spirochetes Flashcards
what is a spirochete ?
a bacteria with a long corkscrew shape
what are the three spirochetes ?
leptospira
borrelia
treponema
where is leptospira found ?
found in contaminated water with rat urine
lives in rodent
what is the presentation of leptospirosis ?
flu like symptoms
myalgia classically of the calves
conjunctival suffusion
aseptic meningitis
Weils disease - liver damage presents with jaundice and anemia
what does borrelia cause ?
lyme disease which is caused by tick bites
what is the reservoir for borrelia ?
mice
what is the association between deer and borrelia ?
infected adult ticks feed on deer
how long must the tick be attached to transmit borrelia
at least 48 hours
what are the stages of lyme disease ?
stage 1 - erythema chronicum migrans , an expanding bulls eye rash along with flu like symptoms
stage 2 - neurologic findings, facial nerve palsy along with AV block
stage 3 - arthiritis of the knee , neuropathy , mild encephalopathy
what does the european version of leptospirosis look like ?
a blue red discoloration rash
acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans
what is the first line treatment for lyme disease ?
doxycycline
what is the cause of relapsing fever ?
borrelia recurrentis
what is borrelia recurrentis transmitted by ?
louse
what is the cause of the recurrent fever caused by borrelia recurrentis ?
antigenic variation which evades the immune response
what is the bacteria causing syphillus ?
treponema syphillus
what type of microscopy is used to see syphillus ?
dark field microscopy
what are the three stages of syphillus ?
primary - 2-3 weeks after exposure , painless chancres
secondary syphillus - maculopapular rash involving the palms and soles along with flu like symptoms , condyloma lata
tertiary syphillus- gummas , a type of granuloma ,aortitis , neurosyphilis
what are the rashes that involve the palm and the sole ?
coxsackie virus
secondary syphillus
rocky mountain spotted fever
what does condyloma lata look like and where are they found ?
cauliflower like lesion usually appear in the same place that the chancre was
found in moist areas like them perineum and the inside of the mouth
what are the special manifestations of tertiary syphillus ?
argyll robertson pupils - do not constrict to light but constrict to accommodation
tabes dorsalis - wide based gait ataxia ( involvement of the spinal cord)
how is the diagnosis of syphillus done ?
VDRL and RPR
they are screening tests , must follow up after
how does VDRL work ?
serum of the patient reacts with cardiolipin antigen
what test must be done for patients who have neurosyphillus ?
CSF sample must be taken
what is the more specific test for syphillus ?
FTA-ABS treponemal test
