Bacterial Disease Associations Exam 2
Organism
Gram Morphology
Comments
Stain
Bordetella
Negative Bacillus
Immunity from childhood vaccination wanes 5 to
pertussis
10 years after the last dose (usually given at 4
to 6 years of age), with efficacy of the vaccine
falling from 100% in the first year following
vaccination to 46% in the seventh year.
Because no booster for pertussis is given
beyond the age of 6 years in the US and
elsewhere, virtually all adolescents and adults
are susceptible, although recommendations are
coming out to include the booster with the
tetanus and diptheria booster .
Many cases go unrecognized and diagnosed as
URIs, bronchitis, and allergies, with an
estimated 40% subclinical cases, even so
pertussis is the 9th most reported disease to
CDC overall (6th most reported bacterial
disease).
Coxiella burnetti Negative Bacillus
Small obligate intracellular parasite, does
not require a vector for transmission;
Enterobacter spp. Negative Bacillus
Facultatively anaerobic enteric, one of the
primary causes of bacterial nosocomial
infections.
Escherichia coli
Negative Bacillus
Facultatively anaerobic enteric, one of the
primary causes of bacterial nosocomial
infections.
Disease
Whooping cough
Q fever
Nosocomial pneumonia and
wound infections.
Traveler’s
diarrhea/Montezuma’s revenge,
enteroinvasive gastroenteritis,
enterotoxigenic gastroenteritis,
enterohemorrhagic
gastroenteritis (O157:H7),
nosocomial pneumonia and
wound infections. Acute
inflammation of appendix,
gallbladder, kidney, and urinary
bladder, endotoxin shock,
Haemophilus
influenzae
Negative Bacillus
Carbohydrate capsule important to
pathogenicity, especially those with type b
capsular antigens - the acronym Hib refers to
this; Childhood vaccination
Klebsiella
pneumonia
Negative Bacillus
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
Negative Bacillus
Facultatively anaerobic enteric, one of the
primary causes of bacterial nosocomial
infections.
Extraordinary nutritional spectrum, can degrade
many different organic molecules - may grow in
disinfectants. Aerobic but can sometimes
substitute nitrogen for oxygen, becoming
anaerobic. One of the primary causes of
bacterial nosocomial infections
Small obligate intracellular parasite, requires
a vector for transmission.
Facultatively anaerobic enteric, inhabits
intestinal tracts of animals, birds, reptiles; 3rd
most reported disease to CDC.
Facultatively anaerobic enteric, most common
species in U.S., 10th most common disease
reported to CDC (7th most reported bacterial
disease).
Small obligate intracellular parasite, requires
a vector for transmission. Lacks peptidoglycan
and lipid A, cells are fragile. HGA is a tick
borne disease formerly attributed to Ehrlichia
spp.; transmitted by Ixodes scapularis
Small obligate intracellular parasite, does
not require a vector for transmission; requires
ATP from host. 2 forms, elementary bodies,
metabolically inactive resistant transmissible
form, and reticular bodies, metabolically active
inside host. Most common STD in the U.S.
and number 1 most reported disease to
CDC.
Rickettsia rickettsii Negative Bacillus
Salmonella
enterica
Negative Bacillus
Shigella sonnei
Negative Bacillus
Anaplasma
phagocytophilum
Negative Coccus
Chlamydia
trachomatis
Negative Coccus
Invasive disease caused by
Haemophilus influenzae may
produce any of several clinical
syndromes, including meningitis,
bacteremia, epiglottitis, or
pneumonia.
Most common cause of
surgical wound infections
Nosocomial pneumonia and
wound infections, urinary tract
infections, burns, dermatitis,
otitis externa; can cause
septicemia, abscesses, and
meningitis.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Dysentery (Salmonellosis)
Dysentery (Shigellosis)
Human granulocytic
anaplasmosis (HGA)
Trachoma, the leading cause of
blindness worldwide, and
nongonococcal urethritis
(STD).
Ehrlichia spp.
Negative Coccus
Neisseriae
gonorrhoea
(gonococcus)
Neisseriae
meningitidis
(meningococcus)
Negative Coccus
Negative Coccus
Borrelia
Negative Spirochete
burgdorferi
Treponema
Negative Spirochete
pallidum
Bacillus anthracis Positive Bacillus
Small obligate intracellular parasite, requires Human moncytotrophic
a vector for transmission. HE is a tickborne
ehrlichiosis (HME)
disease transmitted primarily by the Lone Star
tick.
2nd most reported disease to CDC
Gonorrhea, neonatal
gonorrheal ophthalmia
Adult and childhood vaccination for those at risk Meningitis (meningococcal; 2nd
most common cause of bacterial
meningitis)
Vector borne; 5th most reported disease to
CDC
4th most reported disease to CDC
Lyme disease, relapsing fever
Syphilis
Endospore forming, zoonotic, causes disease Anthrax
in animals (cattle, goats, sheep). Endospores
may remain viable in soil and animal products
for many years. Transmitted to humans by
contact with infected animals, especially hides
or wool. Produces a powerful exotoxin;
cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and inhalational
forms of the disease, inhalational is most
dangerous form. Spores used as a weapon of
bioterror.
