Spirochetes Flashcards

1
Q

Match the Order Spirochaetales with its family and species.

  1. Brachyspiraceae
  2. Spirochaetaceae
  3. Leptospiraceae

A. Borrelia, Treponema
B. Leptospira
C. Brachyspira (Serpulina)

A

1 - C
2 - A
3 - B

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2
Q

What is the morphology of spirochete?

A

Flagella in periplasmic space (located inside the body), axial filaments/endoflagella (insert at the end of protoplasmic cylinder), capable of moving in environment with 5-15x higher viscosity (translational, rotating, and flexing motion).

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3
Q

What are the characteristics of Genus Brachyspira?

A

Gram negative, beta-hemolytic, O2 tolerant, anaerobic, loosely coiled, motile spirochete.

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4
Q

What kind of disease does Genus Brachyspira cause?

A

Acute to chronic, highly infectious disease.
Commonly found in grower and finisher pigs (8-16wks).
Multiple species infected.

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5
Q

Who does swine dysentery that is caused by B. Hyodysenteriae affect?

A

Actively growing pigs (6-12wks)

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6
Q

What disease does B. pilosicoli cause?

A

Intestinal spirochetosis in animals and humans

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7
Q

What are the virulence factors of Brachyspira?

A

Cytotoxin/Hemolysin

LPS

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8
Q

How is Brachyspira transmitted?

A

Fecal-oral (asymptomatic carriers of pigs - farm to farm; mechanical vectors - boots, vehicles, birds)

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9
Q

What is the pathogenesis of Bradyspira?

A

Not completely understood
Synergistic action between B. hyodysenteriae and other anaerobes found in swine colon/cecum required for disease.
B. yodysenteriae is attracted to hog mucin > invades intestinal crypts and disrupts colonic epithelium > progressive erosion of superficial epithelium, excess mucus production, edema, and hemorrhage of the lamina propria with pseudomembrane prod. > death from dehydration.
Absorption of bacterial endotoxin through damaged colonic mucosa > thrombosis.

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10
Q

Where are the lesions for B. hyodysenteriae? What disease does it cause? What are the symptoms if there are any?

A
Lesions in large intestines ONLY (sharp line of demarcation).
Fibrinonecrotic pseudomembranous colitis (granular, hyperemic mucosa in advanced cases).
Bloody diarrhea (gray to strawberry colored feces), dehydraton, and weight loss.
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11
Q

What is morbidity for B. hyodysenteriae? mortality? How can you detect asymptomatic shedders?

A

Morbidity: ~90%
Mortality: ~40%
Difficult to identify

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12
Q

What are the diagnosis for B. hyodysenteriae?

A
Direct staining: Wright's Giemsa, Victoria blue Stain
Observation of coiled spirochetes
Anaerobic culture
PCR
Histopath and silver staining
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13
Q

What is treatment and control for B. Hyodysenteriae?

A

Treatment: Antibiotics (infected pigs develop immunity)
Control: Whole cell bacterin vaccines

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14
Q

What does Treponema pallidum cause in humans? What does it cause in cows?

A

Hmans: Syphilis
Cows: Papilomatous digital dermatitis (PDD)

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15
Q

What is Papilomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) also known as? Why is this a disadvantage for farmers?

A

HAIRY HEEL WARTS (HHW), Heel warts, Strawberry Foot Disease.
Growing cause of lameness, economic loss due to treatment costs, decreased milk production, lower efficiacy, premature culling.

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16
Q

What are the treatments for T. pallidum? What are the disadvantages of these treatments?

A

Antibiotic, Formaldehyde foot baths.

T. pallidum can be resistant to antibiotics and foramaldehyde is toxic.

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17
Q

Who is the primary host for Treponema paraluis-cuniculi? What disease does it cause?

A

Rabbits.

Rabbit syphilis/Vent diseases.

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18
Q

Where are the lesions of rabbit syphilis? How is it spread?

A

Initial lesions: perineum and genitalia
Perineal and face
Transmission: direct or venereal contact

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19
Q

Describe the lesions that are caused by T. paraluis-cuniculi.

A

Epidermal hyperplasia with erosions, ulcers; infiltrates of plasma cells, heterophils, and macrophages.

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20
Q

T/F. Definitive diagnosis of T. paraluis-cuniculi is by demonstration of spirochetes in typical lesions.

A

True.

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21
Q

How is Borrelia transmitted? What are the characteristics of it?

A

ARTHROPOD

Grow slowly in specialized media (microaerophilic), linear chromosome!

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22
Q

T/F. Treponema can be cultivated in vitro.

