Clinical Bacteriology: Gram Negative Bacteria Flashcards
What are the lactose-fermenting enteric bacteria?
Citrobacter, Klebsiella, E. coli, Enterobacter, and Serratia.
Lactose is KEE
Test with MacConKEE‘S agar - lactose fermenters make pink colonies.
Eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar: Lactose fermenters grow as purple/black colonies. E. coli grows purple colonies with a green sheen.
What lactose-fermenting enzyme does E. coli produce?
β-galactosidase, cleaves lactose into glucose and galactose.
What are the gram negative diplococci?
What is an easy lab test to differentiate?
Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Both ferment glucose.
N. meningitidis ferments maltose
N. gonorrhoeae does not ferment maltose.
MeninGococci ferment Maltose and Glucose
Gonococci ferment Glucose.
For gonococcus (N. gonorrhoeae), describe…
- Capsule?
- Maltose fermentation?
- Vaccine?
- Transmission?
Often intracellular (inside neutrophils)
- No polysaccharide capsule
- No maltose fermentation
- No vaccine (pilus proteins have fast antigenic variation)
- Sexually tansmitted.
For gonococcus (N. gonorrhoeae), describe…
- Diseases caused by this bacteria?
- Prevention?
- Treatment for infection?
- Gonorrhea, septic arthritis, neonatal conjunctivitis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (peritonitis + perihepatitis as a complication of PID?).
- Condoms for sexual transmission. Erythromycin ointment for neonates
- Ceftriaxone + (azithromycin or doxycycline) for possible chlamydia coinfection.
For Meningococci (N. meningitidis) describe…
- Capsule?
- Maltose fermentation?
- Vaccine?
- Transmission?
- Polysaccharide capsule
- Maltose fermentation
- Vaccine available (none for type B)
- Transmitted via respiratory and oral secretions
For meningococci (N. meningitidis) describe…
- Diseases caused by this bacteria?
- Prevention?
- Treatment for infection?
- Meningococcemia (DIC with petechial rash) and meningitis. Waterhouse-Friederichsen syndrome (hemorrhagic necrosis of adrenal glands).
- Rifampin, ciprofloxacin, or ceftriaxone prophylaxis in close contacts
- Ceftriaxone or penicillin G for treatment.
How is Haemophilus Influenzae identified on gram stain?
What is the most invasive subtype causing disease?
What types of disease does it cause?
Small, gram-negative coccobacillary rod.
Most invasive disease caused by capsular type B.
Nontypeable strains: Mucosal infections (otitis media, conjunctivitis, bronchitis)
Ha_EMOP_hilus causes Epiglottitis (cherry red in children), Meningitis, Otitis media, and Pneumonia.
What are virulence factors for Haemophilus Influenzae?
What is required for culture?
Capsule, IgA protease
Chocolate agar with factors V (NAD+) and X (hematin) for culture. S. aureus can also be grown with it (provides factor V).
When a child has “flu”, mom goes to five (V) and dime (X) store to buy some chocolate.
How do you treat mucosal infection with haemophilus influenzae?
How about meningitis?
Prevention?
Treat mucosal infection with amoxicillin +/- clavulanate
Treat meningitis with ceftriaxone. Rifampin prophylaxis in close contacts.
Prevent with vaccine - contains type B capsular polysaccharide (polyribosylribitol phosphate) conjugated to diphtheria toxoid or another protein. Given between 2-18 months of age.
Patient presents with pneumonia, fever, GI, and CNS symptoms. He works as a domestic hot-water system mechanic.
A poorly staining gram-negative rod is found.
What is this organism?
What is a better stain to visualize it?
What is required for culture?
*Legionella pneumophilia, *causing Legionnaires’ disease
Transmitted via aerosols from environmental water source habitat (air conditioning systems, hot water tanks).
Use silver stain to visualize.
Culture requires charcoal yeast extract with iron and cysteine.
“Think of a French legionnaire (soldier) with his silver helmet, sitting around a campfire (charcoal) with his iron dagger - he is no sissy (cysteine).
What is a characteristic lab finding for infection with Legionella?
How is legionella detected clinically?
What is the name for a mild flu-like syndrome caused by legionella?
How do you treat legionella?
Labs show hyponatremia
Clinical detection by urine antigen
Pontiac fever is a mild form of disease
Give macrolide or quinolone for treatment.
A burn victim presents with sepsis. It is an aerobic gram-negative rod that is non-lactose fermenting and it is oxidase positive.
Culture shows that it produces a blue-green pigment.
What is that organism?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Produces procyanin (blue-green pigment); has a grape-like odor.
Produces endotoxin (fever, shock) and exotoxin A (inactivates EF-2)
Aeruginosa = Aerobic. Think water connection and blue-green pigment.
What types of infections does pseudomonas aeruginosa cause?
PSEUDOmonas is associated with wound and burn infections, Pneumonia (especially cystic fibrosis), Sepsis, External otitis (swimmer’s ear), UTI, Drug use, and Diabetic Osteomyelitis, and hot tub folliculitis. Malignant otitis externa in diabetics.
Chronic pneumonia in CF patients associated with biofilm.
An immunocompromised person presents with rapidly progressive necrotic cutaneous lesions.
Disease? Organism?
Ecthyma gangrenosum - caused by Pseudomonas bacteremia.