SPIROCHETES Flashcards
FAMILY- Leptospiraceae
FAMILY- Spirochaetaceae
GENUS- Leptospira
GENUS- Treponema, Borrelia
In what part of the spirochetes bacteria, flagella is located
Periplasmic space
- periplasmic space is between outer membrane and protoplasmic cylinder
General structure of Spirochetes
- slender, helically shaped
- FREE LIVING
- has periplasmic flagella (endoflagella)
- can use CARBOHYDRATES, AMINO ACIDS,LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS, AND FATTY ALCOHOLS as energy sources.
Mode of reproduction for Treponema spp.
- Transverse fission
Mode of reproduction for Leptospira and Borrelia
- Binary fission
General characteristic:
LEPTOSPIRES - L. interrogans
- obligate aerobes
- impregnated with SILVER STAIN
- Visible by dark-field, phase-contrast, and immunofluorescent microscopy.
Which of the following organisms can be demonstrated through dark-field microscopy and are obligate aerobes?
T. pallidum subsp. pallidum
B. recurrentis
L. interrogans
- L. interrogans
Culture media of choice for L. interrogans
Artificial media:
Fletcher semisolid medium,
Stuart liquid medium or Ellinghausen-
McCullough-Johnson-Harris (EMJH) semisolid medium
What is the purpose of providing a semi-solid medium for Leptospire spp.
- to promote locomotion for the organism
Virulence factors:
Leptospire spp.
- Hemolysin
- may cause reduced phagocytosis in the host
- sub-strains may produce endotoxin
What is the usual incubation period of the Leptospire in the body
- 10-12 days or 1-2 weeks
pinakadugay is 1 month
This occurs in severe systemic disease of Leptospire infection
- Weil disease
a bacterial infection and severe form of Leptospira
involves renal and hepatic failure
causes intravascular disease
In serologic testing, in the first week of infection what Ab is increased
- IgM
IgM antibodies to Leptospira species detected suggesting recent infection
In cases of infection IgG will start to increase when
secondary response in cases of:
- recovery from disease - convalescence - chronic disease
Serologic test for Leptospira
- ELISA (test to detect ab for infenction)
- Macroscopic Slide agglutination “gold standard”
What does leptospiremia indicate
- organism is able to penetrate vascular system
after one week of infection: collect blood and CSF for presence of bacteria
Specimen of choice:
Leptospires
- fresh specimen
- urine
Drug of choice:
Leptospires
Susceptible in vitro to:
streotpmycin, etracyline and macrolides
MOST EFFECTIVE: PENICILLIN
shorten course of illness: doxycyline
Disease cause by Borrelia burgdorferi
Lyme disease/ Lyme borreliosis
Condition commonly associated with Borrelia spp.
Relapsing fever
Tick- borne (endemic)
Louse-borne (epidemic)
- except B. burgdorferi
Serologic testing:
Borrelia app.
- seen in Bright-field microscopy using a blood smear stained in Giemsa or Wright stain.
Giemsa/ Wright Stain components
eosin (red) and methylene blue (azure)
Culture medium for Borrelia spp.
- Kelly medium
Way to evade phagocytosis: Virulence factor
Borrelia
- complement suppression
- antigenic variation
capable of binding plasminogen to its surface —-> activating plasmin —-> leading to tissue protein digestion
Incubation period:
Borrelia spp.
2-15 days
- ↑ temp, rigors, severe headache, muscle pain, and weakness
3 stages of Lyme Disease
- Early infection
Erythema migrans appears - Dissemination
2nd skin lesion
lymphadenopathy/ spleenomegaly
joint and bone pain - Latemanifestations
cardiac and muscoloskeletal abnormality
in moths to years: ARTHRITIS
What disease complication is referred as skin lesion that develops at the tick bite site?
Chancre
Gumma
erythema migrans
erythema migrans
- erythema (reddish) on the bite site
General characteristic:
T. pallidum
- thin, spiral
- visualized in DARK-FIELD
Clinically significant spp of Treponema spp.
• T. pallidum subsp. pallidum- venereal syphilis • T. pallidum subsp. pertenue- YAWS • T. pallidum subsp. Endemicum- endemic syphilis (BEJEL) • T. carateum- pinta
T. pallidum spp. has the ability too _____ thus infecting the fetus in pregnant women (CONGENITAL SYPHILIS)
- cross placenta and mucous membranes
3 stages of venereal (sexually acquired) syphilis
Primary stage
- occurs after incubation - appearance of CHANCRE -not painful
Secondary stage
- occur after 2-12 weeks - Skin rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions (sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus) - condyloma latum - most critical
Tertiary stage
- painful skin lesion - GUMMA - neurosyphilis
where do Treponema pallidum usually resides in the human body
Women: vagina and cervix
Men: Penis
In which stage of syphilis is diagnosis only performed by using serological methods?
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Latent
- Lattent (?)
since no symptoms are seen during this stage
Specimen of choice:
Treponema pallidum
- serous transudateput in slide —-> dillute in saline—> for viewing in DF microscopy
Serologic testing:
Non- treponemal test
Non- treponemal
- initial testng
- detects REAGENIC (form against lipids from damaged cells) antibodies
- VDRL & RPR (uses charcoal particles as indicator)
Serologic testing:
Treponemal test
Treponemal test
- confirmatory for (+) non-treponemal test
- detect Abs specific for antigens
- TP-PA (T. pallidum particulate agglutination) & FTA- ABS (flourescent treponemal abs absorption)
Which of the following test uses charcoal particles as indicator to enhance reaction and can be read macroscopically?
VDRL
EIA
FTA-ABS
RPR
- RPR (rapid plasma reagin)
agglutination of black particles
Serologic testing:
Treponemal test- TP-PA
T. pallidum particulate agglutination
- uses gelatin particles sensitized with T. pallidum antigens
Serologic testing:
Treponemal test- FTA- ABS
Flourescent treponemal abs absorption
- uses flourescent labeled antihuman Abs
Choice of Drug:
Syphilis
- PENICILLIN
What is the causative agent of bejel?
T. pallidum subsp. endemicum
T. pallidum subsp. pallidum
T. carateum
T. pallidum subsp. endemicum/ BEJEL
T. pallidum subsp. pallidum - causes venereal syphilis
T. carateum - causes PINTA
Which of the following organisms causes complement suppression? and what chemical causes such reaction? (for 2 points) *
L. interrogans; hemolysin
Hemolysin; B. burgdorferi
B. burgdorferi; urokinase-type plasminogen activator
urokinase-type plasminogen activator; L. interrogans
B. burgdorferi; urokinase-type plasminogen activator
- Hemolysin; B. burgdorferi
hemolysin is for L. interrogans - urokinase-type plasminogen activator; L. interrogans
urokinase is for B. burgdorferi
Which of the following test uses antibodies that develop against lipids from damaged cells?
FTA-ABS
RPR
TP-PA
RPR
FTA- is flourescence
TP- PA uses gelatin
What is the incubation period of Primary syphilis? *
1-3 months after infection
1-3 months afters showing the appearance of chancre
1 year after generalized lymphadenopathy
1-3 months after infection
Which of the following is the mode of detection of pathogenic leptospires?
Direct staining
Intravital staining
Impregnation
Impregnation using SIlver stain
