Leptospira, Brachyspira, Borrelia

Question 1

What are the spirochetes

Answer 1

Leptospira, brachyspira, borellia

Question 2

Leprospira gram stain and size

Answer 2

Not well at staining but gram-negative and very long

Question 3

Leprospira replication/where it lives

Answer 3

No replication outside host but can live in water or urine soaked soil for days to months
Rats spread it in urine a lot

Question 4

Leprospira Pathogenic features

Answer 4

Hemolysin which damages host membranes which causes intravascular hemolysis

Question 5

Leprospira Transmission

Answer 5

Rodents shedding (frequently asymptomatic) and incidental hosts are infected by direct contact with urine or venereal or placental transfer or contaminated water/food/soil- organisms can penetrate mucous membranes through mouth, eye, etc.

Question 6

Leprospira Pathogenesis

Answer 6

Penetration of mucous membranes–> systemic spread—> replication–> vascular damage and thrombocytopenia–> death OR bacteria proliferated and localizes in kidneys and spleen causing renal failure and liver disease OR renal colonization and becoming a carrier state called leptospiruria

Question 7

Leprospirosis Disease

Answer 7

Early stages- fever, depressed, anorexic, vomiting, diarrhea then hemolytic anemia
Can cause kidney disease and liver disease, icterus, abortion, anemia, death
Also discovered pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome in lungs
or dog may recover but still infected
Infected dogs shed organisms in urine for months

Question 8

Diagnosis of Leptospirosis

Answer 8

Serology

Question 9

Leprospirosis treatment

Answer 9

Antibiotics-long term, supportive care, many different vaccines

Question 10

Bovine Leptospirosus organism

Answer 10

Leptospira borgperersenii hardjo

Question 11

L. hardjo causes what disease symptoms

Answer 11

Infertility

Question 12

Bovine leptospirosis diagnosis

Answer 12

Serology

Question 13

Bovine leptospirosis vaccine

Answer 13

Yes but doesn’t last more than 6 months

Question 14

Leptospirosis symptoms in other animals

Answer 14

Abortion in swine, sheep, goats, and horses

Question 15

Leptospirosis infection in humans

Answer 15

It is zoonotic and see hemolytic anemia, liver and kidney disease
Outcome best if treatment initiated early

Question 16

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae causes what disease in what

Answer 16

Dysentery in swine- bloody diarrhea

Question 17

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Pathogenic features

Answer 17

Produces enzyme (beta-hemolysin) that is cytotoxic to intestinal cells of epithelium

Question 18

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Transmission

Answer 18

Carrier pigs, fecal oral transmission

Question 19

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Diagnosis

Answer 19

Demonstration of organism in feces- PCR

Question 20

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Treatment

Answer 20

Antibiotics in water to all infected pigs

Question 21

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Control

Answer 21

Eliminate herd, clean well, and repopulate from free herd

Question 22

Borrelia burgdorferi causes what

Answer 22

Lyme disease

Question 23

Borrelia burgdorferi requires what for survival

Answer 23

Requires host or tick vector for survival, can’t live in environment

Question 24

New Borrelia species

Answer 24

B. mayonii

Question 25

Borrelia Pathogenic features

Answer 25

Several outer surface proteins that are crucial for attachment to tissues in hosts- OspA protein (attachment to tick gut) and other osps for attachment to mammalian hosts Antigenic variation- change outer surface protein to remain undetected in host

Question 26

Borrelia transmission

Answer 26

Lots of reservoir hosts- wildlife that ticks feed on | Deer ticks transmit- must be attached for 36-48 hours for transmission to occur

Question 27

Lyme disease in humans symptoms- acute

Answer 27

Acute- flu-like symptoms- fever, headache, malaise and **erythema migrans**- a bull’s eye lesion at site of bite

Question 28

Lyme disease in humans symptoms- chronic

Answer 28

Arthritis and joint swelling, cardiac disease, and neurological manifestations (seizures)

Question 29

Diagnosing Lyme disease in humans

Answer 29

Clinical signs and serology (blood test showing antibody)

Question 30

Lyme disease in dogs how many are asymptomatic

Answer 30

95% of exposed

Question 31

Lyme disease in dogs- primary manifestation

Answer 31

Arthritis- joints swollen, hot, painful, shifting leg lameness Also like humans may see cardiac disease (arrhythmias), neurological signs (aggression, seizures)

Question 32

Do dogs get EM (erythema migrans) from Lyme disease

Answer 32

Rare

Question 33

Diagnosis of Lyme disease in dogs

Answer 33

Clinical signs, serology, SNAP 3Dx Test and response to treatment of antibiotics

Question 34

What about using the SNAP test for vaccinated animals

Answer 34

It can differentiate

Question 35

Treatment of animals with Lyme disease

Answer 35

Use long term (>30 days) antibiotic therapy

Question 36

Prevention of Lyme disease

Answer 36

Remove tick, tick control, vaccinate

Question 37

Lyme disease in horses and cattle clinical signs

Answer 37

Most don’t show any signs but may be lame, joint pain, fever

Question 38

What causes severe leptospirosis in cattle and what are the symptoms

Answer 38

non-host adapted strains, causes abortion, infection localizes in kidney, genital tract, and mammary gland