|
|
(15 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) |
Line 1: |
Line 1: |
− | ===''Leptospira''=== | + | {{frontpage |
| + | |pagetitle =Leptospiraceae |
| + | |pagebody =''Leptospiraceae'' is a family of [[Spirochaetes species - Overview|''spirochaetes'']]. It includes the genus ''Leptospira'' which causes Leptospirosis in all animals. |
| + | |contenttitle =Content |
| + | |contentbody =<big><b> |
| + | <categorytree mode=pages>Leptospiraceae</categorytree> |
| + | </b></big> |
| + | |logo = |
| + | }} |
| | | |
− | *Motile, helical bacteria found in aquatic environments
| |
− | *Require liquid media for culture
| |
− | *Cause leptospirosis in all animals, which can range from mild urogenital tract infections to systemic diseases
| |
− | *Organisms persist in kidney tubules or genital tract of carrier animals and are shed in urine
| |
− | *Transmission via direct contact
| |
− | *Serovars are fairly host-specific, causing mild disease in the maintenance host, with shedding in the urine
| |
− | *Maintenance hosts may transmit the infection to incidental hosts, which are less susceptible to infection, but develop serious disease
| |
− | * May cause severe systemic disease, resulting in [[Intestines Fibrinous/Haemorrhagic Enteritis - Pathology#Bacterial septicaemia and enteritis|enteritis]]
| |
| | | |
− | *Pathogenesis and pathogenicity
| |
− | **Depends on virulence of the serovar and susceptibility of the host
| |
− | **Leptospires invade tissues through moist skin or via mucous membranes, aided by their motility
| |
− | **Leptospires may invade via receptor-mediated endocytosis
| |
− | **They disseminate through the body via the blood stream
| |
− | **Antibodies clear organisms from the blood stream after about 10 days of infection
| |
− | **Organisms may persist in the renal tubules, uterus, eye or meninges
| |
− | **Evade phagocytosis possibly via macrophage apoptosis
| |
− | **Damage red blood cell membranes and endothelial and liver cells, leading to haemolytic anaemia, jaundice, [[Pigmentation and Calcification - Pathology#Haemoglobin|haemoglobin pigmentation]], haemoglobinuria and haemorrhage in acute leptospirosis
| |
− |
| |
− | *Diagnosis
| |
− | **Clinical signs and history of exposure
| |
− | **Dark-field microscopy of urine may detect organisms
| |
− | **Isolation from blood or urine by culture or animal inoculation
| |
− | **Identificaiton or certain serovars using DNA probes and serology
| |
− | **FLuorescent antibody technique for identification in tissues
| |
− | **Silver impregnation
| |
− | **Molecular techniques such as PCR
| |
− | **Serology using microscopic agglutination test or ELISA
| |
− |
| |
− | *Clinical infections
| |
− |
| |
− | [[Leptospirosis - Cattle and Sheep]]
| |
− |
| |
− | **Horses
| |
− | ***Clinical disease rare
| |
− | ***May be maintenance host of serovar ''bratislava'', which causes abortion and stillbirth
| |
− | ***Incidental hosts for serovar ''pomona'', suffering from abortion and renal disease
| |
− | ***Chronic leptospirosis may cause an immune-mediated anterior uveitis
| |
− |
| |
− | **Pigs
| |
− | ***The rodent-adapted serovars ''icterohaemorrhagica'' and ''copenhagenii'' cause acute disease in pigs
| |
− | ***Severe disease in young pigs
| |
− | ***Serovar ''pomona'' is the host-adapted species, and may be shed in the urine
| |
− | ***Infections may cause abortions and stillbirths
| |
− | ***Pigs are maintenance hosts for serovars ''tarassovi'' and ''bratislava'', which may cause reproductive failure
| |
− |
| |
− | **Dogs and cats
| |
− | ***Serovars ''canicola'' and ''icterohaemorrhagica'' cause leptospirosis in dogs, but are vaccinated against
| |
− | ***Serovars ''pomona'' and ''grippotyphosa'' are becoming important
| |
− | ***The host-adapted serovar ''canicolar'' causes acute renal failure in puppies; a chronic uraemic syndrome may follow
| |
− | ***Incidental infections with serovar ''icterohaemorrhagica'' or ''copenhagenii'' cause renal failure
| |
− | ***''L. icterohaemorrhagiae'' may cause [[Pigmentation and Calcification - Pathology#Hepatic (Toxic) Icterus|hepatic jaundice]]
| |
− | ***Serovar ''bratislava'' causes abortion and infertility in dogs, which may be the maintenance host
| |
− | ***Infections uncommon in cats
| |
| | | |
| [[Category:Spirochaetes]] | | [[Category:Spirochaetes]] |