MICRO 401 EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Clostridium - Answers - C. botulinum, C. difficile, C. perfringens, C. tetani
Gram Postive Bacilli -sometimes stain weakly
Spore Formers- hard to treat
Most are obligate anaerobes
Most are motile
Catalase negative (no bubbles)
found pretty much anywhere
Very good at producing powerful toxins
C. perfringens - Answers - very fast generation time
"tissue gas"- if person dies and not preserved- body will start to fill with gas as a result
of its over growth Enzymes can produce gas
Nagler plate
Histotoxic clostridia
Enterotoxigenic clostridia
It doesn't grow out of control-its the toxins that it produces that are the problem
alpha toxin - Answers - degrades phospholipids- particularly in RBC, WBC, Endothelia,
and muscle cells
C. perfringens Toxins - Answers - Primary toxin- alpha toxin
beta, epsilon and lota toxins along with other minor toxin
not all strains express all toxins
Histotoxic clostridia - Answers - C. Perfingens type A
Gas Gangrene
Alpha toxin
Special environment- trauma or necrotic tissue, vascular damage, decreased oxygen
Symptoms- Local edema, gas production, fever and pain, Necrotic black color, sweet
smell, no pus
Gas Gangrene- Risk factors, Complications, Treatment - Answers - Risk factors-
traumatic injuries, surgery around intestinal microbiota, the elderly
Immunological complications-
Stop immune cells by causing platelet buildup and blockage
Escape and grow in cytoplasm Uniquely able to escape a phagocyte before the
lysosome fuses with it and the immune system cant find in because its inside one of our
cells and eventually escapes the cell
It also kills neutrophils- creates a soapy film instead of puss because of the dead
neutrophils
,Treatment- debry of dead tissue, antiserum-polyvalent antitoxin, broad spec AB,
Hyperbaric oxygen chamber(helps kill them because they are anearobic)
Enterotoxigenic Clostridia C. Perfringens (Food poisoning) - Answers - Type A -
ingested, breaks down small intestinal mucosa and get leakage
Treatment- get AB to toxins
One of many ways of getting food poisoning- one of the top 3
C. difficile - Answers - "drumstick" shape-subterminal spores
Toxin types- Enterotoxin A, Cytotoxin B
Transmission- Fecal-oral route
Human Pathogen- AB-associated diarrhea, Colitis
Enterotoxigenic Clostridia (C. difficile Colitis) - Answers - Risk group- patients receiving
AB therapy
Infection mode- Colonization of Intestines, toxin production, Leukocyte infiltration,
formation of Pseudomembrane
Treatment- Stop/change AB theapy, Maintain Fluid and Electrolyte balance, fecal
transplant
C. Tetani - Answers - mainly found as spores in soil and GI tract of animals
Tetanus Toxin (tetanus-"lock-jaw")
Transmission- break in skin, not spread person to person
Tetanus toxin - Answers - Neurotoxin-blocks release of neruro-inhibitor glycine
causes antagonistic muscles to contract at the same time
One of the more potent toxins known, only need small amount to cause effects
Tetanus - Answers - initial involvement of neck and jaw muscles with progression to
others
in neonatal, initial infection of umbilical stump
Initial symptoms- crampin and twitching around wound
Later- seating and pain, Risus Sardonicus "sarcastic grin"- cant make another face
Extreme symptoms- violent spasms of trunk and back, paralysis of resp. muscles
Treatment- AB, muscle relaxants, tetanus immunoglobin, mechanical vent or trach,
debribement of necrotic tissue
Vaccine- exposure to naturally aquired tetanus doesn't result in immunity
C. botulinum - Answers - Soil of sediment often as a spore- able to tolerate low oxygen
conc
ACH causes contraction of muscles- when inhibited-paralysis
very deadly organsims
Flaccid paralysis- opposite of tentanus
SNAR protiens cause ach to be relased- botulism destroys these proteins and ach cant
be relased anymore- muscles can no longer contract
