Chlamydia Flashcards
1
Q
What are the general morphologic characteristics of Chlamydiales?
A
- Small (0.2 - 0.5 mcm)
- Obligate intracellular
- Gram negative
- Aerobic and pathogenic
- Stain with Giemsa or other polychromatic stains
2
Q
How is Chlamydiales transmitted?
A
- Inhalation
- Interpersonal contact
3
Q
How is Chlamydiales cultured?
A
- Will NOT grow on standard media
- Relies on host for energy
- Yolk sac of chicken embryos
- Vertebrate cell cultures
4
Q
How is Chlamydiales diagnosed?
A
- Clinical signs and history
- Antibodies
- stained impression smear
- Molecular techniques
- Humoral and cell-mediated immunity
- Persistent infections
5
Q
How are Chlamydiales infections controlled?
A
- Vaccine - not available
- Tetracyclines are very effective
6
Q
What is the pathogenicity of Chlamydiales?
A
- Heamaglutinin - may facilitate attachment
-
Cell-mediated immunity
- tissue damage and inflammation
- Endotoxin - LPS
7
Q
What is the life cycle of Chlamydiales?
A
8
Q
What are the important Chlamydiales species?
A
- C. psittaci
- C. abortus
- C. pecorum
- C trachomatis
- C. pneumoniae
9
Q
What diseases does Chlamydiale cause?
A
-
Depends on the epithelium infected:
- Pneumonia - reparatory tract
- Polyarthritis - joints
- Abortions / sterility - urogenital tract
- Conjunctivitis - eyes
- Encephalomyelitis - neuroepithelium
- Pericarditis / atherosclerosis - heart
10
Q
What impact does Chlamydiales pittaci have on birds?
A
- “Psittacosis”, “Parrot fever”, “AC”, “Ornithosis”
- Systemic illness in companion birds and poultry
- can cause large economic losses
- Distributed throughout the world
11
Q
What are the symptoms of a Chlamydiales psittaci infections in birds?
A
- Variable - Strain Variations
- Resemble Mycoplasma infections
- Depends on bird species and stress factors
- Signs:
- Lethargy
- Anorexia
- Ruffled feathers
- Death
- Ocular / nasal discharge
- Diarrhea
- Excretion of green to yellow urates
12
Q
What are the causative agents behind Buss disease / Sporadi Bovine Encephalomyelitis (SBE)?
A
- Chlamydiales psittaci
- Chlamydiales abortus
13
Q
How does C. psittaci / C. abortus affect Cattle?
A
- Sporadic Bovine Encephalomyelitis (SBE)
- Encephalitis, fibrinous pleuritis, peritonitis, arthritis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis
- Abortion and infertility
- Could cause great economic loss
14
Q
What is Buss disease?
A
- Common in cattle <3 yr
- Profound depression and fever
- either recover or die
- Infected animals tend to walk or stagger in circles
- Transmitted through milk
15
Q
How does Chlamydiales psittaci & abortus affect other animals?
A
- Sheep, Goats, Horses, Cats, Swine, Koalas, Rabbits, Mice
- Depends on epithelium infected:
- Pneumonia - Respiratory epithelium
- Conjunctivitis - Eye mucosal membranes
- Polyarthritis - Joints
- Abortion & infertility - urogenital tract
