Leptospirosis

Question 1

Structure

Answer 1

Obligate aerobic, gram-negative spirochete bacteria with an internal flagella

Question 2

Which species of lepto is the most concerning pathogenic species

Answer 2

L. interrogans

Question 3

How many pathogenic variations are there

Answer 3

over 250, grippotyphosa and pomona in white-tailed deer

Question 4

What type of environment is needed to survive?

Answer 4

warm, wet

Question 5

Main reservoir

Answer 5

rats

Question 6

Transmission method

Answer 6

direct contact with urine, placental fluids, or milk
indirect consumption of contaminated food or water
inhalation of contaminated urine droplets
transplacentally or venerally in some species

Question 6

Is it zoonotic

Answer 6

yes

Question 7

Transmission cycle

Answer 7

contaminated water ingested by susceptible animal-> becomes sick-> excretes bacteria in urine-> contaminated previously clean water/moist environment
shed in urine from a few days to several weeks

Question 8

Pathogenesis

Answer 8

penetrates through mucous membranes or through damaged skin-> travels through blood to target cells-> replicated in liver kidneys, genital tract, and CNS for 7-10 days after infection

Question 9

Toxins produced

Answer 9

depend on variation
hemolysins, cytotoxins and glycolipoprotein

Question 10

Hemolysins

Answer 10

breakdown red blood cells

Question 11

cytotoxins

Answer 11

destroy tissue cells

Question 12

glycolipoprotein

Answer 12

affect the cell wall of the cell and longer process to destroy the cell

Question 13

incubation

Answer 13

4-20 days

Question 14

Pathogenesis cycle

Answer 14

toxin production-> damage to small blood vessels-> vasculitis-> direct cytotoxic injury or immunological injury-> acute renal injury and vascular injury to internal organs

Question 15

Clinical signs

Answer 15

asymptomatic in some reservoirs
vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, muscle aches, anorexia, anemia, jaundice, hematuria

Question 15

Pathologic Lesions

Answer 15

-diffuse petechiation
-yellow discoloration of organs
-hypertrophy/hyperplasia of Kupffer cells
-infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes into kidney tubules
-petechiation on heart with myocarditis
-pericardial effusion
-hyaline membrane formation in lungs
-focal necrosis of muscles
-perivascular cuffing in brain

Question 16

Diagnosis

Answer 16

histological evaluation of tissues/fluids, IFA, agglutination tests, culture, PCR

Question 17

Treatment

Answer 17

antibiotics

Question 18

Management

Answer 18

-not much monitoring of disease in wildlife is done
-vaccination of domestic species
-limitation of humans/domestic animals to natural places of water