L52

Question 1

Bacillus anthracis
GP or GN
O2 status 
Motility?
Transmission

Answer 1

GP - SPORES
Facultative anaerobe
NOT motile
Soil reservoir - inhalation (NO person-person)

Question 2

What are the 2 plasmids that make anthrax pathogenic?

Answer 2

Plasmid 1 - poly-D glutamic acid capsule 
Plasmid 2 - 3 toxins:
I. Protective agent
II, Edema factor
III. Lethal factor

Question 3

Explain how protective agent works with EF/LF.

Answer 3

EF+PA = edema toxin
LA+PA = lethal toxin
Work with PA - why an Ab against PA would confer resistance to anthrax

Question 4

What do skin lesions caused by anthrax look like?

Answer 4

Black eschar center with edema around it

Question 5

How do you get skin anthrax?

Answer 5

Spores enter through skin lesion

Question 6

How do you get GI anthrax? What are the symptoms?

Answer 6

Eat contaminated meat
- Bloody diarrhea (due to intestinal eschar lesions)
- Ab PAIN
HIGH MORTALITY RATE

Question 7

In what form is anthrax used as a bioweapon? Symptoms?

Answer 7

Inhale spores 
1st present with cough
Progress to:
- Hemorrhagic mediastinum 
- Pleural effusion 
HIGH MORTALITY

Question 8

How do you treat anthrax?

Answer 8

Fluoro + clinda or rifampin

Question 9

Anthrax prophylaxis

Answer 9

Cipro or doxy

If penicillin sensitive strain: amoxicillin

Question 10

How long do you continue anthrax anti-microbials?

Answer 10

30-60 days +/- vaccine

B/c need to clear spores that like to stay in lungs/LNs

Question 11

Explain anthrax vaccine

Answer 11

Contains protective antigen!
Protects against:
- Cutaneous
- Maybe inhalational, not 100%

Question 12

Which bacteria caused plague?

Answer 12

Yersinia pestis

Question 13

Y.pestis transmission

Answer 13

Fleas from rodents!