Concepts in microbiology - bacteria Flashcards
Which pathogen causes angular cheilitis?
Staphylococcus aureus
2 possible sources of Staphylococcus aureus
Endogenous (originates internally, within the body) or exogenous (originates externally and is passed on by cross infection)
How is Staphylococcus aureus passed on?
Contaminated hands and fomites
Oral diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus
Angular cheilitis, mucositis, bone infection
Symptoms of angular cheilitis
red, inflamed, crusty angles of mouth
What does a triangle symbolise?
diagnosis
How would you sample an oral infection (e.g. angular cheilitis) to send to the microbiology lab?
Using a sterile swab that is moistened with sterile water
What is the diagnostic process used in the microbiology lab to identify the bacteria?
- grow on selective and non-selective agar
- observe colony morphology
- Gram stain
- clumping factor detection
What is the name of the non-selective agar?
Blood agar
Why is bacteria grown on non-selective / blood agar?
To observe the colony morphology (features used to identify). All bacteria grow giving an overall impression of bacteria flora present.
What is the colony morphology of Staphylococcus aureus on non-selective / blood agar?
Round, convex, smelly
Appearance of Staphylococcus aureus on a gram stain
Dark clusters resembling grape bunches
Why is Staphylococcus aureus the only species able to grow on selective agar?
The specific salt concentration inhibits growth of normal flora but allows Staphylococcus aureus to grow.
How does selective agar change colour in the presence of Staphylococcus aureus?
Selective agar contains the sugar mannitol which is fermented by S. aureus. Acid released which lowers the pH causing the pH indicator in selective agar to turn from pink to yellow.
Example of a selective agar
Mannitol salt agar
Why does Staphylococcus aureus cause coagulation of the serum in the Coagulase test?
S aureus has the coagulase positive virulence factor
Instead of adding inoculum of bacteria to a test tube of serum, which method is now used for the coagulase test?
Slide agglutination test
Why does Staphylococcus aureus cause pus collection?
it has a coagulase positive virulence factor
How does the Slide agglutination test work? (replacement of coagulase test)
The clumping factor and protein A is found on the S aureus cell wall. Fibrinogen and IgG (antibody) is on the latex bead surface. S aureus clumps in the latex bead solution and is positively identified.
Example of coagulase positive staphylococci
Staphylococcus aureus
Example of coagulase negative staphylococci
Staphylococcus epidermis (commensal bacteria found on skin)
Meaning of ‘staphylos’ ‘coccus’ ‘aureus’
Staphylos - grapes in Greek
Coccus - round shape
Aureus - golden colour in blood agar
Why is antimicrobial susceptibility testing conducted?
Inform which antibiotic should be used and for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance
How is susceptibility / resistance to antibiotics for bacteria deduced?
Bacteria incubated on agar plate with antibiotic disks. Measure zones of inhibitions. This process is automated by Vitek machine
What is the minimum inhibitory concentration susceptibility test?
A quantitative measure of the concentration of antibiotic required to inhibit the bacteria. An E test strip is placed on an agar plate coated in bacteria and increasing concentrations of the antibiotic.
Why is it important to take specimens for identification and susceptibility testing?
Staphylococcus aureus can cause severe head and neck infections. Particular strain of S aureus produces an exotoxin which is associated with community acquired MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
Size of bacteria
0.5 - 5 um (1um = 1000 nm)
Features common to prokaryotes and eukaryotes
cell membrane and ribosomes (70s vs 80s)
Difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes
prokaryotes have circular DNA in nucleoid (space where DNA is found) while eukaryotes have linear DNA in the nucleus. Prokaryotes do not have membrane-bound organelles. Ribosomes in prokaryotes are smaller (70s) than eukaryotes (80s)
Why is it important to understand differences between host and bacterial cells?
Insight into disease processes (e.g. ecological plaque hypothesis), disease diagnosis (e.g. pulper exposure due to caries caused infection) and disease treatment (e.g. mouthwash, toothpaste)
Features of a bacterial cell
All: cell envelope, cytoplasmic membrane, 70s ribosomes, circular DNA
Some: membranous invaginations, inclusion granules, flagellum, capsule