Clostridium spp. Positive Bacillus
Endospore-forming obligate anaerobe, toxin producing, non-invasive, found
in soil, sewage, honey, house dust, animal and human intestinal tracts.
Clostridium
Heat sensitive neurotoxin, binds to motor neurons, produces flaccid
Botulism, infant botulism most
botulinium
paralysis, may kill by respiratory or cardiac failure. Or may be used
common form in U.S., commonly
cosmetically to reduce wrinkling by inhibiting facial muscle contraction. associated with feeding infants
Endospores are destroyed by commercial canning, may be present in less than 1 year honey - spores
home canned foods not properly heated during canning (spores
germinate and produce toxin.
germinate and produce toxin) or cooked before eating.
Clostridium
perfringens
Normal microflora of human intestinal tracts, histotoxic, causes
necrotizing infection of skeletal muscle if spores introduced to anoxic
tissue, gas produced from carbohydrate fermentation. Enterotoxin
produced in gut during sporulation causes hypersecretion associated
with gastroenteritis.
Clostridium tetani Neurotoxin (tetanospasmin) inhibits relase of inhibitory N.T.'s at spinal
cord motor nerves, causes spastic paralysis, trismus (lockjaw) tonic
convulsions; death usually results from spasms of diaphragm and
intercostal respiratory muscles. Childhood vaccination, should receive
booster at least every 5 years along with diptheria booster and now
pertussis booster.
Clostridium difficile Produces antibiotic-associated colitis days to weeks after antibiotic
therapy.
Corynebacterium Positive Bacillus
Childhood vaccination, should receive booster
diptheriae
with tetanus booster
Listeria
Positive Bacillus
Excreted in animal feces, found in soil, water,
monocytogenes
and dairy products. Survives at refrigerator
temperatures, can survive in phagocytes, can
cross the placenta. Only gram + that contains
endotoxin.
Gas gangrene, C. perfringens
gastroenteritis
Tetanus
Causes nearly half of all
nosocomial diarrhea
Diptheria
Common cause of food
poisoning, 4th most common
cause of bacterial meninigitis,
can cross the placenta and
cause still birth or neonatal
meningitis.
Mycobacterium
Positive Bacillus
Acid-fast. Numbers increasing along with drug Tuberculosis
tuberculosis
resistance; 8th most reported bacterial disease
to CDC
Mycobacterium
Positive Bacillus
Acid-fast. Not easily transmissible, requires
Leprosy
leprae
intimate contact with bodily secretions
Mycoplasma
Positive* Bacillus No cell wall; *stain gram-negative but
Pneumonia (Mycoplasmal or
pneumonia
Pleomorphic genetically related to and taxonomically
primary atypical )
classified with the low G+C gram-positive
bacteria
Enterococcus spp. Positive Coccus
Facultatively anaerobic enteric, naturally
Most common cause of
(faecalis, faecium)
resistant to penicillin; one of the 3 gm+ cocci
surgical wound infections.
important as causes of nosocomial infections
Staphylococcus
aureus
Positive Coccus
Normal flora, coagulase +, one of the 3 gm+
cocci important as causes of nosocomial
infections
Coagulase Staphylococcus
(Staphylococcus
epidermidis)
Positive Coccus
Normal flora, coagulase -, one of the 3 gm+
cocci important as causes of nosocomial
infections.
Streptococcus
pneumoniae
Positive Coccus
Childhood vaccine, recommended for at risk
adults.
Streptococcus
pyogenes (group
A beta-hemolytic
streptococci)
Positive Coccus
10th most reported bacterial disease to CDC
Most common cause of
nosocomial pneumonia, MRSA
accounts for 52.3% of S.
aureus nosocomial infections.
Also causes boils (furuncles),
carbuncles (abscesses), acute
bacterial endocarditis,
folliculitis, food poisoning,
impetigo, otitis media, pimples,
scalded skin syndrome, sties,
and toxic shock syndrome.
Not as invasive or toxic as S.
aureus, most important cause
of nosocomial sepsis. May also
cause acute bacterial
endocarditis.
Most common cause of
pneumonia (pneumococcal
pneumonia; typical
pneumonia), most common
cause of bacterial meningitis
(pneumococcal meningitis),
otitis media; Nosocomial
pneumonia and wound infections.
Invasive group A streptococcal
infections (pneumonia,
bacteremia in association with
cutaneous infection, deep softtissue infection - cellulitis,
myositis, necrotizing fascitis,
meningitis, peritonitis,
osteomyelitis, septic arthritis,
puerperal fever, neonatal
sepsis, and nonfocal bacteremia).
Also causes strep throat,
scarlet fever, rheumatic fever,
impetigo, otitis media, and
erysipelas.