A

False. NOPE

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23
Q

T/F. B. anserina causes lyme disease. B. burgdorferi causes avian borreliosis. B. recurrentis causes relapsing fever borreliae.

A

False. (true for B. recurrentis)
B. anserina: avian borreliosis
B. burgdorferi: lyme disease

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24
Q

What are the virulence factors for Borrelia? How about B. burgdorferi?

A

LPS
Antigenic variation in major outer surface lipoproteins (OSP)
B. burgdorferi: midgut of ticks/culture (Osp C to Osp A) to salivary gland of tick (Osp A to Osp C) to mammals in early infection (Osp C)

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25
Q

How was Lyme Disease identified? How many genomospecies of B. burgdorferi are there? This bacteria is reported in which animal species?

A

A cluster of arthritis cases was diagnosed in children near Old Lyme.
11 genomospecies.
Reported: humans, dogs, horses, cattle, sheep

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26
Q

T/F. There is a genetic (strain) diversity among genotypes of ticks (ixodes).

A

True.

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27
Q

T/F. Lyme disease is a problem in humans, dogs, horses, cattle, sheep.

A

False.

Only humans and dogs.

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28
Q

How is lyme disease transmitted?

A

Ticks feed on animal with high level of bacteremia > spirochete up-regulates expression of an outer surface protein (essential for virulence) in ticks > Spirochete moves from midgut to salivary glands.
This requires ~50 hrs.

29
Q

T/F. Lyme Disease is the most common vector borne bacterial disease in humans.

A

True

30
Q

T/F. B. burgdorferi does not respond to antibiotic, fatal, communicable.

A

False. Responds to antibiotic, non-fatal, non-communicable.

31
Q

T/F. Lyme disease is both geographically and seasonally limited. It is both over-reported and under-diagnosed.

A

False. It IS geographically and seasonally limited but UNDER-reported and OVER-diagnosed.

32
Q

What is the pathogenesis for lyme disease?

A

Inoculation into the skin > spirochetes multiply A LOT in the skin > bloodstream > joints, brain, nerves, eyes, heart, liver, kidney.
Incubation period: 2-6 months

33
Q

T/F. Symptoms are very severe in canine lyme disease.

A

False. Infection is subclinical (95%)

34
Q

If there are clinical signs in canine lyme disease, what are they?

A

Fever, acute arthritis, arthralgia, and lameness. Anorexia, lethargy, and depression can be seen.

35
Q

How do you diagnose lyme disease?

A

Direct detection of organism in tissues, culture/isolation (slow), SEROLOGY! SNAP test (point of care test), Western, paired titer, multiplex ELISa for dogs and horses.

36
Q

How do you interpret lyme disease test results?

A

Clinical signs and positive: infected
Healthy and negative: not infected
Clinical signs and negative: underlying disease, retest
Healthy and positve: subclinical may be possible
TREATMENT in endemic areas

37
Q

What is the treatment and control of lyme disease?

A

Vaccines (bacterin, subunit Osp A) > does not prevent infection (antibodies must be delivered to the tick because killing of the bacteria will occur in the tick).
Vector control in dogs
DOXYYYY for dogs

38
Q

Which family is Leptospira in?

A

Leptospiraceae

39
Q

T/F. Leptospira: Isolates of one serovar belongs to only on type of genomospecies. Isolates of one genomospeices belong to only type of serovar.

A

False. Isolates of one serovar belong to different genomospecies. Isolates of one genomospecies belong to different serovars.

40
Q

T/F. Leptospira: There are >250 serovars on carbohydrate component of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide, organized in ~23 serogroups, ~22 genomospecies.

A

True

41
Q

T/F. Too many serovars in leptospira > maintained in the liver > constantly secreted with liver enzymes > animal to animal/human contact > animals and humans can get infected.

A

False. Maintained in the renal tubule > constantly secreted through urine > survive in ponds, rivers, surface waters, moist soils, mud > direct contact with urine or contaminated water > infection

42
Q

Leptospira is considered as a “one health problem”. Why is this?

A

Humans: flu like symptoms (complications from renal, pulmonary, hepatic, CNS disease), Livestock: disease of production and reproduction, Companion animals: disease similar to humans.

43
Q

What are the virulence factors of Leptospira?

A

Cell associated: endoflagella, outer membrane proteins, LPS

Extracellular: hymolysins, cytotoxins

44
Q

What is the pathogenesis of Leptospira?

A

Penetrates epithelial barriers > bacteremia > enter liver, kidney, spleen, CNS, genital tract > antibodies develop > maintenance hosts: kidneys > long term shedding or incidental hosts: recovery with short term shedding in urine or severe disease.

45
Q

What are signs of Leptospirosis in dogs?

