Spirochaetes

Question 1

What are spirochaetes?

Answer 1

Long, helix coiled bacteria with periplasmic flagella

Question 2

How many types of spirochaetes are there?

Answer 2

8

4 essential ones in veterinary medicine

Question 3

What are the 4 essential spirochaetes in veterinary medicine?

Answer 3

Borrelia
Leptospira
Treponema
Brachyspira

Question 4

Are they gram positive or gram negative?

Answer 4

Gram negative

Question 5

What is the main disease caused by borrelia? How is it spread, what are the symptoms, what are the diagnosis and treatment and prevention methods?

Answer 5

Lyme disease
Spread by ticks
Rash, fatigue, arthritis
Serology
Amoxicillin. Prevention by tick treatment

Question 6

Which species is Lyme disease most common in?

Answer 6

Dogs and horses

Question 7

What are the virulence factors for Lyme disease?

Answer 7

Binding proteins

Surface proteins - OspC

Question 8

What do brachyspira generally cause? What type of bacteria are they in terms of oxygen requirements? Which species are they predominantly found in

Answer 8

Diarrhea
Anaerobic
Pigs

Question 9

What are 2 diseases caused by brachyspira?

Answer 9

Swine dysentry

Porcine intestinal spirochaetosis

Question 10

What is swine dysentry? What are the symptoms? How is it transmitted? How is it diagnosed?

Answer 10

Enteric disease in pigs
Mucohaemmorrhagic colitis - inflamed colon and rapid weight loss
Faecal oral route
Faeces tested and PCR

Question 11

What is porcine intestinal spirachaetosis? What does it cause? What is its prevalence?

Answer 11

Non-fatal disease in pigs
Causes diarrhoea
High prevalence

Question 12

What do leptospira mainly cause? What organs does it affect? What are the symptoms? How is it diagnosed? How is it prevented?

Answer 12

Leptospirosis
Liver and kidney 
Jaundice, vomiting, fever, reduced urine, lethargy
Serology & PCR
Vaccines

Question 13

What main condition does treponema cause? How is it diagnosed and treated? How is it transmitted?

Answer 13

Bovine digital dermatitis
Visually
Treated by chemical footpaths and penicillin
GI tract, foot trim, direct contact

Question 14

Spirochaetes can be commensal or pathogenic. What do these terms mean?

Answer 14

Non-harmful bacterial normally found in body

Pathogenic - disease causing

Question 15

What are spirochaetes frequently associated with?

Answer 15

Polymicrobials (diseases with multiple causes)