Lecture 11: Spirochetes and Vibrios

Question 1

What are three methods of spirochete transmission?

Answer 1

sexual
vector-borne
environmental

Question 2

Spirochetes cross quickly and easily into the _______, causing immediate _______ and eventual _______ infections.

Answer 2

bloodstream
bacteremia
multi-organ

Question 3

Spirochete virulence factors are mainly for _______.

Answer 3

immune evasion

Question 4

Spirochetes can _______ the host to decrease the host’s immune response.

Answer 4

immunomodulate

Question 5

Why are there no vaccines for spirochetes?

Answer 5

No appropriate virulence factors to target - virulence factors are for immune evasion

Question 6

Why is diagnosis of spirochete infection difficult? (3 reasons)

Answer 6

1. infection proceeds in phases with months to years in between
2. Treponema are too small to see by standard microscopy
3. Lyme Disease has no quick and clear lab test

Question 7

What exams can be useful in diagnosing spirochete infection?

Answer 7

Eye exam

Question 8

Do spirochetes have acquired antibiotic resistance?

Answer 8

Little

Question 9

What is the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction to treatment?

Answer 9

very sick 24 hours after treatment

used to confirm spirochete infection (Lyme)

Question 10

Which spirochete infection can be detected using eye exam?

Answer 10

neurosyphilis

Question 11

What are the three stages of syphilis?

Answer 11

1. Painless cancre
2. Variable rash - flulike symptoms, possible meningitis
3. EITHER latency OR dangerous cardiac and CNS involvement - gummas possible (noncancerous granuloma)

Question 12

Congential syphilis is devastating but can be treated with ______

Answer 12

prenatal care

Question 13

How long does Lyme take to transmit?

Answer 13

24 hours

Question 14

What is the procedure for tick removal and Lyme prevention?

Answer 14

tweezers

possible doxycycline

Question 15

What are the three phases of Lyme?

Answer 15

1. Skin infection (usually rash)
2. Immune/neurological issues
3. Chronic Lyme

Question 16

What is involve with Chronic Lyme?

Answer 16

Severe immune, neuromyalgia, fibromyalgia

Question 17

How long should Lyme be treated with antibiotics?

Answer 17

no more than a month

Question 18

What is the shape and Gram staining of vibrios?

Answer 18

curved rods

G-

Question 19

Where do most vibrios live?

Answer 19

oceans

some are halophiles

Question 20

What do vibrios primarily cause?

Answer 20

fecal-oral gastroenteritis

Question 21

What species of vibrio causes stomach ulcers?

Answer 21

H. pilori

Question 22

Gastroenteritis and peptic ulcers, caused by vibrios, require _____ virulence factors

Answer 22

GI

Question 23

V. cholerae has a complex ______ lifestyle outside human host

Answer 23

planktonic (water)

Question 24

Mmost pathogenic strains of V. cholerae, a 1_____, bear 2______ of colonization by 3_______ that carries 4_________.

Answer 24

1. vibrio
2. O1 genetic marker
3. lysogenic bacteriophage
4. virulence factors

Question 25

How is V. cholerae usually transmitted?

Answer 25

fecal-oral route

Question 26

If V. cholerae is not killed by stomach acid, what does it do?

Answer 26

secretes mucinase to attach to and to colonize the intestine

Question 27

After V. cholerae colonizes the intestine, an 1_______ which interferes with 2_________ causes 3_______

Answer 27

1 A-B subunit enterotoxin
2 signal transduction
3 massive watery diarrhea

Question 28

What are the two main problems with V. cholerae?

Answer 28

dehydration

electrolyte imbalance

Question 29

Are antibiotics necessary to treat cholera?

Answer 29

not always - infection is self-limited