Mycobacteriology Flashcards
Why do acid-fast bacteria stain acid fast?
Cell walls contain mycolic acid (long-chain fatty acids)
- When stained w/ special dye, cells can’t be decolorized w/ weak-acid-alcohol solution
- Acid-fast organisms stain red
What is the “ideal” contamination rate that mycobacteria labs should strive for when assessing their decontamination rate?
Mycobacterial culture contamination rate of 3-5% is tolerable
- < 3% → overly harsh decontamination
- > 5% → insufficient contamination
Which mycobacterium species are identified on the GeneXpert (Xpert MTB/RIF) system?
M. tuberculosis complex
What antimicrobial susceptiblity are identified on the GeneXpert (Xpert MTB/RIF) system?
Rifampin resistance
What two categories of solid media are used for the isolation of mycobacteria
Egg and agar
Give examples of egg-based media
- Lowentstein-Jensen
- American Trudeau Society
Give examples of agar-based media
- Middlebrook 7H10
- Middlebrook 7H11
What two types of broth media are used for the isolation of mycobacteria?
- MGIT
- Bactec Alert
Which type media, solid or broth, is able to recover organisms more quickly?
Broth
How do you set up a skin culture for mycobacteria, including temperature, media, etc.
Set up 7H10 @ 37C and 30C and set up MGIT @ 37C
Scotochromogen
Produces pigments independent of light exposure
Photochromogen
Produces pigments only after exposure to light
Nonchromogen
Never produces a pigment
Rapid grower
Requires < 7 days to produce colonies when subculutred onto certain media
Slow grower
Requires > 7 days to produce colonies on solid media under ideal culture conditions
What broth medium is used in MGIT, Bact/ALERT, and BACTEC Myco/F Lytic system?
Middlebrook 7H9
Which mycobacteria are nonpathogenic and may be isolated from tap water?
- M. avium
- M. genavense
- M. kansasii
- M. gordonae (common contaminant)
Which mycobacteria are acid-fast and modified acid-fast?
Acid-fast
- Gordonia spp (weakly-positive)
- Nocardia spp (positive, beaded appearance)
- Rhodococcus spp (weakly-positive)
- Segniliparus spp (strongly-positive)
- Tsukamurella spp (weakly-positive)
What do mycobacteria and the background look like when using the Ziehl-Neelsen or Kinyoun methods?
Mycobacteria are stained red; background is blue
List the strain of M. bovis which is used to produce the M. tuberculosis vaccine
BCG
List the species of Mycobacteria which cannot be cultured in the lab routinely (requires living cells)
- M. tuberculosis
- M. leporae
Differentiate the temperature(s) at which plates are incubated for skin cultures and sputum (respiratory) cultures
- Skin cultures are incubated at 30C
ALL cultures are set up on what media?
Solid and broth media
Outline the specimen collection recommendations for respiratory mycobacteria cultures
3 separate specimens must be collected at least 8 hours apart
What biosafety level and lab containment mechanisms are required for working w/ mycobacterial cultures?
BSL-3
- Floor, wall, and ceiling surfaces are sealed and coated w/ an epoxy for ease of disinfection
- Air is drawn from the outside of the lab INTO the lab (negative air pressure)
- All work w/ clinical specimens and cultures is conducted in biological safety cabinets
- Separated from BSL-2 lab space by at least 2 doors
____ stain is the best choice for screening patients and is specific for acid-fast organisms
Auramine-Rhodamine
What is the most common submitted specimen for TB diagnosis?
Sputum
Why must one of the sputum specimens be collected in the morning?
Crap concentrates in the lungs throughout the night
Define incubation times and conditions for mycobacterial cultures
- Broths are incubated w/in a continuous monitoring system
- Agar- and egg-based media are incubated in 5-10% CO2
- MTB and most other mycobacteria incubated at 35-37C
- Skin specimens incubated at 30C
How long should cultures be incubated before being reported as negative?
6-8 weeks
If specimens are smear-positive but don’t grow in 6-8 weeks, add how many more weeks onto the incubation duration?
4 weeks
Specimens from skin should be incubated for how many weeks if M. ulcerans is suspected?
8-12 weeks
Cultures should be examined how many days after inoculation?
3-5 days
How often should cultures be examined for the first 4 weeks?
Twice per week
After 4 weeks, cultures should be examined how often?
Once per week until 6-8 weeks
Why does the DNA probe used to identify M. tuberculosis target rRNA and not chromosomal DNA?
This makes the assay more sensitive since there are 10,000 copies of RNA per bacterium and only 1-2 copies of DNA; if the DNA probe binds to target RNA molecules, the DNA-RNA hybrid can be detected by chemilumescence
Which mycobacteria are inhibied by T2H?
M. bovis
List the mycobacteria that grow optimally at 30°C (6)
- M. abscessus/chelonae
- M. fortuitum
- M. haemophilum
- M. ulcerans
- M. marinum
List the mycobacteria that grow optimally at 35-37°C (5)
- M. tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, bovis, africanum)
- M. avium
- M. fortuitum
- M. kansasii
- M. szulgai
- M. scrofulaceum
List the mycobacteria that grow at 42C and 45C
- M. xenopi (42°C)
- M. thermoresistable (45°C)
What are the special requirements for isolation of M. haemophilum?
M. haemophilum requires hemin (X factor in CHOC agar)
- Fastidious
What are the special requirements for isolation of M. genavense?
M. genavense requires mycobactin J
- VERY fastidious
List the slow growing mycobacteria
- M. avium
- M. genavense
- M. gordonae
- M. haemophilum
- M. kansasii
- M. marinum
- M. scrofulcaneum
- M. szulgai
- M. tuberculosis complex
- M. ulcerans
- M. xenopi
Describe the appearance of M. tuberculosis on agar
ROUGH, wrinkled, waxy, BUFF-colored
Describe the appearance of M. kansasii on agar
Rough, wrinkled