Leptospira spp

Question 1

Characteristics

Answer 1

Thin, slender and spiral
Actively motile
Have hook-like end

Question 2

Groups divided into ?

Answer 2

Pathogenic (involve in disease) and saprophytic (mainly in environment)

Question 3

Methods of distinguishing those two strains?

Answer 3

Biological method and molecular method (PCR)

Question 4

Virulence factors

Answer 4

Haemolysin and endotoxins

Question 5

Usual habitat

Answer 5

In ponds, rivers, water surface, moist soil and mud when environment are warm (tropical countries)

Pathogenic leptospires can persist in renal tubules or in the genital tract of carrier animals (rodent, wild animals & domestic animals)

Question 6

Epidemiologic pattern (1)

Answer 6

Direct contact with infected farm animals - involved in human disease in temperate countries

Question 7

Epidemiologic pattern (2)

Answer 7

Environmental contamination- in wet tropical , many serovar infect human, domestic animal and large number of reservoir species

Question 8

Epidemiologic pattern (3)

Answer 8

Rodent-borne - occur in the urban environment

Question 9

What happens to maintenance hosts?

Answer 9

Suffer mild or subclinical signs and often followed by (AFTER 7 DAYS) prolonged excretion of leptospires in urine

Main source of environmental contamination and of natural transmission of other species.

Question 10

Transmission through

Answer 10

Contact with urine of infected animal
Contact with water contaminated with urine of infected animal
Transplacental

Question 11

Leptospirosis in cattle

Agent, clinical signs, organs affected

Answer 11

Serovar hardjo and pomona
Abortion and infertility, anemic, icteric, hemoglobinuria,
Female upper reproductive tract and seminal vesicle in male

Question 12

Leptospirosis in dogs
Agent, clinical signs/effects

Answer 12

Serovar canicola and serovar icterohaemorrhagiae

Leptospiremia (bact. in blood) = death, pyrexia, vomiting, anorexia, dehydration

Chronic: fever of unknown origin and uveitis

PM - Multifocal interstitial nephritis and renal tubular necrosis, multifocal hepatic necrosis

Question 13

Leptospirosis in human

Answer 13

Subclinical flu-like illness
Fatal pulmonary hemorrhage
Hepatic and renal failure
Jaundice

Question 14

Lab diagnosis

1. Isolation and identification

Answer 14

Sample from:
live - blood, urine, milk
dead - kidney, liver, brain
aborted - kidney, liver, brain, aqueous humors, urine

Question 15

Growth condition

Answer 15

Semisolid medium (0.2% agar)
Stuart’s medium (supplemented with inactivated rabbit serum)
EMJH medium (supplemented with bovine serum albumin)
30cELCIUS

Question 16

2. Direct examination

Answer 16

use dark-field microscope using blood or urine samples
- Hook-like end , actively motile, rotating steadily around their long axis

Question 17

3. Serology

Answer 17

Demonstration of antibody against leptospira
Using serum
MAT AND ELISA