Leptospira Flashcards
Leptospirosis (Weil’s disease)
Bacterial zoonotic disease of global destruction caused by Leptospira
Found by Adolf Weil (1886)
Where is Leptospirosis located?
Tropical and subtropical areas
Occupational 50% in Hawaii and PR
75% males
Leptospira
history
First observed in 1907 by Arthur Stimson in kidney tissue of patient that dies to yellow fever
13 pathogenic species and 250 serovars
Leptospira characteristics
Gam-neg, poorly stained
Aerobic, flagella, motile with S or C shaped hook
Grows slowly (3-4 weeks)
Leptospira transmission
Reservoirs host = RAT urine
Infected by splashing contaminated water into eyes, contaminated food and water, exposed wounds
Leptospirenic phase of leptospirosis
Septicemia phase lasts 3-10 days
Flu like symptoms
Bacteria in blood moving to organs
Immune phase of leptospirosis
Bacteria concentrated to your kidneys
Symptoms: Jaundice, renal failure, hemorrhage, aseptic meningitis, cardiac arrhythmias pulmonary insufficiency, hemodynamic collapse liver failure
Clinical signs of leptospirosis in animals
Abortion, stillbirth, infertility, decrease milk production, hepatic and renal lesions, death
When would hamster start shedding the infection + clinical signs?
21-30 days of infection
Signs: loss of activity, ruffled fur, closed eyes, weight loss
Treating leptospirosis
Doxycycline for 2 weeks
Hospital with IV fluids
Leptospirosis vaccine
Bacterin or killed vx
Purified outer envelop vx
Reverse vaccinology
Effects: pain, nausea, weight loss, short term and restricted immunity
Vx for dogs against leptospirosis
Nobivac Lepto4 for at least 12 months
Leptospirosis diagnosis
Blood smear
Culture (EMJH medium)
Indirect immunofluorescent AB test
Impression smears
Microscopic agglutination test
PCR
Vibrosis
Consuming raw seafood or exposing a wound to seawater
Occur May - October (warm water temps)
General characteristics of Vibrio
Gram- neg, comma shaped bacilli, non spore forming
Motile with single polar flagella
Non capsulated grow well in alkaline pH
Facultative anaerobes
V. Cholarae
Causative agent of cholera
ID with rice watery stool (O1 and O139) and large #s of vibrio in dark field microscopy
Cary Blair media + thiosulfate citrate bile salt agar
Other than V. Cholerae, what are other important pathogens?
V. Parahaemolyticus (acute gastroenteritis)
V. Vulnificus
Symptoms of vibrio
Rice watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fever, chills
Begins within 1-3 days of ingestion
Rapid tests done for vibrio
Crystal VC dipstick rapid test (early warning)
Vibriosis treatment
Drink liquids to replace fluids lost
Severe cases: ciproflaxacin
Arcobacter characteristics
Gram-neg, S shaped, no spore forming
Motile by non polar flagella
Microaerophilic
What is Arcobacter intolerant to?
Freezing and drying —> showing a wide range of habitats
Arcobacter
Emerging food-borne pathogen
A. Cibarius, thereius, trophiarum, in farm animals
A. Butzleri, cryserophilus, akirrowii in humans
Arcobacter transmission
Contaminated drinking water (human Arcobacter infection)
Close contact with pets and person to person
