Neisseria, Haemophilus and Bordetella Flashcards
Describe morphology and major identifying cellular characteristics of Neisseria spp.
- Is it gram neg or pos?
- Gram negative “kidney bean” diplococci
- Endotoxin LPS complexed with protein in outer membrane
- Capsules and pili
Is Neisseria catalase pos or neg?
Oxidase pos or neg?
What’s its growth enhanced by?
- Catalase positive
- Oxidase positive
- CO2
N. gonorrhoeae vs. N. meningiditis.
- Which are blood agar +/-?
- Which are oxidase +/-?
- Which are glucose +/-?
- Which are maltose +/-?
- Blood agar: gonor is -, mening is +
- Oxidase: both are +
- Glucose: both are +
- Maltose: gonor is -, mening is +
List two important virulence characteristics of Neisseria meningitidis.
- Capsule
- LOS (like LPS; cell damage and systemic inflammation)
List two important virulence characteristics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Pili and OMPs
People who have ____________ deficiencies are more susceptible to Neisseria infection.
C5-C8 Complement
How is meningococcal disease spread?
Through respiratory droplets
What demo in the US is most susceptible to N. meningiditis?
Children under 5, teens, and young adults
- Also gay men (sexually transmitted)
What are the 2 major manifestations of N. meningiditis infection?
Which is more important?
What are some other, less common associated conditions?
- Meningococcemia (most important)
- Meningitis
- Others: pneumonia, arthritis, pericarditis, urethritis
What are the sx of meningococcemia?
- Sudden onset very high fever and chills
- Shock
- Hemorrhage
- Purpura
- Adrenal hemorrhage
What are the sx of meningitis?
- Headache
- Mental status changes
- Neurological signs
- Skin: petecheae purpura
In testing for N. meningiditis, what would you want to obtain for a gram stain?
What could you culture?
Would you use blood or chocolate agar, or either?
- CSF
- CSF, blood skin
- Chocolate
What is the most common antimicrobial used to treat N. meningiditis?
Ceftriaxone
can use PCN G if sensitive as well
What are the most important serogroups of N meningiditis (polysaccharide capulse) that might be worth knowing?
Which one is not immunogenic?
13 serogroups. A, B, C, Y, W-135
- Immunogenic except Group B
Who should get the vaccine for N meningiditis?
What’s it conjugated to?
All kids at age 11, college kids, at-risk adults
- Conjugated to diphtheria
Why is the capsule considered a virulence factor for N. meningiditis?
- Enhances bloodstream invasion and survival
- Enhances CNS penetration
- Avoids phagocytosis until opsonized
How does the N. meningiditis get to its target body site? (very general)
Adheres by pili, crosses cell, bloodstream, BBB
Does N. Meningiditis tend to have small or pandemic outbreaks?
Small outbreaks (e.g. gay men)
What 4 antigenic structures are important for N. gonorrhoeae?
- Pili
- PorB
- Opa
- Rmp
How does PorB act as a virulence factor for N. gonorrhoeae?
Promotes intracellular survival by preventing phagolysosome fusion
- Allows for epithelial cell invasion
What is Opa in N. gonorrhoeae and what does it do when expressed?
- What do each of its 2 forms mean in terms of dz spread?
Adherence proteins confer opaque appearance to colony when expressed
- Opaque: localized disease
- Transparent: disseminated disease
How does Rmp act as a virulence factor for N. gonorrhoeae?
Stimulate blocking ABs
**Differentiate antigenic variation occurring in pili from phase variation occurring in Opa. (obvious test question)
- Pili: DNA recombination involving transfer of variable sequences from unexpressed (silent) loci, pilS, to expression locus, pilE
- Up to 11 different Opa genes switch on and off Opa genes by varying number of 5 nucleotide (CTCTT)n repeats in the leader sequence encoding the Opa gene
- Alteration in number or repeats turns on or off expression of the gene
How is N. gonorrhoeae spread?
What demo’s have high rates?
Transmission across mucosal surfaces by direct contact
- High rates amongst adolescents and young adults