Miscellaneous Bacteria Flashcards

1
Q

Rickettsia rickettsii are [size, Gram stain, shape, location]

A

Small Gram-negative coccobacilli that are obligate intracellular

(Does not visualize well with gram stain; use Giesma stain)

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2
Q

What does Rickettsia rickettsii cause?

Where is this most common?

How is it acquired?

What is the clinical presentation?

A

Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Most common in central and mid-Atlantic states

Acquired through tick bites

Triad of fever, rash, and headache

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3
Q

Coxiella burnetii are [size, Gram stain, shape, location]

A

Small Gram-negative coccobacilli that are obligate intracellular

(Note: Does not take up gram stain well, can also be considered “gram indeterminant”)

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4
Q

What does Coxiella burnetii cause?

What is the clinical presentation?

Which animal is it found in?

How is it spread to humans?

A

Q fever

Presents as fever, pulmonary infiltrates, and NO rash

Harborbed by sheep, especially placenta and fetal membranes

Spread by aerosols during the birth of lambs or other animals and through ingestion of unpasteurized milk

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5
Q

Bartonella henselae are [size, Gram stain, shape, location]

A

Bartonella henselae are tiny Gram-negative bacilli that are NOT obligate intracellular

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6
Q

What does Bartonella henselae infection cause?

A
  • Bacillary angiomatosis (immunocompromised individuals, especially with AIDS)
  • Cat scratch disease (enlargement of one or more lymph nodes following a cat scratch or bit)
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7
Q

What is the life cycle of Chlamydia spp.?

A

Extracellular elementary body (EB) which is metabolically inactive

Intracellular reticular body (RB) which is metabolically active

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8
Q

What type of disease does Chlamydia trachomatis cause?

A

Sexually transmitted diseases

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9
Q

What do Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia psittaci cause?

A

Pneumonia

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10
Q

What is unique about Mycoplasma?

A

Smallest organisms that can be free-living in nature and self replicating but require a media supplemented with essential components

Mycoplasma plasma membranes contain sterols which are obtained from eukaryotic cells or growth media

No cell walls so do not Gram stain

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11
Q

What do Mycoplasma have in their plasma membranes that other bacteria lack?

A

Sterols (obtained from eukaryotic cells or growth media)

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12
Q

What disease does Mycoplasma pneumoniae cause?

How?

A

Community-acquired pneumonia (“Walking pneumonia”); Symptoms are often less severe than a chest x-ray might suggest

Tightly adheres to cilia and microvilli on the surface of the bronchial epithelium

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13
Q

Borrelia burgdorferi are [shape, transmission, disease caused]

A

Borrelia burgdorferi are spirochetes transmitted to humans through contact with ticks and cause Lyme disease

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14
Q

Which bacteria causes Lyme disease?

What is the classic presentation of Lyme disease?

A

Borrelia burgdorferi

Erythema migrans: annular rash with central clearance at site of tick bite

Occurs in three stages and may present with rash, fevers, arthralgias/arthritis, arrhythmias, or neurologic findings

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15
Q

Treponema pallidum are [shape, disease caused]

A

Treponema pallidum are spirochetes that cause syphilis

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16
Q

Which bacteria causes syphilis?

What are the stages of syphilis?

A

Treponema pallidum

  1. Primary syphilis: chancre (ulcerative lesion on genitalia)
  2. Secondary sphilis: rash usually on soles and palms
  3. Tertiary syphilis: may occur months to years later and has variety of manifestations
17
Q

Leptospira interrogans is [metabolic, shape]

A

Leptospira interrogans is an aerobic spirochete

18
Q

In which animal species does Leptospira interrogans causes infections?

How is Leptospira interrogans transmitted to humans?

A

Rats, cattle, dogs

Transmitted to humans after exposure to water contaminated with animal urine (through ingestion, cuts in skin, exposure of conjunctiva)

19
Q

Symptomatically, how would you distinguish between a fever caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and one caused by Coxiella brunetti?

A

A fever caused by Rickettsia rickettsii is likely to have a rash

A fever caused by Coxiella burnettii will not have a rash

20
Q

Which groups are more likely to contract a Leptospira interrogans infecton?

A

People who engage in water sports

The bacteria thrive in animal urine; swimming in water that is contaminated can cause disease

21
Q

Are mycobacterium gram positive or gram negative?

A

Structurally, all mycobacteria are gram positive

However, their cell envelopes have high lipid content; this prevents them from taking up gram stain and makes them highly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics

22
Q

Mycobacterium tuberculosis are [gram stain, shape, location, metabolism, relevant morphology]

A

Mycobacterium tuberculosis:

  • Gram (+) structure, but does not gram stain
    • Use acid-fast method
  • Bacillus
  • Facultative intracellular
  • Obligate aerobe
  • Very slow growth
23
Q

Where in the body does M. tuberculosis proliferate?

A

Within macrophages

Typically in the lungs

  • Primary infection more often affects the right lobe
  • Disease is associated with cavities in the apex of the lung
24
Q

What is Pott’s disease?

