Miscellaneous bacteria

Question 1

What makes miscellaneous bacteria different from Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria?

Answer 1

They are not made visible using the Gram staining technique

Question 2

How are miscellaneous bacteria identified in the lab?

Answer 2

Using ZN (Ziehl-Neelsen) stain
Further long-term culturing required to identify species

Question 3

What are the three main classes of miscellaneous bacteria?

Answer 3

Mycobacteria (tuberculosis/leprae)
Spirochaetes
Chlamydia (trachomatis/pneumoniae/psitacci)

Question 4

What are the three main species of spirochaetes?

Answer 4

Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
Leptospira interrogans (Leptospirosis, leads to Weil's disease)
Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)

Question 5

Distinguish between the three different chlamydia species

Answer 5

Trachomatis = classic symptoms
Pneumoniae = respiratory infection
Psittaci = respiratory infection from bird contact