Microbiology Flashcards
Mechanisms of resistance (AMR) (4)
- Impermeable outer wall
- Efflux pumps
- Alter target
- Destroy/modify compound
Strategies for reducing AMR in general? (6)
Reduce disease
1. Improve sanitation
2. Vaccination
3. Indirect effects e.g. improving overall health –> reduce hospitalisations –> reduce hospital acquired infections/less likely to receive antibiotics
4. IPC
Reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics
5. Tackle agricultural use
6. Improve diagnostics
7. Patient/prescriber interaction
Plague - bacteria
Gram negative rod - Yersinia pestis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
Extracellular (can be seen on blood film with bipolar appearance i.e. the ends of the bacteria stain more intensely than the middle)
Non lactose fermenting
Plague - clinical forms
Bubonic
Septicaemia
Pneumonic
Plague - transmission
- Vector borne - carried by fleas (xenopsylla cheopis)
- Droplet contact - coughing/sneezing
- Direct physical contact - contact with pus including sexual and unsafe burial practices
- Indirect contact - e.g. soil
- Airborne transmission
- Faecal-oral
Plague - clinical features
Incubation 1-7 days
Buboes - tender, smooth, inflamed lymp nodes related to the site of the flea bite
Septicaemia - multi-organ failure, DIC, may progress to peripheral gangrene
Rapidly progressive pneumonia (2-4 days)
Plague - diagnosis
Microscopy and staining and/or culture:
1. Lymph node aspirate
2. Blood cultures - may be seen in blood smears or cultured
3. Sputum/bronchial/tracheal washings cultures
Rapid tests available for endemic areas (F1 antigen testing)
Plague - treatment and PrEP/PEP
Pneumonic/septicaemic
- Aminoglycosides, fluroquinolones
Bubonic
- Aminoglycosides, doxycycline, fluroquinolones
Meningitis
- Chloramphenicol, moxifloxacin
PrEP - Doxycycline/Co-trimoxazole 7 days
PEP - Doxycycline/co-trimoxazole
Meliodosis - bacteria
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Gram negative bacillus, oxidase positive, environmental saprophyte (likes to decay things)
Meliodosis - risk factors for diseases (3)
Diabetes, renal failure, steroids
Meliodosis - clinical features (9)
- CNS - encephalomyelitis, brain abscess
- CVS - bacteraemia, pericarditis, mycotic aneurysm
- Urinary tract - pyelo, kidney abscess, prostatic abscess
- Head & neck - Parotid abscess (common in children), lymphadenitis
- Respiratory system - pneumonia, pulmonary abscess, pleuritis
- GI - Liver abscess, splenic abscess, para-intestinal mass
- Skin and soft tissue - Skin ulcer, skin abscesses
- MSK - Septic arthritis, myositis, OM
Meliodosis - diagnosis
- *Culture (hazard 3 organism) - slow growing with distinctive crinkled appearance on agar
- Serology but issues with sens/spec (false positives an issue in endemic regions)
- PCR
- Antigen detection
Meliodosis - treatment
- Intensive phase > 2 weeks IV ceftazidime/carbapenem
- Eradication phase > 12 weeks oral co-trimoxazole
Scrub typhus - bacteria
Orientia tsutsugamushi (gram negative bacilli)
Scrub typhus epidemiology
Primarily in the “tsutsugamushi triangle” (Asia-Pacific region), including Southeast Asia, India, Northern Australia, and parts of China and Japan.
Scrub typhus - clinical presentation
Non-specific - fever, headache, lymphadenopathy, nausea and vomiting
Painless eschar often diagnostic
Complications include CNS commonly (meningoencephalitis), ARDS and hepatitis
Scrub typhus -transmission
Bite of infected chiggers (larval stage of trombiculid mites)
Scrub typhus - treatment
Doxycycline
Scrub typhus - investigations
- Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA): Gold standard for diagnosis, detects Orientia tsutsugamushi-specific antibodies.
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA): Commonly used and highly sensitive for detecting IgM antibodies.
