Highly Regulated Bacteria - Brucella

Question 1

what are reportable diseases?

Answer 1

diseases of great public/animal health importance and have to be reported as soon as they’re detected

Question 2

what is the benefit of reporting diseases?

Answer 2

collection of statistics
identify disease trends and track disease outbreaks
control future outbreaks

Question 3

what are the reportable diseases that are select agents?

Answer 3

possible bio-weapons

Question 4

Where and when was contagious equine metritis first described?

Answer 4

united kingdom in 1977

Question 5

what is the causative agent of contagious equine metritis?

Answer 5

Taylorella equigenitalis

Question 6

what gram is Taylorella equigenitalis and what media does it not grow on despite its gram stain result?

Answer 6

gram negative
No growth on MacConkey agar

Question 7

what is the pathogenesis of contagious equine metritis?

Answer 7

contaminated semen and pre-ejaculatory fluids > intro into uterus > induce acute endometritis > mononuclear cells, plasma cells, and neutrophils into uterine lumen > profuse mucopurulent exudate

Question 8

what are the clinical findings of contagious equine metritis?

Answer 8

mares - copious mucopurulet vaginal discharge > temporary infertility, vertical transmission
stallions - no clinical signs, asymptomatic carriers

Question 9

How is contagious equine metritis transmitted?

Answer 9

venereal transmission
infected semen
contaminated instrument

Question 10

How long can T. equigenitalis persist for in untreated stallions?

Answer 10

persist for months or years

Question 11

How can foals become long-term asymptomatic carriers?

Answer 11

foals born to infected mares

Question 12

How is contagious equine metritis diagnosed?

Answer 12

swabs from reproductive organs
no systemic antibiotics for at least 7 days or topical antibiotics for 21 days
sample transported on Amies medium

Question 13

What medium is T. equigenitalis cultured on?

Answer 13

chocolate agar
timoney’s medium

Question 14

How is contagious equine metritis treated?

Answer 14

-wash external genitalia with 2% chlorhexidine
-local antimicrobial treatments: nitrofurazone, silver sulfadiazine
-tx for 5 days

Question 15

How is contagious equine metritis prevented?

Answer 15

strict/import/export testing
no vaccine available

Question 16

What is the endemic area for Brucellosis?

Answer 16

yellowstone N.P.

Question 17

what wild animals does brucellosis occur in?

Answer 17

wild bison and elk populations

Question 18

what is brucellosis transmissible to?

Answer 18

cattle and humans
ZOONOTIC - select agent

Question 19

what is the causative agent of brucellosis?

Answer 19

Brucella sp.

Question 20

Define select agent

Answer 20

an infectious agent with potential for use in bioterrorism

Question 21

what is the catalase, oxidase, and urease results for brucellosis?

Answer 21

all 3 positive

Question 22

How long can Brucellosis survive in milk products, after birth, aborted fetuses, etc?

Answer 22

can survive for longer periods of time

Question 23

what are the reservoirs of Brucellosis?

Answer 23

wild, feral and domestic animals

Question 24

What is the use of vaccinating animals against Brucellosis?

Answer 24

immunization of animals

Question 25

what groups are at the highest risk of brucellosis?

Answer 25

-people who consume unpasteurized milk products -people in direct contact with infected animals -lab techs and researchers

Question 26

How is brucellosis transmitted?

Answer 26

ingestion of contaminated fetal tissues and fluids

Question 27

What is the pathogenesis of brucellosis?

Answer 27

Brucella survives inside phagocytic cells > multiples in monocyte-macrophage cells > spread systemically, esp reproductive organs

Question 28

what are the clinical findings of bovine brucellosis?

Answer 28

abortion/infertility - abortion storms reduced milk yield

Question 29

what are the clinical findings of canine brucellosis?

Answer 29

low virulence abortions very rarely zoonotic

Question 30

what are the clinical findings of swine brucellosis?

Answer 30

abortion/infertility

Question 31

what are the clinical findings of brucellosis in goat and sheep?

Answer 31

abortion, orchitis and arthritis

Question 32

which brucellosis is the most dangerous zoonosis?

Answer 32

B. melitensis - goat and sheep

Question 33

How is Brucellosis diagnosed?

Answer 33

culture - Columbia agar supplemented with 5% serum serological or milk based tests - brucella milk ring test (MRT)

Question 34

How is brucellosis treated in animals and prevented for vets?

Answer 34

no treatment prevented for vets - safe handling, PPE

Question 35

What is the causative agent of coxiellosis/Q fever?

Answer 35

Coxiella burnetii

Question 36

How does Coxiella burnetii react to environmental stress?

Answer 36

resistant

Question 37

Is Q fever transmissible to people?

Answer 37

yes - Coxiella burnetii is zoonotic

Question 38

what are the two distinct cell types of coxiellosis? Describe each

Answer 38

small cell variant - metabolically inactive form and environmentally stable large cell variant - metabolically active form

Question 39

How many Coxiella burnetti bacteria does it take to infect humans?

Answer 39

a single bacterium highly infectious **ID50 <= 10**

Question 40

What occupations if coxiellosis a hazard to?

Answer 40

farmers, veterinarians, zoo, and slaughterhouse workers

Question 41

what animal populations is coxiellosis found in?

Answer 41

domestic ruminants - cattle, goats, sheep

Question 42

where does Coxiella proliferate and what does this result in?

Answer 42

proliferates in uterus and mammary glands results in late term abortion

Question 43

How is Coxiellosis transmitted?

Answer 43

inhalation - usually from parturient sheep, goats, cattle, and rarely parturient cats/dogs

Question 44

On a cellular level where does Coxiellosis multiply?

Answer 44

acidified phagolysosomes

Question 45

Where is Coxiellosis localized to?

Answer 45

genital tract and mammary glands of animals

Question 46

what clinical findings are associated with coxiellosis?

Answer 46

goats - abortions, infertility ruminants - infertility in ruminants

Question 47

How is coxiellosis diagnosed?

Answer 47

PCR - most sensitive and fast

Question 48

How is coxiellosis prevented?

Answer 48

good husbandry practices - proper disposal of birth products

Question 49

what are the agents we learned in this lecture that can be used as bioweapons?

Answer 49

select agents Coxiella burnetti - Coxiellosis/Q fever Brucella sp. - brucellosis