(F) Lesson 14: Spirochetes, Chlamydia, Rickettsia, and Miscellaneous Bacteria (Part 1) Flashcards
- -teles refers to Order
- Family: Leptospiraceae
- Genus: Leptospira
- Familly: Spirochaetaceae
- Genera: Borrelia and Treponema
Spirochaeteles
General Property
- Difficult to G/S
- Morphology is helically coiled
- Long and slender
- Oxygen Requirement: Anaerobes, Facultative microaerophilic
Spirochaeteles
- Slender, flexuous, helically-shaped, unicellular bacteria
- 0.1-0.5um wide and 5-20um long, with one or more complete turns in the helix
- Producing a helix-shape
- Contains a motility structure for movement: periplasmic flagella or axial fibrils, axial filaments, endoflagella, periplasmic fibrils
- Usually used: periplasmic flagella and axial filaments
- Produces a corkscrew-like motility
Spirochetes
- The three genera under Spirochaeteles can be differentiated by the ____ and ____ it has.
Number of axial filaments and insertion disk
Identify the genera.
- Arrangement: Tightly coiled
- Axial Filament: 6 to 10
- Insertion Disk: 1
Treponema
Identify the genera.
- Arrangement: Thicker coiling
- Axial Filament: 30 to 40
- Insertion Disk: 2
Borrelia
Identify the genera.
- Arrangement: Thicker coiling with hook ends
- Axial Filament: 2
- Insertion Disk: 3 to 5
Leptospira
The connection between axial filaments
Insertion disk
Has the most number of filaments
Borrelia
Has its characteristic hook ends
Leptospira
- Aside from the number of insertion disks and axial filaments, it can also be differentiated by its method of ____ as well as the different ____ it can cause.
DIagnosis and diseases
Identify the genera.
Diagnosis: Serology
Disease: Syphilis, Bejel, Pinta, Yaws
Treponema
Identify the genera.
Diagnosis: Serology, Giemsa
Disease: Lyme Disease, Relapsing Fever
Borrelia
Identify the genera.
Diagnosis: Culture, Serology
Disease: Weil’s Disease or Infectious Jaundice
Leptospira
- If serological assay is mentioned, the sample used will automatically be ____.
Serum
- The serum will contain ____ against Treponema.
Antibodies
- Borrelia, also known as ____, since it is mainly found in the blood through peripheral blood smear, which utilizes the Giemsa stain
Blood spirochete
Borrelia, also known as blood spirochete, since it is mainly found in the blood through peripheral blood smear, which utilizes the ____.
Giemsa stain
- ____ is the only one that can be cultured.
Leptospira
The culture for Leptospira is (in vivo/in vitro) which uses artificial culture medium.
Not used for Treponema and Borrelia.
In vitro
- These genera are commonly diagnosed using ____.
Serological assays
- Difficult to visualize under a brightfield microscope due to its morphology and size
- Microscope of choice: darkfield microscope or fluorescent microscope (can observe motility)
- Spirals: Regular, angular with 4-14 per organism
- Three periplasmic flagella were inserted into each end of the cell
- Ends are pointed and covered with a sheath
- Are motile with graceful flexuous movements in liquid
- 4 genera pathogenic for humans
Treponema or Treponemes
Contains different specific subspecies wherein these subspecies are the ones that cause specific diseases.
Treponema pallidum
Identify the species.
Venereal syphilis
Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum
Identify the species.
Yaws
Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue
Identify the species.
Endemic syphilis or Bejel
Treponema pallidum subsp. endemicum
Identify the species.
Pinta
Treponema carateum
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- The main mode of transmission
Venereal
- An infection of the skin and bones
Yaws
- A disease of the skin and bones
Yaws
- Disease of the skin, bones, and mucus
Bejel
- An infection of the skin
Pinta
- Discovered by Fritz Schaudin and Hoffman in 1905
- Obligate intracellular pathogen
- Not cultivable in agar medium
- Can be cultured in vivo using rabbit’s epithelial cell
- Causes venereal syphilis or sexually-transmitted syphilis
Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum
- Also called Great Pox DIsease, Antique disease, Halian disease, French disease
- Aka Great Imitator since it imitates signs and symptoms of other diseases
Syphilis
Two theories on how syphilis spreads
- Pre-Columbian Theory or Old World Theory
- Columbian or New World Theory
- States that syphilis was already present in Europe and the travels to America have caused its spread to the West
- Europe to America
Pre-Columbian/Old World Theory
- States that syphilis originated in America and was spread to Europe by Americans, specifically from Christopher Columbus’ crew who engaged in trades
- America to Europe
Columbian/New World Theory
Familiarize yourself of the mode of transmission of syphilis.
- Sexual contact with an infected individual
- Direct blood transfusion
T or F: T. pallidum subsp. pallidum cannot cross the placenta
F (can cross)
T or F: T. pallidum is cold-sensitive, so they are destroyed after >72hrs (some 48) in storage.
T
Incubation time for Syphilis?
10 to 90 days (Average: 14 to 21 days)
What are the primary stages of syphilis?
- Primary
- Secondary
- Latent
- Tertiary
- The first time you get infected with it
- Characteristic lesion: chancre (hard chancre), painless, firm, smooth with regional lymphadenopathy and early invasion of blood
- During this stage, there is active multiplication of the organism in the infected area, making it highly contagious
- Healing: spontaneous (3-6 weeks)
Primary Syphilis