Lecture 9- Campylobacter Flashcards
What caused the Campylobacter Outbreak recently?
Puppies
Campylobacter
- Gram negative, curved s-shaped rod
- motile with a single polar flagellum at one or both ends
- microaerophilic (ensures its survival in reduced-oxygen environments)
In what time of the year is campylobacter cases more reported?
Higher in summer time most likely because:
- ambient temp
- more people handling raw meat (barbecue)
What are the most common symptoms of Campylobacter?
Diarrhea, vomiting
What was noticed about the workers working in poultry abattoirs?
developed antibodies responses to Campylobacter
Which species of Campylobacter is the most common?
C. jejuni which leads to gastroenteritis, Guillain Barre-Syndrome
What is the incubation period of C. jejuni?
Incubation period of 24-72 hours acute diarrhea occurs and may be accompanied by fever, chills, headache, and abdominal cramping
What is periodontitis?
- Rare
- C.rectus, C. curvus and C.showae can reach the depths of periodontal pockets using the motility of its flagellum, which appears to be a major pathogenic factor
- periodontal pocket is located in gums of teeth
What are the symptoms associated with Guillain Barre syndrome and miller fisher syndrome?
-motor and sensory deficit in the lower extremities and spread to the upper extremities the trunk- may lead to the need for ventilator support
What is the main difference between Guillain Barre syndrome and Miller fisher syndrome?
- the first nerve groups to be affected by paralysis in patients with MFS are those in the head, resulting in difficulty controlling eye muscle and balance.
- paralysis in other forms of GBS begins in the legs
Why are some people skeptical of vaccines?
People infected with C.jejuni are thought to develop antibodies that may bind to the myelin sheaths and attack the immune system which leads to breakdown of mylein sheaths leading to the Miller Fisher Syndrome
There is some evidence that Campylobacter infection may play a role in this disease?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
and GERD, Barrett’s esophagus
In which type of individual can bacteremia/ septicemia occur?
In immunocompromised individuals
-of these patients, 10-15% will die within 30 days of diagnosis
How is age related to the risk of getting infected by Campylobacter?
Exposure early in life may lead to life long protective immunity
Campylobacter is higher in younger adult populations. Why is that?
Because they tend to be unaware of how to properly cook food (like chicken)