, Botulism - Answers - Food-borne and wound symptoms- GI disturbance (18-36 hours),
neuromuscular- starts in muscles of the head and descending paralysis
Wound symptom- droopy eye lids are a telling sign
infant- most common, less than 1 year old, ingestion of spore, why dont give honey to
newborns, vaccination of pregnant females
Treatment for all- AB
Medical use of botulinum toxin - Answers - Muscle spasticity, Migraines, Cosmetic
Clostridia postive note - Answers - major area of research for biofuel production- if given
a certain type of feed they produce ethanol and acetone to help make fuel
Listeria monocytogenes - Answers - gram positive rod
most frequent in immunocompromised patients
major problem in pregnant women-causes death in babies and the women-not all
infections will cross the placenta but high rates in this disease
Patients with lymphoma, on steroids, or receiving TNF blocking agents
Has a desire for the Nervous System- causes meningitis
tumbling motility
Require thorough pasteurization, can multiply at 4C and survive frozen
Passed from animals to people- associated with milk and milk products, particularly soft
cheeses
Listeria moncytogenes Pathogensis - Answers - replicated intracellularly
Attaches to insteinal epithelial call and macrophages
once in the phagolysome secretes hemolysis which allow for escape from phagosome
and replication in the cytoplasm
Listeria monocytogenes treatment - Answers - Ampicillin
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole
Corynebacterium diphtheriae - Answers - Gram postive bacillus
Tellurite agar improve ID and recovery
B-phage encoding gene for toxin production
Human are only reservoir
spread by droplet or airborne spreed
highly effective vaccine but needs to be kept up with
Diptheria pathogenesis - Answers - Non-invasive
Exotoxin- two seg B (binds to specific receptors) and A(active segment)
Toxin works by ADP-ribosylation (EF2)which results in cessation of protein synthesis
Targets Heart, Nerves, and Kidneys
Very potent
ANSWERS
Clostridium - Answers - C. botulinum, C. difficile, C. perfringens, C. tetani
Gram Postive Bacilli -sometimes stain weakly
Spore Formers- hard to treat
Most are obligate anaerobes
Most are motile
Catalase negative (no bubbles)
found pretty much anywhere
Very good at producing powerful toxins
C. perfringens - Answers - very fast generation time
"tissue gas"- if person dies and not preserved- body will start to fill with gas as a result
of its over growth Enzymes can produce gas
Nagler plate
Histotoxic clostridia
Enterotoxigenic clostridia
It doesn't grow out of control-its the toxins that it produces that are the problem
alpha toxin - Answers - degrades phospholipids- particularly in RBC, WBC, Endothelia,
and muscle cells
C. perfringens Toxins - Answers - Primary toxin- alpha toxin
beta, epsilon and lota toxins along with other minor toxin
not all strains express all toxins
Histotoxic clostridia - Answers - C. Perfingens type A
Gas Gangrene
Alpha toxin
Special environment- trauma or necrotic tissue, vascular damage, decreased oxygen
Symptoms- Local edema, gas production, fever and pain, Necrotic black color, sweet
smell, no pus
Gas Gangrene- Risk factors, Complications, Treatment - Answers - Risk factors-
traumatic injuries, surgery around intestinal microbiota, the elderly
Immunological complications-
Stop immune cells by causing platelet buildup and blockage
Escape and grow in cytoplasm Uniquely able to escape a phagocyte before the
lysosome fuses with it and the immune system cant find in because its inside one of our
cells and eventually escapes the cell
It also kills neutrophils- creates a soapy film instead of puss because of the dead
neutrophils
,Treatment- debry of dead tissue, antiserum-polyvalent antitoxin, broad spec AB,
Hyperbaric oxygen chamber(helps kill them because they are anearobic)
Enterotoxigenic Clostridia C. Perfringens (Food poisoning) - Answers - Type A -
