Microbiology JC087: Classification Of Microbes Flashcards
How to classify life
- Physical characteristics (Phenotypic classification):
- **Morphology
- Colour
- Nutritional requirements
- **Biochemical reactions
- ***Antigenicity and Serotyping (protein composition) - Genetic differences (Genotypic classification):
- DNA-DNA hybridisation
- Sequence of particular genes
- Whole genome sequencing - Practical clinical medical classification
Medically important microbes
Prokaryotes
1. Bacteria
ALL medically important prokaryotes are Bacteria
- single called organisms ***without a nucleus
- **chromosomal and **plasmid DNA
- multiply by binary fission
- typically <5um in size
Eukaryotes
- Fungi
- Parasites
- Viruses
- Prions
Bacterial phyla
Most bacteria are NOT medically important Important ones: - Actinobacteria - Bacteroidetes / Chlorobi group - Chlamydiae / Verrucomicrobia group - Firmicutes (gram +ve bacteria) - Fusobacteria - Proteobacteria (purple bacteria and relatives) - Spirochaetes
Gram smear
Most important, Basis of classification of bacteria
Crystal violet —> Iodine —> Alcohol / Acetone wash —> Safranin (counter stain)
Purple —> Brown —> Pink —> Ready!
Gram +ve: retain purple colour even after washing
Gram -ve: no more colour after washing —> stained by Safranin (red / pink)
***Classification of bacteria
Gram +ve / -ve / unstainable by Gram stain
Rods / Cocci / Coccobacilli (in-between)
1. Gram +ve cocci (GPC):
- Catalase +ve (in Clusters —> Staphylococci)
—> Coagulase +ve (Staph. aureus)
—> Coagulase -ve (Staphylococci, many species, commensals mostly)
- Catalase -ve (in Chains —> Streptococci)
—> Streptococcus (α-haemolytic / γ-haemolytic / β-haemolytic)
—> Enterococcus
(No Gram -ve cocci in Chains / Clusters!!!)
(Anaerobic GPC are insignificant)
- Gram +ve rods (GPR):
- Aerobic
—> Bacillius spp.
—> Corynebacterium spp.
—> Listeria monocytogenes
—> Nocardia, Rhodococcus (modified acid fast)
—> Mycobacteria (acid fast)
——> Mycobacterium TB complex
——> Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM)
- Anaerobic
—> Spore forming (Clostridium spp.)
—> Non-spore forming
- Gram -ve cocci (GNC)
- Moraxella catarrhalis
- Neisseria gonorrheae
- Neisseria meningitidis - Gram -ve rods (GNR)
- Aerobes / Facultative anaerobes
—> Enterobacteriaceae
—> Vibrionaceae and Other genera
—> Non-fermenters
——> Pseudomonas aeruginosa
——> Acinetobacter baumannii
——> Stenotrophomonas maltophlia
——> Burkholderia cepacia complex
—> Others ——> Haemophilus influenzae ——> Legionella pneumophila ——> Campylobacter spp. ——> Helicobacter pylori ——> Brucella spp. ——> HACEK group (Haemophilus, Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, Kingella)
- Anaerobes
—> Oral flora (Fusobacterium spp.)
—> Gut flora (Bacteroides fragilis)
- “Unculturable” bacteria
- Spirochaetes
—> Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)
—> Borrelia recurrentis (Relapsing fever)
—> Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
—> Leptospira (Leptospirosis)
- Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma
- Chlamydia and Chlamydophila
- Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
- Bartonella quintana (trench fever) and B. henselae (cat-scratch disease)
- Rickettsia spp. and Orientia tsutsugamushi: typhus, spotted fever
Staphylococcus aureus
Infections
- ***Skin / Soft tissue infections
- Abscesses
- Native / Prosthetic joint septic arthritis
- Osteomyelitis
- ***Pneumonia
- ***Infective endocarditis (native / prosthetic valves)
- Endovascular infections
- Surgical site infections
Toxin mediated diseases:
- ***Food poisoning in Staphylococcal enterotoxin
- ***Toxic shock syndrome
- ***Scalded skin syndrome
Further classification of S. aureus: Antibiotic resistance
MSSA (Methicillin-sensitive SA)
- ***sensitive to most β-lactams
- **Cloxacillin (anti-staphylococcal penicillin) / 1st gen Cephalosporin / **Augmentin
- X Penicillin / Ampicillin
HA-MRSA
- resistant to β-lactams, other agents e.g. Clindamycin
- ***Vancomycin / Linezolid / Daptomycin / Ceftaroline (5th gen)
- carriage common in old age home residents and after prolonged hospitalisation
CA-MRSA
- resistant to β-lactams
- often less resistant to non-β-lactams e.g. ***Clindamycin
- ***Vancomycin / Linezolid / Daptomycin / Ceftaroline (5th gen) + Any susceptible antiobiotics
- may carry PVL toxin (↑ pathogenicity)
VISA / VRSA (Vancomycin-resistant)
- intermediate to full resistance to Glycopeptides
- ***Linezolid / Daptomycin / Ceftaroline (5th gen) etc.
