Mollicutes

Question 1

What are two characteristics of Mollicutes?

Answer 1

NO CELL WALL

Ubiquitous

Question 2

What are three genera of Mollicutes?

Answer 2

Mycoplasma
Ureaplasma
Acholeplasma

Question 3

What are clinical signs of non-hemotrphic Mollicutes?

Answer 3

Respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, arthritis, mastitis, conjuctivitis, septicemia

Question 4

What are clinical signs of hemotrophic mollicutes?

Answer 4

Hemolytic anemia

Formerly: Haemobartonella and Eperythrozoon

Question 5

T/F. Mollicutes are subclinical to severely debilitating or fatal diseases in many species.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Which of the following is INCORRECT about morphology of Mollicutes?

A. Very pleomorphic
B. Stain poorly
C. No cell wall
D. Big genome
E. Evolved from Clostridium-Streptococcus

Answer 6

D. Big genome

Correct: small genome (extremely plastic: plasmid, phage, and transposon components).

Question 7

What are two genera that are included in Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 7

Ureaplasma

Mycoplasma

Question 8

What are the characteristics of Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 8

Host specific (not exclusively), NOT zoonotic, grown on specialized axenic media.

Question 9

Describe features of culture growth of non-hemotrphic mollicutes.

Answer 9

Slow, CO2 enriched at mammalian temp, “fried egg” colonies.

Question 10

How are Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes transmitted?

Answer 10

DIRECT CONTACT (respiratory or venereal secretions), asymptomatic carriers, mechanical in dairies, vertical in poultry, arthropod.

Question 11

Where do Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes reside normally?

Answer 11

THE HOST THEY INFECT, MUCOSAL SURFACES, moist/cool environments.

Question 12

What is the pathogenesis of Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 12

Underlying factor (age, crowding, concurrent infections, stress) > Attachment to mucosal surface > inside non-phagocytic cells or fuse with cell membranes > Latent infection (immune system avoidance)

Question 13

What are the possible end results of Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes pathogenesis (after latent infection)?

Answer 13

Acute septicemic forms: coagulopathy, vascular thrombosis (resemble gram negative septicemia).
Chronic infection related to persistence in face or inflammatory response > TISSUE DAMAGE

Question 14

What are the virulence factors of Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 14

Peroxie/Superoxide (disrupt host cell integrity), Urease (Ureaplasma, inflammatory and increases pH), proinflammatory molecules, IgA proteases.

Question 15

T/F. Leftover and excessive antigens are pro-inflammatory molecules of Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes. Only humoral response is activated so Mycoplasma downregulates the system.

Answer 15

False. Everything is true except BOTH humoral and cell mediated responses are activated.

Question 16

What are the species of Avian mycoplasmosis?

Answer 16

Mycoplasma gallisepticum in chickens and turkeys
Mycoplasma synoviae in turkeys
Mycoplasma meleagridis and M. iowae in turkeys

Question 17

What are the clinical signs of Mycoplasma gallisepticum?

Answer 17

Chronic respiratory disease (chickens), infectious sinusitis (turkeys), decreased egg production, conjuctivitis.

Question 18

What are clinical signs of Mycoplasma synoviae?

Answer 18

Synovitis (lameness, joint swelling, reduced growth), sternal bursitis (turkeys), subclinical airsacculitis.

Question 19

What are the clinical signs of M. meleagridis and M. iowae in turkeys?

Answer 19

Airsacculitis, skeletal deformities, growth stunting, decreased egg hatchability.

Question 20

T/F. Avian Mycoplasmosis is reportable in UK but not in the US.

Answer 20

False. Reportable in US.

Question 21

T/F. Avian Mycoplasmosis is important economically.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What disease does Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides cause?

Answer 22

Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)

Question 23

Which Mycoplasma species is the most virulent in cattle?

Answer 23

Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides (small colony variant)

Question 24

What are the clinical signs for Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)?

Answer 24

Respiratory disease (subclinical and persistent, acute or fatal presentation, distress, coughing, nasal discharge, lethargy).

Question 25

Which species of Mycoplasma cause Mycoplasma mastitis?

Answer 25

Mycoplasma BOVIS, M. californicum, M. canadense

Question 26

What are the clinical symptoms of mycoplasma mastitis?

Answer 26

Drop in milk production, udder can be swollen and 4 quarters can be affected, milk becomes thick and intermixed with watery and purulent secretions. (Disseminated infection can follow).

