Unusual Bacteria

Question 0

Bartonella

Answer 0

Do not grow well on conventional media
Replicate in fleas
Cat scratch fever - Bartonella henselae
Fleas spread bacteria cat to cat
Red or pink swelling after a scratch or bite from a cat
Enlarged painful lymph nodes

Question 1

Rickettsia

Answer 1

Like living cells (do not grow on conventional media)
Do not survive long outside host animal.
Parasites of arthropods - replicate in guts of ticks
Very small, pleomorphic
Infect vascular endothelial cells
Rocky Mountain spotted fever - Rickettsia rickettsii
Bit from infected tick
swollen legs, myalocia, fever, rash, spots

Question 2

Neorickettsiae

Answer 2

Do not grow well on conventional media
Replicate in flukes and fly larva
Infect circulating WBC's
Potomatic horse fever
Fever, anorexia, diarrhea, possible abortion and laminitis

Question 3

Chlamydophilia

Answer 3

Zoonotic
Normal in GIT of birds and mammals
Lack a cell wall
Very small
Psittacosis - pneumonia, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, (parrot fever)
Abortion - cattle, goats, and sheep (also called enzootic abortion in sheep)
Feline Pneumonitis - pneumonia, conjunctivitis
Abortion, conjunctivitis, encephalitis, pericarditis, diarrhea in humans
Vaccines available

Question 4

Mycoplasma

Answer 4

Host specific based on species
Causes pneumonia like disease
Ubiquitous in plant and animal kingdom
Lack cell wall
Need special media for growth
Fried egg appearance on culture
Very fragile
M. hyopneumoniae, M. bovis - pneumonia in cattle and swine
M. hyorhinis, M. hyosynoviae - arthritis in cattle and swine

Question 5

Mycoplasma haemofelis Continued

Answer 5

General characteristics:
Fastidious, like living cells
Parasites of blood feeding arthropods - replicate in their guts
Infect various cells
Identification:
Blood smear, special stains, PCR test looks for unique genetic material
Pathogenicity:
Cats iften get from infected cats
Feline infectious anemia - fever, anorexia, splenomegaly, icterus, dyspnea, weight loss