spores into the cornea ?
B. cereus.
Due to cereolysin.
Genus of gram + palissading rods
Corynbacterium
Thick cell wall (a little mycolic acid) so very purple on gram stain.
The B subunit of the A/B toxin binds to heparin-binding epidermal growth factor found on respiratory epithelium, some neurons and cardiac cells :
Corynbacterium diphtheriae
A sub-unit stops translation by binding EF2.
The beta-phage responsible for C. diphtheriae making the A/B toxin has insertion site in operon that is turned off by ?
Iron
Initial presentation is pharyngeal with grey membrane and ‘‘bullneck’’. Without treatment can cause cardiac arrythmia, heart failure. Neural sx and wound infections are also possible:
C. diphtheriae
What type of vaccine is DTaP and when do we administer it ?
Subunit toxoid vaccine.
First administration : 2 months old
Boosters : 4, 6 and 15-18 months old.
Only phage infected bacteria have toxin genes and therefore the production of toxin is an exemple of :
Lysogenic conversion
C. diphtheriae isolates only have humans as reservoirs and are broadly susceptible to atb. What atb is very effective against it ?
Macrolides
How do you test for C. diphtheria ?
Look for A/B toxin gene using PCR
Old technique was using anti-toxin antibodies - Elek test.
Makes H2S as part of metabolism which interacts with tellurite in Tinsdale media turning their color to jetblack ?
C. diphtheriae
Rare in healthy people, but can grow on indwelling medical devices and are very atb resistant because of their close association with hospitals ?
Corynbacterium jeikeium
In hospitalized patients, Corynbacterium urealyticum causes UTI that often complicate to what due to their urease activity ?
Kidney stones
Gram + bacteria that take a lot of time to grow (have a little mycolic acid in their cell wall), form ‘‘tooth looking’’ brownish colonies and clump together on slides ?
Actinomyces
(Infections are almost always endogenous)
Natural oral & vaginal flora
Involves some kind of oral trauma, usually appears on the jawline and pushing on the granulomatous lesion causes expression of yellow/orange nodules called ‘‘sulfur-granules’’.
Immunocompetent individuals can have it.
Cervicofacial actinomyces
Trx : debridement
Uniforemly susceptible to beta-lactams & macrolides
Can colonize IUDs causing which condition in immunocompetent individuals ?
Pelvic actinomyces
Only mycolic acid containing bacteria that can grow anaerobically ?
Actinomyces
Responsible for acne ?
Cutibacetrium acnes
Gram + non sporing bacilli
part of normal skin flora
Major contributor to vaginal normal flora and protects against yeats infections, staph TSS and some STIs. They are common contaminants in urine samples from women and are vancomycin resistant?
Lactobacillus
They can cause septicemia and endocarditis in very immunocompromised patients.
Don’t use alanine to make their cell walls (why they are resistant to vanco)
Main bacteria that colonize normal skin flora ?
Staph
Corynebacterium
Cutibacterium
What kind of stain for Actinomyces ?
Modified acid fast technique