Gram Negative Rods - Fastidious Flashcards
Feature of fastidious GNRs
- Does not grow well on blood agar, requires more nutritious media eg Chocolate agar
- Usually sensitive to carbapenems, quinolones & 3G cephalosporins
Examples of fastidious GNRs
- Haemophilus spp
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Haemophilus ducreyi - Legionella pneumophilia
- Klebsiella granulomatis
- Bordetella spp (B. pertussis, B. parapertussis)
- Brucella spp
- Pasteurella multocida
- Francisella tularensis
- Bartonella spp (B. bacilliformis, B. quintana, B. henselae & clarridgeiae)
- Yersinia spp
- Yersinia pestis
- Y. enterocolitica & pseudotuberculosis) - Acinetobacter baumannii
Transmission of H. influenzae
Carried in the throat (esp non-encapsulated strains)
- Respiratory droplets
- Close contact
Virulence factors of H. influenzae
- Capsule (some strains)
- types a-f, antigenically distinct polysacchardie capsules
- H. influenzae type b (Hib) is the commonest cause of invasive disease
Clinical presentations of H. influenzae (3)
- Encapsulated infections (mostly young children w immunological immaturity)
- meningitis, acute epiglottitis (breathing difficulty), septicaemia, cellulitis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis - Non-capsulated infections
- invasive: meningitis & septicaemia (neonates), pneumonia
- non-invasive: URTI (otitis media, sinusitis), acute exacerbation of COPD, conjunctivitis - Brazilian purpuric fever (conjunctivitis - septicaemia resembling meningococcal disease)
Diagnosis of H. influenzae
- Culture
- Microscopy (CSF, joint fluid)
- Serotyping (less reliable)
- Molecular (less available)
Treatment of H. influenzae
- Ceftriaxone
2. Ampicillin/amoxycillin resistant as many strains produce beta lactamase
Prevention of H. influenzae (2)
- Conjugate vaccine (children, other at risk groups eg asplenia)
- Chemoprophylaxis (rifampicin) & Hib vaccine for prevention of secondary cases
Transmission of H. ducreyi
Sexually transmitted disease
Clinical presentations of H. ducreyi
- Chancroid (painful genital ulcers + enlarged inguinal lymph nodes that may suppurate & ulcerate)
- anaerobic secondary infection of lesions may lead to gangrene & extensive destruction of genitalia
Diagnosis of H. ducreyi
- Culture - 70% sensitivity, special media req, ‘shoal of fish’ appearance
- PCR
Features of haemophilus spp
- H. influenzae requires both X & V factors to grow, H. ducreyi only requires X factor
- other Haemophilus species (found in upp resp tract flora) - occasionally cause bacterial endocarditis
- part of HACEK group (fastidious GNRs associated with endocarditis) - H. parainfluenzae, aphrophilus - Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans - Cardiobacterium hominis - Eikenella corrodens - Kingella kingae
Transmission of legionella pneumophilus
Infectious aerosols from water source dispensers (cooling towers, hot water supplies, warm water in nebulisers & oxygen line humidifiers, whirlpool spa baths & showers)
Clinical presentations of legionella pneumophilus (2)
- Legionnaires’ Disease - severe pneumonia often accompanied by confusion & other extra pulmonary manifestations, mortality 10%, higher in hospital patients
- Pontiac fever - brief influenza-like illness, much less dangerous
Diagnosis of legionella pneumophilus (4)
- Immunofluorescent stain (sputum/broncheoalveolar lavage)
- Culture on B-CYE agar
- Urine antigen detection (only serogroup 1)
- Serology (only serogroup 1)
Treatment of legionella pneumophilus
- High dose IV erythromycin +/- rifampicin
2. Alternatively: fluoroquinolones, azithromycin
Transmission of klebsiella granulomatis
Sexually transmitted disease