Gram Positive Bacteria - Lecture 5 Flashcards
What are streptococcus sp. characteristics? (Morphology)
These bacteria are gram positive COCCI bacteria that are organized in chains (~2-6/chain)
How are streptococcus bacteria clasified?
These are classified based on their hemolytic activity. Classified as alpha, beta or gamma.
Beta-hemolytic bacteria are further classified based on Lancefield groupings (A-U), which is their cell wall carbohydrate antigen.
What are the four streptococcus human pathogens?
1) Streptococcus pneumoniae
2) Streptococcus pyogenes
3) Streptococcus agalactiae
4) Streptococcus mutans
Describe alpha-hemolytic bacteria.
What colour does it appear on a blood agar where the colonies grow?
Give an example.
Partial hemolysis
Appears green in colour
S. pneumoniae
Describe beta-hemolytic bacteria.
What colour does it appear on a blood agar where the colonies grow?
Which further classes are the most pathogenic?
Give an example.
Complete hemolysis
Appears as a full clearing on and around where the colonies grow
Lancefield groups A and B are the most pathogenic
S. pyogenes (group A) and S. agalactiae (group B)
Describe gamma-hemolytic bacteria.
What colour does it appear on a blood agar where the colonies grow?
Give an example.
No hemolysis
No clearing
Enterococcus faecalis
What is another name for streptococcus pneumoniae?
Pneumococcus
Describe pneumococcus: morphology, encapsulated or acapsular, bile sensitivity or not?
Diplococci
Encapsulated
Bile sensitivity
What are two features of a pneumococcus infection?
Bacterial pneumonia
Bacterial meningitis
What bacterial infection is described as:
Fever, malaise, cough, pleuritic chest pain
Purulent or bloody sputum
Otitis media (inflammation of the inner ear)
Bacterial pneumonia
What bacterial infection is described as:
Stiff neck, headache, fever (characteristic triad)
Bacterial meningitis
streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of meningitis in children
How is streptococcus pneumoniae transmitted and how long is the typical incubation period?
Transmitted via respiratory droplets
Incubation period is 1-3 days
What are treatment strategies for streptococcus pneumoniae?
Vaccine preventable
Broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance tests
What else is Streptococcus pyogenes known as?
Group A Streptococcus (GAS)
GAS is CAMP-tes negative, meaning what?
CAMP-factor does NOT increases hemolytic activity (unlike beta-hemolytic S. aureus)
What are clinical features of GAS?
Pharyngitis/Tonsilitis - aka “strep throat”
Scarlet fever
Infections of the skin
Describe pharyngitis/tonsilitis (strep thoat)
Inflammation of the pharynx/tonsils
Fever, malaise, sore throat
Describe scarlet fever
Occurs in patients with strep throat (usually children)
Erysypelas (rash), typically on the face, “strawberry tongue”
What are four infections of the skin caused by GAS? (give brief descriptors)
1) Impetigo - superficial, common in children, contact sport
2) Cellulitis - subcutaneous, inflammation of the skin and dermal layers
3) Folliculitis - inflammation of the hair follicles
4) Necrotizing fasciitis - aka flesh-eating disease
What are some potential complications of GAS infections? (3)
Acute rheumatic fever
Acute glomerulonephritis
Infective cardiopathies
What complication of GAS infection is described as:
Polyarthritis, carditis, rheumatic heart disease
May occur weeks following GAS infectoin
Acute rheumatic fever
Which complication of GAS infection could lead to an autoimmune disease - antibody cross-reactivity against joints and myocardium (type II hypersensitivity)
Acute rheumatic fever
What complication of GAS infection involves inflammation of the glomeruli (kidney) and may occur weeks following the GAS infection of the URT or skin
Acute glomerulonephritis
What is the most common infective cardiopathies (a complication of a GAS infection)
Endocarditis most common
How are GAS infections transmitted and how long is the typical incubation period?
Transmitted via respiratory droplets
Incubation period - 1-5 days
What are treatment strategies of GAS infections?
Penicillin and related antibiotics, cephalosporins
What else is streptococcus agalactiae known as?
Group B streptococcus (GBS)
Are GBS CAMP-test positive or negative? meaning what?
Encapsulated or acapsular?
