Spirochaetales Flashcards
What taxonomy is Spirochaetales?
- Phylogeny
What are the characteristics of Spirochaetales
- Gram negative wall
- ## periplasmic flagella allows motility through highly viscous media
Name the clinically important generas of spirochaetales
- Treponema
- Borrelia
- Leptospira
Name the Venereal treponema species
- Syphillis
Name the non-venereal treponema species
- Pinta, yaws and bejel
What does venereal mean
- relating to sexual pleasure
What does Yaws lesions look like
- papillomatous primary yaws lesion
- disseminated papilloma of secondary yaws
What does Bejel lesions look like
- labial mucosal plaques of primary bejel
- disfiguring infiltration of the nose, glabella and forehead in a patient with secondary bejel
What does pinta lesions look like
- squamous plaque of primary pinta
- Late achromic pinta
How is Treponema pallidum transmitted
- sexually transmitted disease of the skin and flesh
- transmitted via sexual contact
- mother to child transmission
How is Lyme disease / borreliosis transmitted
- by lxodus ticks
What are the risk groups and risk areas of Lyme disease / Borreliosis
- Occupational risk group: foresters, gamekeepers, rangers, farmers, deer handlers
- Recreational risk groups: hikers, campers, fishers
- Risk areas linked to tick frequency
What is the first stage of Lyme disease / Borrelosis
- Tick must have been feeding for at least 24 hours
Acute, localised disease at site of inoculation - Non - specific flu-like symptoms
- Erythema migrans 1-4 weeks after bite
- Without treatment rash clears within 3-4 weeks
What is the second stage of Lyme disease/ borrelosis
- 80% patients get subacute, disseminated disease cardiac, neurological, skin lesions, CNS, musculoskeletal systems
What is the third stage of Lyme disease / borrelosis
- Latent period of up to 1 year
- Arthritis, neurological impairment
- even with treatment a subset of patients continue to have arthritic symptoms
What is the most common zoonotic infection in the world
- Leptospira species
How does Leptospira species transmit
- Easily transmitted form infected animals through their urine, either directly or through infected soil or water
What is Leptospirosis, Weil’s disease
- Mild virus-like syndrome
- anicteric leptospirosis systemic with aseptic meningitis
- lcteric leptospirosis / weil’s disease
- jaundice
What are the different spirochaete diseases
- Treponemal diseases
- Lyme disease
- Weils Disease
What are the treatments for the different spirochaete diseases
- Treponemal disease = responds to well to penicillin
- Lyme disease = treated with either doxycycline, amoxicillin or cerfuroxime for 2-4 weeks
- Weils disease = no antibiotics in mild cases just fluids and pain and fever control. Antibiotics may include doxycycline, amoxicillin or ampicillin
