Spirochetes Flashcards
Match the Order Spirochaetales with its family and species.
- Brachyspiraceae
- Spirochaetaceae
- Leptospiraceae
A. Borrelia, Treponema
B. Leptospira
C. Brachyspira (Serpulina)
1 - C
2 - A
3 - B
What is the morphology of spirochete?
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).
What are the characteristics of Genus Brachyspira?
Gram negative, beta-hemolytic, O2 tolerant, anaerobic, loosely coiled, motile spirochete.
What kind of disease does Genus Brachyspira cause?
Acute to chronic, highly infectious disease.
Commonly found in grower and finisher pigs (8-16wks).
Multiple species infected.
Who does swine dysentery that is caused by B. Hyodysenteriae affect?
Actively growing pigs (6-12wks)
What disease does B. pilosicoli cause?
Intestinal spirochetosis in animals and humans
What are the virulence factors of Brachyspira?
Cytotoxin/Hemolysin
LPS
How is Brachyspira transmitted?
Fecal-oral (asymptomatic carriers of pigs - farm to farm; mechanical vectors - boots, vehicles, birds)
What is the pathogenesis of Bradyspira?
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.
Where are the lesions for B. hyodysenteriae? What disease does it cause? What are the symptoms if there are any?
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.
What is morbidity for B. hyodysenteriae? mortality? How can you detect asymptomatic shedders?
Morbidity: ~90%
Mortality: ~40%
Difficult to identify
What are the diagnosis for B. hyodysenteriae?
Direct staining: Wright's Giemsa, Victoria blue Stain Observation of coiled spirochetes Anaerobic culture PCR Histopath and silver staining
What is treatment and control for B. Hyodysenteriae?
Treatment: Antibiotics (infected pigs develop immunity)
Control: Whole cell bacterin vaccines
What does Treponema pallidum cause in humans? What does it cause in cows?
Hmans: Syphilis
Cows: Papilomatous digital dermatitis (PDD)
What is Papilomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) also known as? Why is this a disadvantage for farmers?
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.
What are the treatments for T. pallidum? What are the disadvantages of these treatments?
Antibiotic, Formaldehyde foot baths.
T. pallidum can be resistant to antibiotics and foramaldehyde is toxic.
Who is the primary host for Treponema paraluis-cuniculi? What disease does it cause?
Rabbits.
Rabbit syphilis/Vent diseases.
Where are the lesions of rabbit syphilis? How is it spread?
Initial lesions: perineum and genitalia
Perineal and face
Transmission: direct or venereal contact
Describe the lesions that are caused by T. paraluis-cuniculi.
Epidermal hyperplasia with erosions, ulcers; infiltrates of plasma cells, heterophils, and macrophages.
T/F. Definitive diagnosis of T. paraluis-cuniculi is by demonstration of spirochetes in typical lesions.
True.
How is Borrelia transmitted? What are the characteristics of it?
ARTHROPOD
Grow slowly in specialized media (microaerophilic), linear chromosome!
T/F. Treponema can be cultivated in vitro.
False. NOPE
T/F. B. anserina causes lyme disease. B. burgdorferi causes avian borreliosis. B. recurrentis causes relapsing fever borreliae.
False. (true for B. recurrentis)
B. anserina: avian borreliosis
B. burgdorferi: lyme disease
What are the virulence factors for Borrelia? How about B. burgdorferi?
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)
How was Lyme Disease identified? How many genomospecies of B. burgdorferi are there? This bacteria is reported in which animal species?
A cluster of arthritis cases was diagnosed in children near Old Lyme.
11 genomospecies.
Reported: humans, dogs, horses, cattle, sheep
T/F. There is a genetic (strain) diversity among genotypes of ticks (ixodes).
True.
T/F. Lyme disease is a problem in humans, dogs, horses, cattle, sheep.
False.
Only humans and dogs.