Clostridium Flashcards

1
Q

Principal Characteristics of Clostridium

A

Gram positive rods

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2
Q

Oxygen requirement & enzyme test results of Clostridium

A

Anaerobic (some are facultative microaerophilic)
catalase negative
Fermentative

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3
Q

Reproduction and motility of Clostridium

A

Non capsulated
Sporeforming (Location and shape of endospore are consistent with the species
Most are motile (except C. perfringens)

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4
Q

Habitat and Ecology of Clostridium

A

Most are saprophytes
Associated with disease either by direct contamination of wounds or as a transient flora of the GIT
Some species are commensal in the intestinal tract, often causes an oppotunistic infection
Few species are pathogenic

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5
Q

Public health aspects of Clostridium

A

Human botulism is usually traced to improperly processed meat, seafood or canned vegetables

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6
Q

Clostridium botulinum

A

Ruminant, Horse, Fowl - Botulism (Flaccid paralysis)

C & D - cattle
A B E F - humans

Flaccid paralysis
Lamsiekte - cattle
Shaker foal syndrome - horses
limberneck - birds

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7
Q

Clostridium chauvoei

A

Cattle, buffalo, sheep - Blackleg (gangrenous myositis)

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8
Q

Clostridium hemolyticum

A

Cattle - Bacillary Hemoglobinuria

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9
Q

Clostridium novyi Type A & B

A

Type A - Domestic animals - Gas gangrene

Type B - Sheep, cattle - Infectious necrotic hepatitis (black disease)

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10
Q

Clostridium perfringens Type A

A

Animals & man - Gas gangrene; food poisoning

cattle, horses, dog - Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis

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11
Q

Clostridium perfringens Type B

A

Lambs, calves, foals - Lamb dysentery

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12
Q

Clostridium perfringens Type C

A

Calves - Hemorrhagic enterotoxemia

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13
Q

Clostridium perfringens Type D

A

Piglets - Enterotoxemia

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14
Q

Clostridium septicum

A

Domestic animals - Malignant edema

Braxy - scotland
Bradsot - danish

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15
Q

Clostridium tetani

A

Domestic animals - tetanus (spastic paralysis)

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16
Q

Clostridium colinum

A

Quail, young turkey - Ulcerative enteritis

17
Q

Clostridium difficile

A

Foals - Hemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis (pseudomembranous form of colitis)

18
Q

Location and shape of spore of Clostridium tetani

A

Round & terminally located

distention

19
Q

Location and shape of spore of Clostridium botulinum

A

subterminally located

distention

20
Q

Location and shape of spore of Clostridium novyi, chauvoei, septicum

A

oval, eccentric

21
Q

Location and shape of spore of Clostridium perfringens

A

centrally located

no distention

22
Q

Two modes of toxin production of Clostridium

A

Extracellular toxins - Readily diffuse out of the cell (almost all clostridial toxins)

Protoplasmic toxins - Released after cell lysis
e.g. C botulinum (A to G), C novyi (alpha toxin) C tetani (tetanospasmin)

23
Q

Two methods of disease production of Clostridium

A

Intoxication - Ingestion of pre formed toxin or toxins elaborated from a localized lesion
e.g. C botulinum, C hemolyticum, C perfringens

Infection - Infection of the host tissue with subsequent toxin production
e.g. C chauvoei, C novyi, C septicum

24
Q

Subdivisions of Clostridium

A

Invasive Clostridia - spread from portal of entry causing local and systemic infections
e.g. C perfringens, C novyi, C hemolyticum, C septicum, C chauvoei

Non Invasive Clostridia - little or no power to invade and multiply in living tissue, damage is done after absorption of toxins
e.g. C botulinum, C tetani

25
Q

MOA of botulinum

A

Blocks the release of neurotransmitter acetylcholine = flaccid paralysis

light chain - toxic portion of the toxin, cleaves SNARE protein
heavy chain - responsible for internalization and translocation, attachment to susceptible cell

26
Q

Meaning of SNARE and Snap 25

A

soluble-ethyl-maleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein

Synaptosomal associated protein with 25 KD mol wt

27
Q

What part of the SNARE protein does the different type of Clostridium target?

A

Type C - syntaxin
Type A, C, E - Snap 25
Type B D F G - Synaptobrevin

28
Q

MOA of tetanospasmin

A

Prevents inhibition of contraction = spastic paralysis

cleave glutamie 76 & phenyalanine 77of synaptobrevin

29
Q

Resistance of Clostridium

A

Endospore are resistant to physical influence and disinfectants

Killed by boiling for 30 min and autoclaving for 20 min

Salt, nitrates and nitrites suppresses germination of C botulinum spores in food

30
Q

Specimen used for Diagnosis of Clostridium

A
Gas gangrene - affected muscles
black disease 0 affected liver
Enterotoxaemia - small intestinal contents
Tetanus - material from wound site
Botulism - suspected food, vomitus
31
Q

Isolation of Clostridium

A

anaerobic incubation in BAP
Brain heart infusion media
Thioglycollate reducing medium