Spirochetes and Acid-Fast Organisms

Question 1

What are the relevant spirochetes and acid fast organisms?

Answer 1

Spirochetes - Treponema pallidum, Leptospira interrogans, Borrelia burdgoferi, Borrelia recurrentis

Acid fast - mycobacteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium

Question 2

Describe spirochetes in terms of morphology, motility, cell wall, and microscopic visualization.

Answer 2

Spirochetes are slim, helical, motile organisms with a flexible peptidoglycan cell wall, an outer layer similar to gram negative bacteria (with LPS). They are visible with darkfield microscopy.

Question 3

How is Treponema pallidum transmitted? Can it be cultured? What drugs is it sensitive to?

Answer 3

T. pallidum is transmitted by direct contact exclusively (sexual contact). Extremely difficult to culture. Sensitive to penicillin.

Question 4

What are the virulence factors of Treponema pallidum?

Answer 4

Emdotoxin, outer membrane allows adherence, hyaluronidase

Question 5

What disease is associated with Treponema pallidum?

Answer 5

Syphilis