Leptospirosis - definition
Zoonosis Leptospira - sprirochaete bacterium
Indirect or direct contact with urine from infected animals like rats
Leptospirosis - diagnostics
Gold standard: Serology - MAT/ELISA
Urine + blood - PCR
Culture - takes ages
ALT rise
AKI
Thrombocytopenia
Rhabdo
Leptospirosis - clinical presentation
Acute: Fever, rigors, myalgia, headache, conjunctival suffusion
Immune phase: Aseptic meningitis, jaundice, renal failure, pulmonary haemorrhage
Leptospirosis - Treatment
PO doxycycline or azithromycin
Severe: IV penicillin or ceftriaxone
N.B jarish-herxheimer reaction to antibiotics
Acute rheumatic fever
Acute multisystem, inflammatory process occuring 2-3 weeks after infection with group A strep
Group A strep - bacteria
Streptococcus pyogenes - beta haemolytic cocci in chains
Acute rheumatic fever - clinical symptoms
Joint pain (not deforming, responds to NSAIDs)
Carditis (MV –> AV)
Chorea
Erythema marginatum
Fever
SC nodules
Acute rheumatic fever - management
Suppressive abx
NSAIDs/analgesia
Tetanus - organism
Clostridium tetani - anaerobic gram positive bacilli (drumstick appearance)
Toxins are Tetanolysin and tetanospasmin
Tetanus - pathophysiology
Toxins bind to receptors on inhibitory interneurons like GABA, therefore toxin causes sustained muscle spasms
Tetanus - clinical features
Muscle stiffness, spasms, autonomic dysfunction
Cardiovascular instability, fever, voice change
Tetanus - treatment including supportive care (8)
- Toxin removal - wound debridement
- Antibiotics - metronidazole
- Antitoxin (intrathecal or IM, human or equine)
- Control muscle spasms - Mg and benzodiazepines
- Airway support - tracheostomy and secretion management
- Mechanical ventilation
- Autonomic support - Mg and cooling
- Cardiovascular support
Enteric fever - definition
Salmonella typhi and paratyphi
Gram negative bacilli
Enteric fever - transmission
Faecal oral
Enteric fever - clinical presentation
Fever, abdo pain, headache, cough, myalgia
Constipation –> diarrhoea
Hepatosplenomegaly
Relative bradycardia
Enteric fever - diagnostics
Blood culture
Stool culture
Bone marrow to be considered in severe disease and diagnostic uncertainty
Enteric fever - complications
Sepsis, perforation, bleeding, typhoid spine, cholangiocarcinoma
Enteric fever - management (including considering resistance patterns)
MDR ACT (Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol, co-Trim)
Treatment: Ciprofloxacin/ceftriaxone
FDR FACT (fluoroquinolone R)
XDR (quinolones, 3rd gen cephalosporins)
Treatment: Macrolide + carbapenems
Enteric fever resistance patterns
MDR is ACT
Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol, co-Trimoxazole
FDR is FACT Fluoroquinolones and ACT
XDR e.g. Pakistan
Quinolones, 3rd gen cephalosporins and FACT
AMR Intrinsic resistance
Lacks antibiotic target - transmitted by the organism
Acquired resistance
Point mutations: altered target, random errors during replication
Acquisition of resistance gene through plasmid, bacteriophage or transposons
Cholera - pathogen
Vibrio cholerae
Gram negative facultative aerobe rod
Toxin mediated
Serotype O1: all recent outbreaks but also O139
Cholera treatment and prevention
Rehydration sachets
Zinc for <5 years
Can give doxycycline in severe cases
Vaccination (oral) in two doses
Bartonella - organism
Gram negative intracellular bacteria
Carrion’s disease - organism and vector and geographical distribution
Bartonella bacilliformis
Sandfly
Andes
Bartonella bacilliformis (Carrion’s disease) clinical presentation
Acute phase:
Haemolytic anaemia
Fever
Bacteraemia
Risk of superinfections like Toxo, salmonella and histoplasma
Chronic phase:
Blood filled nodiles
Verrucas or peruvian warts
Miliar
Bartonella henselae - disease
Cat scratch disease
Bartonella henselae - clinical features
Immunocompetent: Lymphadenopathy and fever
Immunocompromised: Bacillar angiomatosis (vascular lesions), parinaud’s oculoglandular syndrome
Bartonella henselae - treatment
Azithromycin 5 days
Alternatives clari/rif
Trench fever - organism
Bartonella quintana
Batonella quintana - vector
Human body louse
Bartonella quintana - risk factors
Homeless
HIV
IVDU
Alcohol abuse
Bartonella quintana - treatment
Doxycycline
Prolonged doxycycline in bacillary angiomatosis and endocarditis
Rickettsial infection - organism
Gram negative intraceullar coccobacilli bacteria
Does not culture
Does not gram stain
See on a giemsa stain
Rickettsial infections - generalised key clinical symptoms
- Incubation 6-14 days
- Fever + eschar + rash
Severe cases: vasculitis end organ damage - particularly renal failure. DIC.
