Question | Answer |
What is the morphology of Campylobacter? | Curved(spirals or “seagulls”) gram negative bacilli. |
What are the growth requirements for Campylobacter? | Slow growing, fastidious and require a microaerophilic atmosphere. |
What are the reservoirs for Campylobacter? | Inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of poultry, pigs, dog, cats and sheep. |
Which species within the genus of Campylobacter is most responsible for disease in humans? | Campylobacter jejuni |
Campylobacter grows best at the body temperature of what animal? | at the body temperature of a bird (42 degrees C), and seems to be well adapted to birds, who carry it without becoming ill. |
What specimen would be required for Campylobacter? | from feces or blood |
What are the selective media for Campylobacter? | Modified Skirrow Campy-blood agar plate CCDA Campy-CVA (all with antibiotics) |
What are the incubation requirements for Campylobacter? | Incubation of media at 42° under microaerophilic conditions. Requires 3 to 5% oxygen and 2 to 10% carbon dioxide for optimal growth conditions.Incubate 72 hours |
How might molecular essays be useful? | in direct detection from diarrhea samples. |
Most Campylobacter infections are | self-limiting and are not treated with antibiotics. |
What extraintestinal infections may occur in immunocompromised hosts. | (meningitis and arthritis) |
C. Jejuni causes what infection in humans? | diarrhea, which may be watery or sticky and can contain blood (usually occult) and fecal leukocytes (white cells). |
What should be observed on selective media? | suspicious colonies-grayish, slightly mucoid, tailing effect along the streakline |
How would you id jejuni? | oxidase-pos catalase-pos gram stain-curved neg rods ( faintly staining- seagull wings) p. 418 susceptibility to naladixic acid growth 25 |
Is C. jejuni a reportable disease in Virginia? | Yes |
How is Campylobacter spread among chickens? | Campylobacter can be easily spread from bird to bird through a common water source or through contact with infected feces. When an infected bird is slaughtered, Campylobacter can be transferred from the intestines to the meat. |
How does water aid in the transmission of Campylobacter Jejuni? | Surface water and mountain streams can become contaminated from infected feces from cows or wild birds. |
What is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrheal illness in the United States. | Campylobacter Jejuni. Virtually all cases occur as isolated, sporadic events, not as a part of large outbreaks. |
Why does Campylobacteriosis occur much more frequently in the summer months than in the winter? | Who knows? It just does. |
Which segment of the population is more affected by Campylobacter? | The organism is isolated from infants and young adults more frequently. |
What is the recommended treatment for Campylobacter infection? | Virtually all persons infected with Campylobacter will recover without any specific treatment. |
Are there after effects associated with campylobacter infection? | Yes. Rarely some people may have arthritis following campylobacteriosis; others may develop Guillain-Barré syndrome |
What is the gram morphology of H. pylori? | Curved microaerophilic gram neg rods |
What was H. pylori previously called? | H.pylori -was called Campylobacter pylori |
What are some of the manifestations of H. pylori? | -colonizes the human gastric mucosa-untreated infections last the lifetime of the host.-carriers may be at increaed risk of developing gastritis,peptic ulcers and gastric carcinoma. |
What specimen would be used for H. pylori examination? | Collect tissue biopsy |
What procedure would you use to id H. pylori in the lab? | Selective media ( similar to Campy) @35-37 C Slow grower (4-7 days) Gram stain similar ID methods as Campy (table 36-3) oxidase pos, catalase pos, urease pos |
What other detection methods are available for H. pylori? | Direct detection (most widely used): urease kit, urea breath test, EIA, monoclonal ab.Serodiagnosis is not as reliable |
What is the recommended course for H. pylori infection? | Treatment usually involves a combination of antibiotics, acid suppressors, and stomach protectors (Pepto-Bismol) |
What are the other Heliobacter species? | H.cinaedi and fennelliae causes, proctitis enteritis and sepsis in homosexual men.H.cinaedi causes sepsis, cellulitis and meningitis in immunocompromised patients. |
How would the other Heliobacter species be diagnosed? | Collect stool or blood samples Use selective media, slow grower Perform gram stainID methods similar to Campylobacter |
Describe Arcobacter | Curved, fastidious gram neg rods Associated with persistent watery diarrhea Causes gastroenteritisSources: pigs, humans, waterGrowth @25C |
What is Skirrow agar? | Skirrow's medium is blood agar infused with a cocktail of antibiotics: vancomycin, polymixin-B and trimethoprim under microaerophilic conditions at 42 °C |