A

Tuberculosis that has spread to the spine

  • Arthritis of intervertebral joints
  • Damage to soft tissue
25
Q

Describe the clinical presentation of miliary tuberculosis

A

Classified as both pulmonary and extrapulmonary

  • May follow primary infection or reactivation
  • Very severe; the host is basically not responding at all to the pathogen, and it disseminates widely
  • Systemic infection
    • Fever, weight loss, night sweats
  • Cough may or may not be present
  • Commonly causes….
    • Hepatomegaly
    • Splenomegaly
    • Lymphadenopathy
    • Miliary reticulondular (snowstorm) pattern on chest x-ray
  • May also cause…
    • Bone involvement
      • Pott’s disease (spine)
    • CNS involvement
      • Meningitis
      • Tuberculoma (brain abscess)
26
Q

Which groups have an increased risk of mortality from M. tuberculosis infection?

A

Groups without a long history of urbanization

Ex: Native americans, Eskimos

27
Q

How is M. tuberculosis treated?

A

Latent infection

  • 9 months of Isoniazid

Active disease: 6 month, multi-drug regimen

  • 2 months of RIPE
    • ​Rifampin
    • Isoniazid
    • Pyrazinamide
    • Ethambutol
  • Follow with 4 months of RI
    • ​Rifampin
    • Isoniazid
28
Q

Mycobacterium leprae are [gram stain, shape, location, metabolism, relevant morphology]

A
  • Gram (+)-like cell envelope
    • But do not take up gram stain, and stain acid-fast
  • Bacillus
  • Obligate intracellular
    • Within macrophages
  • Facultative aerobe
  • Grows very slowly
    • Doubling time = 11-13 days
  • Loves to grow in cooler places
  • Well adapted to human host
    • Lost ~1/3 of M. tuberculosis genes
29
Q

Describe the clinical presentation of tuberculoid leprosy

A
  • Triggers an intense, cell-mediated response
    • Involves Th1 (a type of helper T-cell)
    • Th1 stimulates antibody production, which eventually promotes phagocytosis by macrophages
  • Very few bacterium are seen in tissues
    • Instead, they live in macrophages
  • Causes non-caseating granuloma
  • Skin legions are well-defined
    • Hyperpigmented, anesthetic, macular
    • Raised edges, depressed center, hairless
  • Enlargement of large peripheral nerves
    • May become palpable
    • Ulnar, peroneal, greater auricular
  • Neuronal damage
    • Muscle atrophy
    • Contracture
    • Loss of sensitivity
      • Leads to more trauma, infection, and further damage
30
Q

Describe the clinical presentation of lepromatous leprosy (“classic leprosy”)

A
  • No cellular immune response
    • Involves Th2 (a type of helper T-cell)
    • Th2 helper T-cells do not release antibodies; they are more effective at clearing extracellular bacteria; they are basically useless against M. leprae, which is an intracellular pathogen
  • Many bacteria are present in the tissue
    • Not contained in macrophages (thanks a lot, Th2)
  • Skin legions are poorly demarcated
    • Can be in any shape
    • Usually raised
    • Usually form on cooler areas of the body
      • Face, ears, wrists, elbows, butt, knees
  • Leonine facies
    • Thickened, folded skin of the forhead and face
  • Saddle nose
    • Septal perforation leading to nasal collapse
  • Neuronal damage
    • Decreased peripheral sensitivity
    • Symmetrical in extremeties
    • Leads to trauma that goes undiagnosed
    • Secondary infection leads to loss of digits
31
Q

How does M. leprae cause neuronal damage?

A

M. leprae kills Schwann cells directly

This leads to demyelination of peripheral neurons, which can cause nerve damage

32
Q

How is leprosy treated?

A
  • Tuberculoid: Dapsone + Rifampin
  • Lepramatous: Dapsone + Rifampin + Clofazimine
33
Q

A patient presents with an infected ulcer on his hand.

He says that he was bit by his tropical fish while he was cleaning the fish tank last weekend.

Which bacteria do you think is causing the infection?

A

Mycobacterium marinum

Infection typically occurs after contact with fish, fish tanks, or salt water

Causes an ulcer in soft tissue

34
Q

A “snow storm pattern” on chest radiography is characteristic of which disease?

A

Tuberculosis, especially miliary tuberculosis

35
Q

One of your elderly, alcoholic patients is very hill;

She has a severe cough, fever, and night sweats. Her chest X-ray is shown below

What is significant about her X-ray?

What is the most likely cause of your patient’s infection?

How would you treat the infection?

A

The X-ray exhibits a “snowstorm” pattern characteristic of miliary tuberculosis

She should be treated with 2 months of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, followed by 4 months of rifampin and isoniazid (the typical treatment for tuberculosis)

36
Q

Is this a picture of tuberculoid leprosy or lepromatous leprosy?

How do you know?

A

Lepromatous; the pink marks are the acid-fast M. leprae taking up carbol fucshin

May bacteria are located in the tissues, a characterisitc of lepromatous leprosy