CAMP-test positive - meaning CAMP-factor increases hemolytic activity
Encapsulated
What are clinical features of GBS? Briefly describe. (5)
1) Symptomatic in newborns, elderly, immunocompromised, risk of maternal transmission
2) Newborn pneumonia - fever, myalgia, fatigue, consolidation of the lung, chest pain
3) Meningitis (neonatal) - fever, headache, neck stiffness
4) Sepsis - leading cause of neonatal sepsis
5) UTI - less common
How are GBS infections transmitted?
How long is the typical incubation period of GBS?
Transmitted via respiratory droplets
Incubation period 5-7 days
What are treatment strategies of GBS infections?
Penicillin and other bata-lactams
What does viridans streptococcui include?
Includes streptococci mutans and other commensals of the mouth
Are viridans streptococci optichin-sensitive or nonsensitive, encapsulated or acapsular?
Optihin-sensitive
Acapsular
These clinical features are characteristic of which bacterial infection?
1) Symptomatic in newborns, elderly, immunocompromised, risk of maternal transmission
2) Newborn pneumonia - fever, myalgia, fatigue, consolidation of the lung, chest pain
3) Meningitis (neonatal) - fever, headache, neck stiffness
4) Sepsis - leading cause of neonatal sepsis
5) UTI - less common
GBS clinical features
These clinical features are characteristic of which bacterial infection?
1) Impetigo - superficial, common in children, contact sport
2) Cellulitis - subcutaneous, inflammation of the skin and dermal layers
3) Folliculitis - inflammation of the hair follicles
4) Necrotizing fasciitis - aka flesh-eating disease
GAS clinical features
These clinical features are characteristic of which bacterial infection?
1) Plaque, tooth decay, cavities
2) infective cardiopathies - subacute infective carditis
Viridans streptococci
Wha are the assoiciated risk factors of cardiopathies? and describe presentation.
Risk factors: congenital heart defects/valvular defect, artificial heart valves, diabetes, dental surgery.
Presentation: slowly progressing, low grade to no fever, chest pain and sepsis
What are clinical features of viridans streptococci? (2)
1) Plaque, tooth decay, cavities
2) infective cardiopathies - subacute infective carditis
What is the incubation period of viridans streptococci?
variable incubation period
What are the treatment strategies for viridans streptococci?
Brushing and antiseptic mouthwash, antibiotics for sepsis and cardiopathy
What are the characteristics of Staphylococcus?
Gram positive cocci
Organized in grape-like clusters
Catalase-positive, facultative anaerobes
What are human pathogens of Staphylococcus? (3)
1) Staphylococcus aureus - skin infection, bacterial pneumonia, bacterial meningitis
2) Staphylococcus epidermidis - sepsis (IV catheters and medical prostheses
3) Staphylococcus saprophyticus - UTIs, cystitis
Give three characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus
1) Opportunistic pathogen - resident on skin
2) Characteristic golden colonies (“aura” = golden)
3) Identification - morphology, coagulase (+)
What are some diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus? (7)
1) Skin infections - impetigo, abscess, cellulitis, scalded skin syndrome
2) Sepsis/Septic shock
3) Bacterial pneumonia
4) Bacterial meningitis
5) Mastitis
6) Infective cardiopathy
7) Food poisoning
These diseases can all be caused by which bacterial infection?
1) Skin infections - impetigo, abscess, cellulitis, scalded skin syndrome
2) Sepsis/Septic shock
3) Bacterial pneumonia
4) Bacterial meningitis
5) Mastitis
6) Infective cardiopathy
7) Food poisoning
Staphylococcus aureus infection can cause these diseases
What is described as a collection of pus in a tissue associated with inflammation?
An abscess
What is described as blisters and sores (pustulous or not), found commonly on the face/neck?
Impetigo
What is described as an inflammation of connective tissue in the dermal, subcutaneous layers of the skin?
Cellulitis
What is described as pain and redness of the skin, blisters and desquamation?
Scalded skin syndrome
Describe staphylococcal bacterial pneumonia (caused by staphylococcus aureus)
How would it be treated?
Commonly nosocomial, secondary pneumonia
Fever, chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing
Patchy areas of consolidation in the lung
Rapidly progressive
Treat with antibiotics, steroids
Describe Sepsis
Septic inflammatory response, spread to various organs
Multiple presentations, organ effects, may lead to secondary infection even following clearance from the blood
What percentage of bacterial meningitis is due to staphylococcal aureus?
1-10% of meningitis