Leptospirosis Flashcards

1
Q

Why is Leptospira so important?

A
  • 0.5 million cases in humans a year
  • zoonotic
  • economic impacts in production
  • 25% human mortality
  • dogs - kidney failure
  • rats carry it
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2
Q

What is the highest risk factor for humans?

A
  • water sports
  • rat bite
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3
Q

What is Leptospira?

A
  • G-ve
  • aerobic
  • helically coiled
  • flexous
  • slender
  • motile
  • 0.1-8um
  • can fit through filters and stays in glass cracks
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4
Q

Whats its order?

A
  • Spirochaetales
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5
Q

Whats its family?

A
  • leptispiracaea
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6
Q

What are the characteristics of leptospira?

A
  • outer sheath
  • multi layered membrane (surrounds periplasmic flagella)
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7
Q

Describe the classification?

A
  • L.biflexa - non pathogenic
  • L. interrogans - pathogenic
    • e.g. L. interogans canicola
  • 250 pathogenic serovars
  • 25 serogroups
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8
Q

How do you culture Leptospira?

A
  • Korthof broth
  • Stuarts broth
  • Fletchers semi-solid medium
  • EMJH
    • 30 degrees, 8 weeks, anaerobically
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9
Q

Describe the pathogenesis of Leptospira

A
  • gains access to body through mucous membranes/ gut
  • causes vascular damage
    • DIC - disseminated intravascular coagulation
    • damage vascular endothelium - haemorrhages
    • liposacchide
    • flagella
    • haemolysin
    • cytotoxic protein
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10
Q

Describe the immunity and persistence

A
  • antibody production - a few days after onset
  • maternal antibodies - short lived
  • activity greatest where few antibodies:
    • eyes
    • urethra
    • tubules
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11
Q

How do you diagnose Leptospira?

A
  • phenotypic test developed by Martin and Pettit - 1918
  • agglutination-lysis test (RAL)
  • developed - MAT ( microagglutination test)
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12
Q

What samples are needed for diagnosis?

A
  • mid stream urine
  • liver tissue
  • kidney tissue
  • foetal tissue - abomasal contents, cotyledons, uterine discharge
  • blood
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13
Q

What are the different methods for diagnosis?

A
  • clinical signs
  • MAT - test for antibodies in blood
  • FAT - fluorescent antibody test
  • dark field microscopy
  • culture
  • PCR
  • ELISA
  • PM (gross and histo)
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14
Q

Which animals are reservoirs?

A
  • all mammals - in kidneys
  • rodents, cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs and horses common
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15
Q

Rodents and leptospira?

A
  • shed throughout lives with no clinical signs
  • primary source of infection to humans
  • associated serovars = icterohaemorrhagica, copenhageni, grippotyphosa, ballum
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16
Q

How does transmission occur in humans?

A
  • through tissues, urine, secretions and contaminated water of infected animals
  • through damaged skin/ intact mucosa/ eyes
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17
Q

What is Leptopira also known as?

A
  • Canicola fever
  • haemorrhagic jaundice
  • infectious jaundice
  • sewermans flu
  • cavers flu
  • mud fever
  • swamp fever
18
Q

What increases the risk in humans?

A
  • water sports
  • underground workers
  • pot holers
  • vets
  • swimming in lakes
  • abattoir workers
  • immuno-suppressed
  • fishing
19
Q

What about cans and bottles in cellars?

A
  • rat urine
  • tiny abrasions when open bottle
20
Q

Where is leptispira normally found?

A
  • tropical/ subtropical climates
  • lots of rainfall
  • wherever humans come into contact with urine/ urine contaminted water
21
Q

What about control and treatment?

A
  • no vaccine for humans
  • vaccine for animals
  • penicillin and doxycyline - in early stages - before jaundice, fever
22
Q

What types of leptospira do animals get?

A
  • cattle - L.pomona, L.icterohaemorrhagiae, L.hardjo
  • pigs - L.canicola, L.icterohaemorrhagiae, L.ponoma
  • dogs - L.canicola, L.icterohaemorrhagiae
  • sheep/ goats - L.hardjo, L.ponoma
23
Q

Significance of sea lions?

A
  • aerosols - zoos
24
Q

Descrive Leptospirosis in dogs

A
  • L.canicola/ icterohaemorrhagiae
  • acute
    • high fever, vomiting, prostration, early death
  • less acute
    • intense icterus, fever, haemorrhage, blood in urine/ faeces, depression
  • uraemic
    • uraemia associated with extensive kidney damage
  • chronic
    • acute hepatitis
25
Q

What is this showing?

A
  • leptospira in kidney
26
Q

Leptospira in pigs?

A
  • L.ponoma, L. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. canicola
  • subclinical
  • fever
  • anorexia
  • jaundice
  • still births/ abortion
  • mastitis
  • haemoglobinuria
  • infertility
  • high mortality in young pigs
27
Q

What is the pig a reservoir host for?

A
  • L.pomona
  • L.tarassovi
  • L.bratislavia
  • L.muenchen
28
Q

What is this?

A
  • intersitial nephritis
  • pelvis coming out into medulla and cortex
29
Q

What is SMEDI?

A
  • stillbirth
  • mummification
  • embryonic death
  • infertiltiy
30
Q

Leptospirosis in cattle?

A
  • subclinical with or without leptospiruria
  • fever
  • infertility
  • abortion
  • neonatal death
  • milk drop syndrome - 10-15%
  • jaundice
  • haemoglobinuria
31
Q

What is the prevalence in cattle herds?

A
  • 70-80% - beef
  • 20 - 55% - dairy
32
Q

Immunity?

A
  • natural immunity develops
  • but any new animals - acute infection
33
Q
A
  • serious haemorrhage
  • necrosis in liver, spleen, lungs
34
Q
A
  • jaundiced, aborted foetus
35
Q

Photosensitisation?

A
  • young light calves
  • vascularisation close to skin
36
Q

Signs of Leptospirosis in horses?

A
  • recurrent iridocyclitis
  • abortion
  • fever, icterus, anorexia, depression
37
Q
A
  • interstitial nephritis
  • can be chronic
  • necrosis in medulla and cortex
38
Q

Sheep?

A
  • mainly L.pomona, L.hardjo
  • mainly subclinical
  • acute - depression, haemoglobinuria, dyspnoea, anaemia
  • high mortality in lambs
39
Q
A
  • acute septicaemic nephritis (sheep)
40
Q
A
  • necrotic nephritis (sheep)
41
Q

Animal vaccinations?

A
  • inactivated - cant manipulate
  • 5 months - cattle - annual booster
  • sows before farrowing
  • dogs - 8 wks - annual booster
  • +ve MAT test
42
Q
A