A

Renal or hepatic injury, uveitis, pulmonary hemorrhage, abortion
Signs of hepatic and renal failure, including icterus.

46
Q

What is the diagnosis for Leptospira in dogs?

A

Detection of the agent: Fluorescent antibody staining, PCR

Detection of host response: microscopic agglutination test, ELISA

47
Q

What is mortality for leptospirosis? What happens to dogs that survive the infection?

A

Mortality: 11-27%

Chronic renal failure (33-40%)

48
Q

Explain Serology (Microscopic agglutination test) of Leptospira.

A

Measures antibody titers to serovars (uses live Leptospira serovars).
Serovar selected based on geographic prevalence.
Considered as GOLD STAND TEST.
Used for definitive diagnosis by performing MAT on a paired sera (acute and convalescent): x4 increase.
Serovar specific but cross-reactivity is common (Paradoxical titiers in acute cases).

49
Q

What are ideal samples for antemortem diagnosis of Leptospira to maximize the sensitivity?

A

Blood and urine: PCR/FA
Serum: MAT
Serum, EDTA blood, urine should be sent to lab for PCR, FA, and MAT

50
Q

What is treatment for Leptospirosis in dogs?

A

Supportive care (fluids, nutrition, blood products), antimicrobials (acute vs. carrier), penicillins (acute; ampi/amoxi), Doxy (minimize carrier state, prophylaxis state).

51
Q

How can you prevent Leptospirosis in dogs?

A
Agglutinating antibody titers are not predictive of protection of urinary shedding!!
Humoral response (mediated through antibodies), vaccine (old: 2 serovars; new: 2 additional serovars), antibodies are serovar specific, minimize exposure to contaminated surface waters.
52
Q

What are clinical signs of leptospirosis in cattle and ruminants? Lactating cows?

A

fever, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, pulmonary congestion; occasionaly meningitis and death.
Lactating cows: agalactia with small quantities of blood-tinged milk.

53
Q

What are diagnosis for leptospirosis in ruminants?

A

Urine FA and PCR, Collect mid stream urine (after administration of diuretic: Lasix), ship overnight under refrigeration conditions, Serum for MAT testing, chronically infected cows have low titiers.

54
Q

T/F. Incidental infections of leptospirosis in cattle/ruminants with serovar Pomona results in chronic disease.

A

False. ACUTE!

55
Q

How do you treat/prevent Leptospirosis in ruminants?

A

Tetracycline, sustained-release ceftiofur.
Vaccines for L. borgpetersenii
Dry cows: vaccination + tetracycline
Annual vaccination in closed herd/low incidence area, twice-yearly vaccine in an open herd/high incidence area.

56
Q

T/F. Leptospiral Borgpetersennii serovar hardjo is host adapted in cattle resulting in reproductive failure due to embryonic death and repeat breeding.

A

True.

57
Q

What causes Leptospirosis in horses? What are clinical signs?

A

Serovars Pomona and Grippotyphosa.

Clinical signs: abortions, systemic illness in foals, Equine Recurrent Uveitis (periodic opthalmia, moon blindness).

58
Q

What causes leptospirosis in pigs? What is the clinical signs in pigs? California Sea Lions?

A

Pigs: Pomona and Bratislava > Reproductive failure (infertility, sporadic abortion).
California Sea Lions: Pomona

59
Q

What are the clinical symptoms of Leptospirosis in humans?

A

Weil’s disease (hepatic and renal failure)
Incubation period: 2-25d; occurs 1 week after recovery from an initial febrile illness.
Subclinical, a mild, influenze-like illness.

60
Q

T/F. Most widespread zoonotic disease of leptospirosis occurs in humans.

A

True.

61
Q

T/F. Acute to chronicle, high infectious disease caused by B. Hyodysenteriae is the most common in older animals.

A

False.

Grower and finisher pigs (8-16 wks)

62
Q

Which specie causes Lyme disease?

A

B. Burgdorferi

63
Q

Which genus is Lawsonia intracellularis in?

A

Brachyspira

64
Q

T/F. Lawsonia intracellularis are curved rods, obligate intracellular pathogen of enterocytes.

A

True

65
Q

How does Lawsonia Intracellularis transmission occur?

A

Fecal oral

66
Q

Intestinal tract and environment, rodents

A

Who are the reservoirs of Lawsonnia intracelluaris?

67
Q

What is the name of the disease that is caused by Lawsonia Intracellularis?

A

Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy

68
Q

Who does Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy affect?

A

Primarily porcine and equine

69
Q

T/F. Experimental inoculation of germ-free swine leads to disease.

A

False.

Interaction with unknown natural flora are required for disease (Experimental inoculation of germ-free swine does not lead to disease).