Diphtheriae Flashcards
corynebacterium morphology
pleomorphic gram positive rods
corynebacterium metabolism
aerobes
two classes of corynebacterium
diphtheriae and diphtheriods (all others)
corynebacterium transmission
aerosolized drop;ets
diphtheria isnt common in US anymore. Why?
successful vaccination
corynebacterium incubation
2-5 days
corynebacterium diphtheriae symptoms
fever, cough, sore throat
grey pseudomembrane forms on the back of the throat
bull neck
rarely: skin infection, stomach or lung
no: systemic infections
diphtheria toxin
causes systemic symptoms
lethal to eukaryotic cells
targets: heart, kidney, nervous system
blocks protein synthesis
corynebacterium diagnosis
done by identifying toxin
culture is difficult b/c must be grown on specialized medium (tellurite agar)
corynebacterium treatment
antitoxin neutralizes it- must be ordered from CDC
pt contacts treated w/ penicillin and reimmunized
corynebacterium vaccine
toxoid of DTX
DTaP
legionella morphology
gram negative rod
what other creatures can host legionella
ameboe
legionella symptoms
atypical pneumonia- not localized to a lobe
most probably go undiagnosed
can cause systemic disase- “pontiac fever”
legionella transmission
airborne- water cooling
not person to person
what cells does legionella infect?
macrophages- causes apoptosis or necrosis
has type 4 secretion system
legionella diagnositic tests
fastidious- agar w/ charcoal, iron, cysteine
direct Ab test in sputum- need to compare in two samples across weeks
mycoplasma morpholgy
smallest bacteria known
pleomorphy- no cell wall
no gram reactive
what gives mycoplasma its shape
lipoproteins in membrane form a protenaceous layer around it
also has cholesterol in membrane
what season is mycoplasma most common in?
summer
also has cycles every 4-8 year cycles
what does mycoplasma cause?
atypical pneumonia-
causes it in everyone
rarely: CNS, arthritis, autoimmune
how many serotypes of mycoplasma are there?
just 1 but doesnt give lifelong protection
mycoplasma transmission
respiratory droplets
P1 adhesins
binds glycoproteins for adhesion.