Rickettsial diseases - diagnostics
Gold standard is serology - indirect immunofluorescence IgG on paired serum samples
Rickettsial diseases - treatment
Doxycycline
Alternatives - macrolides, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones
Scrub typhus - organism, epidemiology and vector
Orientia tsutsugamushi
Triangle
Trombiculid mite
Epidemic typhus - organism, epidemiology and vector
Rickettsia prowazekii
Worldwide
Louse faeces
Murine typhus- organism, epidemiology and vector
Rickettsia typhi
Worldwife
Flea faeces
Rocky mountain spotted fever- organism, epidemiology and vector
Rickettsia rickettsii
USA
Tick - dermacentor variabilis, american dog tick
African tick bite fever- organism, epidemiology and vector
Rickettsia africae
Africa + caribbean
Tick - ambylomma
Rickettsia pox- organism, epidemiology and vector
Rickettsia akari
Worldwide
Mite - liponssoides sanguines
Mediterranean spotted fever- organism, epidemiology and vector
Rickettsia conorii
Europe, Africa, Asia
Tick Rhipicephalus
Name two rickettsial conditions that have mites as vectors
Orientia tsutsugamushi (scrub typhus)
Rickettsia akari (rickettsia pox)
Name a rickettsial condition that has louse as vector
Rickettsia prowazekii (epidemic typhus)
Name a rickettsial condition that has flea as vector
Rickettsia typhi (murine typhus)
Name three rickettsial conditions that have ticks as vectors
Rickettsia rickttsii (Rocky mountain spotted fever)
Rickettsia africae (African tick bite fever)
Rickettsia conorii (Mediterranean spotted fever)
Which three rickettsial diseases are most severe?
- Scrub typhus (orientia tsutsugamushi)
- Epidemic typhus (rickettsia prowazekii)
- Rocky mountain spotted fever (rickettsia rickettsii)
Which rickettsial disese can relapse?
Endemic typhus (rickettsia prowazekii) - note also has a sustained fever (not swinging)
Which rickettsial disease can mimic a pox virus?
Rickettsial pox (rickettsia akari)
Q fever summary
Gram negative bacilli
Spread from cattle/sheep/goats to humans
High fevers, sweats, headaches, muscle and joint pain and IE
Treat with doxycycyline
Brucellosis
Most common zoonosis globally
Infection through inhalation of aerosols or consumption of unpasteurised milk
Bacteraemia
Splenomegaly
Hepatomegaly
OM
Orchitis
Sacroilitis
Dx
Blood culture and PCR
Mx: Doxcycyline 45 days + IV aminoglycoside
Cryptosporidium
Common cause of infant diarrhoea in LMIC
High risk in immunocompromised
Transmission: water-borne, food-borne, Direct contact
Watery diarrhoea
Usually self-resolves but may not in immunocompromised
Diagnosis is Stool Ziehl-Neelsen staining bright red 5-5.5 microns
Main treatment is ART, nitazoxanide
Toxoplasma gondii life cycle
- Ingestion of oocysts or tissue cysts from contaminated food, water etc OR tissue cysts from undercooked meat
- Oocytes release sporozoites which convert into tachyzoites
OR
tissue cysts release bradyzoites which convert into tachyzoites - Cat is the definitive host (sexual reproduction occurs in the intestinal lining)
Toxoplasma gondii - clinical features
Asymptomatic in immunocompetent
Ocular
Congenital
Cerebral
Toxoplasma investigations
Serology
PCR from blood, CSF, amniotic fluid
Neuroimaging (multiple ring-enhancing lesions)
Bacillary angiomatosis
Bartonella henselae/quintana
Vascular skin lesions
Bartonella IE - what is it, who gets it
Bartonella henselae (cat scratch)
Bartonella quintana (human body louse)
In severe immunosuppresison
Often culture negative
Doxycycline + rifampicin
Bartonella diagnostics
Serology (moderate sensivitiy), PCR (high sensitivity)
Culture (low sensivity)
Biopsy and staining in bacillary angiomatosis for vascular lesions
Bacillus anthracis
Anthrax
Gram positive rod
Exposed to infected animals
Cutaneous (95%), GI, inhalational disease
Painless ulcer which becomes odoematous
Neonatal tetanus prevention
- Maternal immunisation in 3rd trimester