Enteric Bacteria Flashcards
What are the human pathogens of Enterobacteriaceae?
Escerichia coli Salmonella sp. Shigella sp. Yersinia sp. Klebsiella sp.
What are the main characteristics of Enterobacteriaceae?
Gram (-)
Facultative anaerobes
Non-endospore forming
What are the main characteristics of Coliform bacteria? What are some examples?
Enterobacteriaceae family
Ferment lactose (MacConkey’s agar)
Escerichia coli, enterobacter sp., Klebsiella sp.
What are bacteriocidins?
Toxins produced by Enterobacteriaceae that stop the growth of competitive bacteria
What are enterotoxins and which ones are produced by Enterobacteriaceae?
They are toxins that affect the GI tract Heat-labile enterotoxin Heat-stable enterotoxin Verotoxin Endotoxin
What does heat-labile enterotoxin do?
Constitutively activates cAMP, leads to fluid and electrolyte secretion into the gut lumen = diarrhea
What does heat-stable enterotoxin do?
STs (STa and STb)
Constitutively activates cGMP, leading to fluid and electrolyte secretion
What does Verotoxin do?
aka Shiga-like toxin
Cytotoxin acting on the vascular endothelium
Leads to vascular leakage = bloody stool
What is endotoxin?
LPS aka pyrogen
Produced by most gram (-) bacteria
What are the clinical features of LPS (enterotoxin) toxicity?
Fever Leukopenia Hypotension Anaphylaxis Vascular leakage Septic shock Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
What is the O antigen of enterobacters?
It is a somatic antigen
Polysaccharide component of G (-) bacteria
170 serotypes in E. coli
What is the H antigen of enterobacters?
Flagella antigen
Made of protein
56 serotypes in E. coli
What is the K antigen of enterobacters?
Capsular antigen
Can be polysaccharide or protein
80 serotypes in E. coli
What diseases are caused by Enterobacteriaceae?
UTIs
Gastroenteritis
What are the anatomical and mechanical features associated with UTIs?
Length of urethra
Disruption of urine flow and bladder voiding (congenital, surgery, catheter, disease)
Physiological (pH changes, pregnancy, immunocompromised)
Sexual intercourse
What are the risk factors for a UTI in men?
Circumcision
Enlarged prostate
What are the bacterial sources of UTIs?
E. coli (80% cases)
Coagulase-negative Staphylococci = S. saprophyticus (10%)
S. aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp.
C. albicans
What are the viral causes of UTIs?
Viral causes are rare
CMV, adenovirus, mumps, rubella
Associated with hemorrhagic cystitis
What are the symptoms of gastroenteritis?
Inflammation of the GI tract
Diarrhea - involvement of small intestine
Dysentery - blood or pus in feces, pain, fever, cramps, involvement of large intestine
What infectious agents cause gastroenteritis?
Viral - rotavirus, norovirus
Bacterial - enterobacters, C. difficile
Protozoan - Giardia lamblia
What are the characteristics of Escherichia coli?
G(-) rod-shaped facultative anaerobes
Lactose fermenting, coliform bacteria
Indicator organism for fecal contamination of water
What are the symptoms of a uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) infection?
Common cause of UTIs
Inflammation of urinary tract, difficulty or pain during urination, cloudy urine indicates bacteriuria
What are the symptoms associated with an ascending UTI infection?
More severe
Urethritis, cystitis (bladder), pyelonephritis (kidneys), prostatitis (prostate)
What are the virulence factors associated with the pathogenesis of E. coli UTI?
Adhesins (P fimbriae, Dr adhesins, etc)
K antigen contributes to biofilm formation