Erysipelothrix

Question 1

Erysipelothrix characteristics

Answer 1

-biocontainment level 2
-non spore forming gram positive rods
>slender, non branching rods or chains of rods (organisms from rough form colonies)
>irregular cells, curved (organisms from smooth form colonies)
-facultatively anaerobic
-grows better with 5-10% CO2
-gamma-hemolytic or weakly alpha hemolytic on blood agar
-catalase negative

Question 2

Erysipelothrix habitat

Answer 2

Widely spread; found in environment
-resistant to salt, drying, and pickling
-many species (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, normal microbiota of fish slime)

Carried in agricultural context, healthy carriers carry and shed in feces infecting others and environment

Question 3

Erysipelothrix differentiation

Answer 3

-Both H2S production on TSI

-E. rhusiopathiae is a sucrose fermenter
-E. tonsillarum is not a sucrose fermenter

Question 4

Virulence factors of Erysipelothrix

Answer 4

-capsule
-Neuraminidase
-Hyaluronidase

Question 5

Capsule

Answer 5

-resistance to phagocytosis
**in experiments, if capsule not present then unable to cause disease

Question 6

Neuraminidase

Answer 6

-promotes attachment, aids in invasion
-virulence related to level of expression

Question 7

Hyaluronidase

Answer 7

-plays a role in invasion

Question 8

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in pigs

Answer 8

-typically affects pigs older than 3mths (usually due to waning maternal immunity)
-exposure through food or water; enters through palatine tonsils= systemic spread
-maintained in herd by healthy carriers
-can be acute, subacute, chronic
-causes erysipelas, diamond skin disease

Question 9

Acute E. rhusiopathiae in pigs

Answer 9

-appears as depression, inappetence, pyrexia, sometimes death
-development of characteristic diamond skin lesions 2-3 days after exposure. If severe, pig may die before diamonds appear

Question 10

Subacute E. rhusiopathiae

Answer 10

-disease is less severe than acute

Question 11

Chronic E. rhusiopathiae

Answer 11

-long term sequelae following acute disease
-arthritis, stiffness, possible cardiac insufficiency if serious damage to heart valves during acute phase

Question 12

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in poultry

Answer 12

-route of exposure unknown but likely oral
-natural incubation period is unknown
-results in sepsis, endocarditis
-mortality= 2-25%

Question 13

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in turkeys

Answer 13

**peracute to acute

1. starts with death of several birds and others which are droopy
   2.Toms may have congested, purple snoods
2. Often death is peracute, pathological lesions may be absent
3. Birds that die likely due to endocarditis

Question 14

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in wild ungulates

Answer 14

-associated with die offs of wild ungulates in Canada
>often linked with first encounters of naive populations with organism
>may be secondary to stress of warmer than normal temperatures

**seen in animals in BC (can test whether bacteria present in long bones)

Question 15

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in humans

Answer 15

-Linked with occupational exposure (vets, butchers, fish handlers)
-results in erysipeloid, systemic infections, endocarditis

Question 16

Erysipeloid

Answer 16

-mild, localized form
-skin lesions typically on fingers
-lesions appear 2-7 days after exposure

Question 17

Systemic infections in humans

Answer 17

-Severe form
-left sided endocarditis
-high mortality rate
-typically occurs in debilitated patients

Question 18

Erysipelothrix tonsillarum in dogs

Answer 18

-clinical signs: fever and recent onset of murmur
-causes endocarditis

Question 19

Treatment of Erysipelothrix tonsillarum in dogs

Answer 19

-penicillians
-need extended treatment length

Question 20

Erysipelothrix tonsillarum in pigs

Answer 20

non-pathogenic

Question 21

Erysipelothrix piscisicarius in ornamental fish

Answer 21

-Clinical signs: lethargy, hovering in water, hemorrhage of fins and skin
-causes sepsis and necrosis

Question 22

Sample collection for Erysipelothrix

Answer 22

-necropsy: liver, spleen, kidney, heart, synovial tissues, long bones

-blood cultures can be collected from dogs with suspect endocarditis

**recovery of organism from skin lesions is difficult

Question 23

Sample handling of erysipelothrix

Answer 23

No freexing samples

Question 24

Lab ID of erysipelothrix

Answer 24

1. Grow on blood agar
   -selective media helpful (selective broth, sodium azide, crystal violet containing, agar containing antibiotics)

2.MALDI-TOF for pure cultures

3.easy to ID biochemically

Question 25

Zoonoses of Erysipelothrix

Answer 25

1. E. rhusiopathiae
   -ability to cause disease in wide variety of hosts
   -for people the risk is primarily occupational (fish handlers disease, butchers, vets)
2. E. tonsillarum
   -not known to be associated with disease in people

Question 26

Treatment options for Erysipelothrix

Answer 26

Penicillin

-pathological changes associated with infection may complicate therapy

-AVOID: sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides