SPIROCHETES

• What are the three main genera of spirochetes discussed?

  • Borrelia
  • Treponema
  • Leptospira
• What is Borrelia recurrentis known for?

  It is the agent of louse-borne (lice) relapsing fever
• What are the symptoms of Borrelia recurrentis infection?

  High fever, muscle and bone pain, and confusion
• What disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi?

  Lyme Disease
• How is Borrelia burgdorferi transmitted?

  By tick vectors, specifically the Ixodes tick
• What are the three stages of Lyme Disease?

  1. Stage one: Appearance of erythema chronicum migrans (bull's-eye rash)
  2. Stage two: Dissemination through blood affecting bones, CNS, heart, and liver
  3. Stage three: Neurological abnormalities, arthritis, and skin lesions
• What is the treatment for Lyme Disease?

  Doxycycline and Penicillin family
• What is the vector for Borrelia parkeri and Borrelia hermsii?

  Ornithodoros ticks
• What stains are used for spirochetes?

  1. Levaditi
  2. Warthin-Starry
  3. Fontana Tribondaeu
• What is Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum known for?

  It causes venereal syphilis
• What are the stages of syphilis?

  1. Primary syphilis: Hard chancre (painless and firm)
  2. Secondary syphilis: Condylomata lata (wart-like lesions)
  3. Latent syphilis: Absence of clinical symptoms
  4. Tertiary syphilis: Gummas, neurosyphilis
• What is the Hutchinson Triad of congenital syphilis?

  Hutchinson's teeth, keratitis, and deafness
• What does Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue cause?

  Yaws, a non-venereal disease
• What does Treponema pallidum subsp. endemicum cause?

  Bejel, which causes lesions in the oral cavity, skin, bones and nasopharnyx
• What does Treponema carateum cause?

  Pinta, which causes ulceration in the skin
• What are the characteristics of other treponemes mentioned?

  • Normal inhabitants of the oral cavity or human genital tracts
  • Cultivable anaerobically on artificial media
  • Associated with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (Vincent's disease)
• What is Leptospira biflexa known for?

  It is nonpathogenic and found in water and soil
• What does Leptospira interrogans cause?

  Leptospirosis, a zoonosis
• How is Leptospira interrogans transmitted?

  Through direct contact with urine of infected animals
• What are the culture requirements for Leptospira?

  • Blood is the most sensitive specimen during early infection
  • Urine should be cultured during the second week
  • Media include Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris and Fletcher's
• Helically coiled bacteria transmitted through arthropod vectors including lice and ticks


  Borrelia
• Causes tick borne relapsing fever

  • B. parkeri
  • B. hermsii
• Corkscrew appearance, axial filament, periplasmic

  Treponema
• T. pallidum is transmitted by

  • Sexual contact
  • direct blood transmission
  • Transplacental route
• Necrotizing lesions that infect deep tissue

  Gummas
• Associated with dementia, hair patches

  Neurosyphilis
• T. pallidum subs endemicum is transmitted tru

  mouth to mouth by utensils
• Transmitted through skin comes in contact with the infected lesions

  T. carateum
• Other treponemes

  • T. vincentii
  • T. denticola
  • T. refringens
  • T. socranskii
  • T. pectinovorum
• Destructive lesions of the gums

  Vincent's disease
• Methylene blue-stained material form the lesions of the patients with the disease show certain morphological types of bacteria. Observed morphologies include spirochetes and fusiforms: oral spirochetes, particularly an usually large one, may be important in this disease, along with other disease.
• Parasitic on vertebrates other than humans, including rodents, cattle, dogs, cats, raccoons and bats

  Leptospira interrogans
• Organs that are affected by L. interrogans

  • kidney
  • liver
  • CNS
• Severe form of leptospirosis

  Weil's disease
• L. interrogans serovar

  • icterohemorrhagiae
  • canicola
  • autumnalis
  • grippotyphosa
  • hebdomadis
  • mitis/pomona
• Most infectious, causes Weil's disease

  Icterohemorrhagiae
• Causative agent of Jaundice

  Canicola
• Fort Bragg (Pretibial Fever)

  Autumnalis
• Marsh fever

  Grippotyphosa
• 7-day fever

  Hebdomadis