ingested, breaks down small intestinal mucosa and get leakage
Treatment- get AB to toxins
One of many ways of getting food poisoning- one of the top 3
C. difficile - Answers - "drumstick" shape-subterminal spores
Toxin types- Enterotoxin A, Cytotoxin B
Transmission- Fecal-oral route
Human Pathogen- AB-associated diarrhea, Colitis
Enterotoxigenic Clostridia (C. difficile Colitis) - Answers - Risk group- patients receiving
AB therapy
Infection mode- Colonization of Intestines, toxin production, Leukocyte infiltration,
formation of Pseudomembrane
Treatment- Stop/change AB theapy, Maintain Fluid and Electrolyte balance, fecal
transplant
C. Tetani - Answers - mainly found as spores in soil and GI tract of animals
Tetanus Toxin (tetanus-"lock-jaw")
Transmission- break in skin, not spread person to person
Tetanus toxin - Answers - Neurotoxin-blocks release of neruro-inhibitor glycine
causes antagonistic muscles to contract at the same time
One of the more potent toxins known, only need small amount to cause effects
Tetanus - Answers - initial involvement of neck and jaw muscles with progression to
others
in neonatal, initial infection of umbilical stump
Initial symptoms- crampin and twitching around wound
Later- seating and pain, Risus Sardonicus "sarcastic grin"- cant make another face
Extreme symptoms- violent spasms of trunk and back, paralysis of resp. muscles
Treatment- AB, muscle relaxants, tetanus immunoglobin, mechanical vent or trach,
debribement of necrotic tissue
Vaccine- exposure to naturally aquired tetanus doesn't result in immunity
C. botulinum - Answers - Soil of sediment often as a spore- able to tolerate low oxygen
conc
ACH causes contraction of muscles- when inhibited-paralysis
very deadly organsims
Flaccid paralysis- opposite of tentanus
SNAR protiens cause ach to be relased- botulism destroys these proteins and ach cant
be relased anymore- muscles can no longer contract
, Botulism - Answers - Food-borne and wound symptoms- GI disturbance (18-36 hours),
neuromuscular- starts in muscles of the head and descending paralysis
Wound symptom- droopy eye lids are a telling sign
infant- most common, less than 1 year old, ingestion of spore, why dont give honey to
newborns, vaccination of pregnant females
Treatment for all- AB
Medical use of botulinum toxin - Answers - Muscle spasticity, Migraines, Cosmetic
Clostridia postive note - Answers - major area of research for biofuel production- if given
a certain type of feed they produce ethanol and acetone to help make fuel
Listeria monocytogenes - Answers - gram positive rod
most frequent in immunocompromised patients
major problem in pregnant women-causes death in babies and the women-not all
infections will cross the placenta but high rates in this disease
Patients with lymphoma, on steroids, or receiving TNF blocking agents
Has a desire for the Nervous System- causes meningitis
tumbling motility
Require thorough pasteurization, can multiply at 4C and survive frozen
Passed from animals to people- associated with milk and milk products, particularly soft
cheeses
Listeria moncytogenes Pathogensis - Answers - replicated intracellularly
Attaches to insteinal epithelial call and macrophages
once in the phagolysome secretes hemolysis which allow for escape from phagosome
and replication in the cytoplasm
Listeria monocytogenes treatment - Answers - Ampicillin
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole
Corynebacterium diphtheriae - Answers - Gram postive bacillus
Tellurite agar improve ID and recovery
B-phage encoding gene for toxin production
Human are only reservoir
spread by droplet or airborne spreed
highly effective vaccine but needs to be kept up with
Diptheria pathogenesis - Answers - Non-invasive
Exotoxin- two seg B (binds to specific receptors) and A(active segment)
Toxin works by ADP-ribosylation (EF2)which results in cessation of protein synthesis
Targets Heart, Nerves, and Kidneys
Very potent