- very rare
Coagulase -ve Staphylococcus (CNS)
- usually benign commensals of skin
- single blood culture isolates of CNS usually represent contamination of blood culture due to improper collection technique
- exceptions:
1. **S. saprophyticus: UTI
2. S. lugdunensis: Virulent organism
3. **S. epidermidis: Prosthesis / Catheter-associated (propensity to form ***biofilm) - Genuine infection should be considered when CNS are isolated from blood cultures / sterile site specimens of patients with ***prostheses
Tip: Whenever has GPC in clusters in blood culture —> Always repeat ***>=2 sets of blood culture before making any changes in antibiotics
Streptococcus
Classified according to Haemolysis pattern
- β-Haemolytic —> Lancefield grouping
Streptococcus pneumoniae
- aka ***Pneumococcus
- α-haemolytic
- optochin susceptible, bile soluble
- causes more than **Pneumonia: **Meningitis, Septicaemia, ***Otitis media, Sinusitis
- usually easy to treat, but emergence of PRSP (penicillin-resistant) strains
- ***vaccination included in universal programme (but does not cover all serotypes well e.g. serotype 3)
Other important α- / γ-haemolytic Streptococci
- Viridans streptococci (α-haemolytic)
- group of related **oral streptococci
- dental caries, **infective endocarditis - S. anginosus (S. milleri)
- ***abscess formation (brain, lung, parapharyngeal, intraabdominal, liver) - S. bovis
- now known as: gallolyticus, infantarius, pasteurianus
- bacteraemia, endocarditis etc.
- associated with underlying GI malignancy (screen for CRC) - S. suis
- ***meningitis, bacteraemia in HK
β-haemolytic Streptococci
- S. pyogenes (Group A strept)
- infections: **pharyngitis, **scarlet fever, **impetigo, celluitis, necrotising fasciitis
- **toxic shock syndrome
- ***post-infectious syndromes: acute rheumatic fever, PSGN - S. agalactiae (Group B strept)
- **neonatal sepsis / meningitis, **peripartum infections
- invasive in elderly / immunocompromised - S. dysgalactiae (Group C / G strept)
- skin / soft tissue infections
Tip: β-haemolytic streptococci are ***sensitive to penicillin
Enterococcus
- **Normal gut flora, mainly **opportunistic infections (e.g. GI perforation, biliary sepsis, underlying catheter)
- E. faecium, E. faecalis most common
Diseases:
- **catheter associated UTI, **endocarditis, component of polymicrobial ***intra-abdominal / biliary infections, line sepsis
- ***Resistant to many antiobiotics e.g. Cephalosporins
- VRE: Vancomycin resistant enterococcus (usually E. faecium) may need Daptomycin / ***Linezolid / Tigecycline
Gram +ve Rods (GPR)
Aerobic
- Bacillius spp.
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Corynebacterium spp.
- Nocardia, Rhodococcus (modified acid fast)
- Mycobacteria (acid fast, have gram +ve cell wall but may not stain with Gram stain)
- Mycobacterium TB complex
- Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM)
Anaerobic
- ***Clostridium (Spore forming)
- Actinomyces (Non-spore forming)
- Bacillus
- widely distributed in environment e.g. ***soil
- B. anthracis: anthrax (炭疽)
- B. cereus: food poisoning (most commonly seen) / bloodstream infection
- Bacillus in blood cultures is most often a contaminant