Spirochetes

Question 1

Treponema pallidum

Answer 1

Thin. Doesn’t grow in cell free culture.

“Primary: Painless Chancre. Screen VDRL test (non-specific, can give false negatives, for monitoring), confirm with FTA-ABS (more specific, once positive once, positive for life. For diagnosis, not monitoring.)
Secondary: Maculopapular (palms & soles), condyloma lata, mucous patches. ““secondary syphillis is systemic””
Tertiary: Gummas (chronic granulomas in skin & bone), CNS symptoms, cardiovascular symptoms (aneurism).
Chancre. Rash. Tertiary. Congenital infection”

Question 2

Borrelia recurrentis

Answer 2

Large. Curved spirochete – can be seen in blood smear.

Epidemic form transmitted by lice; endemic form by ticks. Relapsing fever (because antigen structure changes during course of infection)

Question 3

Borrelia burgdorferi

Answer 3

Curved spirochete

“Lyme disease. Ixodes tick vector.
Stage 1: Erythema chronicum migrans (bulls eye rash), flu-like symptoms.
Stage 2: Neurologic (facial nerve palsy) cardiac AV-nodal block, myopericarditis.
Stage 3: Musculoskeletal (chronic arthritis), neurological, cutaneous manifestations.
FAKE a Key Lyme pie: Facial nerve palsy (bilateral), Arthritis, Kardiac block, Erethema migrans.”

Question 4

Leptospira interogans

Answer 4

Hook shaped Helical bacteria

Ingest animal urine. Leptospirosis (flu-like symptoms, jaundice, photophobia with conjunctivitis). Weil’s disease (Icterohemorrhagic leptospirosis - severe form of jaundice from liver and kidney dysfunction). Aseptic meningitis. Hepatitis.