Spirochetes Flashcards
How could you identify a sample of Treponema pallidum?
What are the 3 ways to see these bacteria?
Best tests of identification?
Mode of transmission?
Agar?
Sensitivities?
- What are the 3 ways to see these bacteria?
- dark field
- silver impregnation
- immunofluorescence
- Best test for identification
- RPR (rapid plasma reagin test) or VDRL (venereal disease research laboratory test)
- Acquired by sexual contact
- Agar?
- yet to be cultured in vivo
- Sensitivities?
- heat & drying
What disease is characterized by the following symptoms
Primary:
- chancre on genitalia
- papule erodes to painless ulcer with raised borders
- healing in ~2 weeks
Secondary:
- whole body rashin 6-8 weeks (sooner in HIV+)
- maculopapular rash or pustular lesions
- acute meningitis is possible
Latency
- 1-30 years latency
- unclear what triggers reactivation
- uncommon in developed world
- may affect any tissue/organ
- granulomatous lesions in bones, skin & other tissues
Syphilis
T. pallidum
What disease is charcterized by the following symptoms
widespread desquamating maculopapular rash
generalized lymphadenopathy & hepatosplenomegaly
retarded weight gain, rhinitis
w/in 8 months of life: osteochondritis of long bonds can occur
limb pseudoparalysis
Early-onset congenital syphilis
T. pallidum
What disease is characterized by the following symptoms?
After 2 years of age
bulging frontal bones & depressed nasal bridge
Hutchinson’s teeth
gummatous ulcers in various tissues
Late-onset Congenital Syphilis
T. pallidum
What disease is characterized by the following symptoms?
after 1 week- abrupt onset - shaking chills, myalgia, fever
1-10 relapses diminishign severity
What is the bacterial cause?
Relapsing fever
From Tick: B. hermsii
From Body Louse: B. recurrentis
What is the major virulence factor used by Borrelia
antigenic shift– escape immune clearance
How could you identify an infection caused by Borrelia?
Gram stain?
Mode of transmission?
How can it be visualized?
- Week staining– not considered + or -
- via tick bite
- can be seen in thick blood spears
- thin, spiral bacteria
How could you identify an infection caused by B. burgdorferi?
What is the most common way to identify?
If suspected where would you take a sample?
- Serology
- If suspected where would you take a sample?
- present in eripheral regions of erythema migrans (EM)
- rarely seen in clinical materail from later stage disease
- culture is unrewarding (fastidious and slow grower)
What disease is characterized by the following symptoms?
Early Stage
- 3-30 days after tick bite:
- circular rash at site of tick bite that expands gradually
- erythema migrans, clears as it enlarges, results in “bulls-eye” appearance (may be warm to touch but not itchy or painful)
- fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches
Late Stage
- headaches & neck stiffness, new EM in other body areas
- arthritis & severe joint pain (knees & otehr large joints)
- facial or Bell’s palsy
- palpitations or irregular heart beat
- inflammation brain and spinal cord
What is the bacterial cause?
Lyme Disease
B. burgdorferi
How could you identify an infection caused by Leptospira?
Oxygen requirement?
Shape?
Usual hosts?
Where would you culture a sample from an infected person?
Elevated hormones?
- Oxygen requirement?
- obligate aerobe
- Shape?
- spiral with hooked end like a question mark
- Usual hosts
- rodents, bats, cattle, sheep, goats
- can remain biable in alkaline water or wet soil (from animal urine)
- May find spirochetes in urine of infected person
- dark uring
- high serum ALT/AST levels
What disease is characterized by the following symptoms?
incubation 1-4 weeks
mild anicteric (mild febrile, influenza-like illness) to fatal
mostly impacts kidneys
hemmorhage, severe jaundice, renal & liver failure
What is the bacterial cause?
Leptospirosis
Weil’s disease (life-threatening)
Leptospira
