Campylobacter Flashcards
(16 cards)
Characteristics of campylobacter
Gram -
Motile
30-37C
Don’t grow well in food
Oxygen, temperature and pH sensitive
Structure of campylobacter
Lipooligosaccharide (LOS) attached to lipid A
Lack O antigen polysaccharide of LPS
Some have LPS capsular layer
Some campylobacter strains are thermophilic, what does this mean?
Can grow at 42C but not at 25C
Species of campylobacter that are thermophilic
Jejuni
Coli
Lari
What species of campylobacter are found in warm-blooded animals?
Upsaliensis and Hyointestinalis
Symptoms of campylobacter
Abdominal pain
Fever
Diarrhoea
Lasts 2-10 days
What is the incubation period of campylobacter?
2-5 days
What can also be caused by campylobacter?
Guillian-Barre syndrome
What is Guillian-Barre syndrome?
Autoimmune neurological condition affecting PNS
Can lead to respiratory muscle paralysis and death
How is Guillian-Barre syndrome caused?
Immune response to foreign antigens caused by mimicking human gangliosides by LOS
Infection dose of campylobacter
500cfu/g
How does campylobacter cause infections?
Colonizes mucosal surface of lower intestinal tract
Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) leads to pathogenesis
How is the flagella adapted for campylobacter?
Mucosal penetration by being attracted to serine, mucin and fucose and repels bile acids
What are the adhesins for camylobacter?
CadF outer membrane binding protein promotes binding to intestinal cells
What are the invasins for campylobacter?
Campylobacter invasion antigens (Cia) produced on cultivation with mammalian cells
CiaC is required for invasion of host cells and contributes to cytoskeletal rearrangements leading to membrane ruffling
Sources of campylobacter
Chicken
Pasteurised milk
Untreated water