Question 27

Which Mycoplasma species cause urogenital tract infections in Bovine?

Answer 27

Mycoplasma bovigenitalium, ureaplasma diversum.

Question 28

What are the symptoms of urogenital tract infections cause by mycoplasma?

Answer 28

Bulls: seminal vesiculitis Cows: granular vulvitis, vaginitis, endometritis, abortions.

Question 29

T/F. Mycoplasma bovigenitalium and Ureplasma diversum usually reside in moist environment.

Answer 29

False. | Normal commensal organisms of the lower urogenital tract.

Question 30

Which Mycoplasma species cause Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia? What are the clinical signs?

Answer 30

``` M. capricolum subsp. Capripnemoniae. Respiratory disease (similar to CBPP) ```

Question 31

Which Mycoplasma species cause Contagious Agalactia of sheep and goats? What are the clinical signs?

Answer 31

M. agalactiae and M. putrefaciens. | Febrile mastitis, arthritis and conjuctivitis.

Question 32

T/F. Only Contagious Caprine pleuropneumonia is the reportable disease in the USA out of Mycoplasma causing diseases in sheep and goats.

Answer 32

Fase. | Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia and Contagious Agalactia of sheep and goats.

Question 33

T/F. Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides cause mastitis, pneumonia, bursitis and arthritis in adults and rapid fatal septicemia in kids of goats and sheep.

Answer 33

True.

Question 34

T/F. M. mycoides ssp. capri does not cause disease in sheep and goats.

Answer 34

False. | Pleuropneumonia.

Question 35

What are the three species of Mycoplasma that cause diseases in Porcine?

Answer 35

M. hyopneumoniae, M. hyorihinis, M. hyosynoviae.

Question 36

Which species of Mycoplasma causes Porcine Enzootic Pneumonia? What are the clinical signs?

Answer 36

M. hyopneumoniae. Non-productive cough, unthrifty appearance, decreased weight gain. Chronic respiratory disease.

Question 37

T/F. Low morbidity and low mortality for Porcine Enzootic Penumonia.

Answer 37

False. | High morbidity and low mortality.

Question 38

What does Mycoplasma hyorhinis in porcine cause? Which age group does it target?

Answer 38

Polyserositis (fever, anorexia, listelessness, arthritis, lameness). Systemic infection in young pigs (3-10 wks).

Question 39

What is the clinical sign that M. hyosynoviae causes? What is its age target group?

Answer 39

Lameness. | Arthritis in growing pigs (3-6 months).

Question 40

What are the diagnosis for Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 40

Collect samples from affected tissues, culture (difficult), SEROLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR!

Question 41

How can you prevent Non-hemotrphic Mollicutes?

Answer 41

Attenuated live vaccines - Diminish disease but not infection, protect cattle in CBPP in enzootic areas, can be used in other species as well.

Question 42

What are treatments for Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 42

Antibiotics (some resistance), high failure rates. | Susceptibility not routinely checked.

Question 43

What is the most effective control for Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 43

TEST AND SLAUGHTER! BIOSECURITY!

Question 44

T/F. Non-hemotrophic Mollicutes are RBC parasites.

Answer 44

False. HEMOTROPHIC Mollicutes are!

Question 45

What do hemotrophic Mollicutes cause in young, immunocomprommised, or stressed animals?

Answer 45

Hemolytic anemia | asymptomatic or subclinical

Question 46

Which species of Mycoplasma cause FELINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA?

Answer 46

M. haemofelis

Question 47

What are the clinical signs caused by Hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 47

ICterus, splenomegaly, bone marrow hyperplasia.

Question 48

What are diagnosis for Hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 48

Clinical signs, organisms in blood films, PCR.

Question 49

What are treatments for Hemotrophic Mollicutes?

Answer 49

Correct the anemia! | Tetracycline

Question 50

What are the three forms (duration) that Feline Infectious Anemia can cause? What are some clinical signs? Treatment?

Answer 50

Peracute, ACUTE, chronic. Fever, anemia, weakness, jaundice. Treatment: Blood, doxycycline, flea control

Question 51

Who is the primary host of Mycoplasma haemofelis? How is it transmitted?

Answer 51

Free roaming tom cats. | Arthropod vector.

Question 52

What are Mollicutes? What does it mean?

Answer 52

Smallest self-replicating organisms. | "Soft skin".