Zoonoses

Question 1

Why is brucellosis an important medical condition?

Answer 1

Highly contagious
One of the most common zoonoses worldwide

Question 2

What type of organism is brucella?

Answer 2

Intracellular
Gram negative

Question 3

What are the 4 brucella spp associated with human disease?

Answer 3

B. melitensis
B. abortus
B. suis
B. canis

Question 4

B. melitensis is associated with which animals?

Answer 4

Sheep
Goats

Question 5

B. abortus is associated with which animals?

Answer 5

Bovine

Question 6

B. suis is associated with which animals?

Answer 6

Pigs

Question 7

B. canis is associated with which animals?

Answer 7

Dogs

Question 8

Which brucella spp is most virulent, most severe and most acute?

Answer 8

B. melitensis

Question 9

Does B. abortus cause complications?

Answer 9

Rarely

Question 10

Most common cause of brucella in SA?

Answer 10

B. abortus

Question 11

Which brucella causes prolonged illness with suppurative destructive lesions?

Answer 11

B. suis

Question 12

Which 2 brucella species are very similar in clinical presentation?

Answer 12

Abortus
Canis

Question 13

Transmission of brucella?

Answer 13

Unpasteurized dairy
Undercooked meat
Contact with animal fluids/tissue
Inhalation
Human-to-human rare (breastfeeding, sexual, transplant, transfusion)

Question 14

What is the pathogenesis of brucellosis?

Answer 14

Endocytosed by macrophages -> replicate -> move into circulation -> deposited in multiple organs

Question 15

Clinical presentation of brucellosis?

Answer 15

Undulant fever
Ocular
CNS
CVS
Pulmonary
Cutaneous
Genitourinary
Gastrointestinal
Skeletal

Question 16

What conditions must suspected brucella specimens be processed with?

Answer 16

BSL2 conditions with BSL3 practices

Question 17

Insidious brucella?

Answer 17

Abortus

Question 18

Acute brucella?

Answer 18

Melitensis

Question 19

What is the colony morphology of brucella?

Answer 19

Non-hemolytic
Non-pigmented
Slow growing, enhanced by CO2

Question 20

When are isolation rates of brucella highest?

Answer 20

First 2 weeks of symptomatic disease

Question 21

Can you culture brucella?

Answer 21

Yes! But takes longer
Lots of specimens allowed

Question 22

What is mainstay of brucella diagnosis?

Answer 22

Serology, paired specimens
Rose Bengal test, Coombs, ELISA, direct agglutination

Question 23

Can brucella serology have issues?

Answer 23

Yes, cross reaction with other gram negatives

Question 24

Discuss treatment of brucellosis

Answer 24

6w doxy + rif + 2w genta
6w doxy + 2w strepto

Question 25

Which treatment forms for brucellosis are not recommended?

Answer 25

Monotherapy <30d treatment Quinolones

Question 26

Which leptospira serovar is associated with rats?

Answer 26

Icterhaemorrhagic

Question 27

Which leptospira serovar is associated with dogs?

Answer 27

Canicola

Question 28

Which leptospira serovar is associated with pigs?

Answer 28

Pomona

Question 29

Which leptospira serovar is associated with cattle?

Answer 29

Hardjo

Question 30

Where do chronic leptospira infection usually occur?

Answer 30

Brain Eyes Genital tract

Question 31

How is leptospirosis transmitted to humans?

Answer 31

Direct contact with animal urine/tissues via skin lesions and mucous membranes

Question 32

What is Weil's disease?

Answer 32

Hepatorenal failure in leptospirosis infectoin

Question 33

Which pathogenic leptospira serovars are important?

Answer 33

L. interrogans L. borgpetersenii

Question 34

Which saprophytic leptospira serovars are important?

Answer 34

L. biflexa

Question 35

What kind of flagellum do leptospirae have?

Answer 35

Endoflagellum

Question 36

What is the difference between rickettsia and coxiella?

Answer 36

Coxiella - y proteobacteria - legionellacaea order Rickettsia - alpha proteobacteria - rickettsiales order

Question 37

Why is it called 'Q' fever?

Answer 37

Named after "query fever"

Question 38

How is Q fever transmitted?

Answer 38

Inhalation Tissue handling ? tick bites ? milk ? human-to-human

Question 39

What is the clinical presentation of Q fever?

Answer 39

60% are asymptomatic Post-infection fatigue

Question 40

Which Q fever antibody raises first?

Answer 40

Phase 2 antibody

Question 40

Discuss treatment of Q fever

Answer 40

Doxycyline 7-10d Chronic = combination Phagolysosome alkalisation adjuvant

Question 41

Is there a Q fever vaccine?

Answer 41

Yes, whole-cell vaccine for abattoir workers in Australia