Difference between revisions of "Bacillus species"

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<big><center>[[Infectious agents and parasites|'''BACK TO INFECTIOUS AGENTS AND PARASITES''']]</center></big>
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#REDIRECT[[:Category:Bacillus species]]
<big><center>[[Bacteria|'''BACK TO BACTERIA''']]</center></big>
 
 
 
 
 
*''CAR bacillus'' in [[Bacterial infections#CAR bacillus|URT infection in cattle]] and [[Bacterial infections#In Rabbits|URT infection in rabbits]]
 
 
 
* Can cause vascular fragility, leading to [[General Pathology - Haemostasis#Haemorrhagic Disease Due To Vascular Fragility|haemorrhagic disease]].
 
* Causes severe systemic disease that can result in [[Intestines - Fibrinous/ Haemorrhagic Enteritis#Bacterial septicaemia and enteritis|enteritis]].
 
*[[Peritoneal cavity - inflammatory#In pigs|peritonitis in pigs]]
 
 
 
 
 
===Overview===
 
 
 
*Mostly non-pathogenic environmental organisms
 
*''Bacillus anthracis'' causes anthrax
 
*Anthrax is a severe disease affecting all mammals worldwide
 
*Ruminants are highly susceptible to anthrax, dying of a septicaemic form
 
*Pigs and horses are moderately susceptible, but carnivores are fairly resistant
 
*''Bacillus licheniformis'' may cause shoradic abortions in cattle and sheep
 
*''Bacillus cereus'' causes food poisoning in humans and mastitis in cows
 
 
 
 
 
===Characteristics===
 
 
 
*Large, Gram positive rods
 
*Produce endospores
 
*Aerobes or facultative anaerobes
 
*Grow on non-enriched media
 
*Motile
 
*Catalase positive, oxidase negative
 
*''Bacillus anthracis'' colonies are up to 5mm diameter, flat, dry, grey, with a ground-glass appearance; curled outgrowthsfrom the edge of the colony give a 'medusa head' appearance; non-haemolytic (differentiate from ''Bacillus cereus'')
 
*''Bacillus licheniformis'' forms dull, rough, wrinkled colonies, with hair-like outgrowths
 
*Biochemical tests for identification
 
*Can often tolerate adverse environmental conditions
 
 
 
 
 
===''Bacillus anthracis''===
 
 
 
*Epidemiology:
 
**Saprophyte in soil
 
**Endospore formation allows persistence and spread
 
**Endospores survive decades in the soil
 
**Outbreaks in herbivores grazing pastures contaminated by spores from buried carcases
 
**Infection usually by ingestion of spores
 
*Pathogenesis and pathogenicity:
 
**Capsule and toxin (encoded by separate plasmids) required for virulence
 
**Capsule composed of homopolymer of D-isomer of glutamic acid allows survival in the body by resisting phagocytosis
 
**Capsule stains mauve with polychrome methylene blue in the MacFadyean's reaction - identify anthrax in blood samples
 
**Bacilli appear as chains of dark blue, square-ended rods surounded with the capsule
 
**Extracellular toxin (holotoxin) composed of oedema factor, protective antigen and lethal factor
 
**Oedema factor is an adenylate cyclase which increases intracellular cAMP concetrations, causing fluid accumulation and damaging neutrophils
 
**Lethal factor causes release of cytokines from macrophages
 
**Protective antigen binds to the cell receptor to allow action of the other factors
 
**The toxin kills phagocytes, increases capillary permeability and interferes with clotting cascade
 
**Causes tissues to darken and swell due to oedema and necrosis
 
*Clinical signs:
 
**Cattle:
 
***Fatal peracute septicaemia
 
***Capillary thrombosis; leakage of fluid through damaged capillary endothelium
 
***Systemic shock from circulatory collapse, haemorrhage and oedema lead to death of the animal
 
**Pigs:
 
***Subacute anthrax with oedematous pharyngeal swelling; intestinal form with high mortality
 
**Horses:
 
***Subacute anthrax with localised oedema; septicaemia with colic and enteritis
 
 
 
 
 
===''Bacillus licheniformis''===
 
 
 
*Widespread in the environment
 
*Associated with food spoilage
 
*Abortion in cattle and sheep, possibly from spoiled silage or hay
 
 
 
 
 
===''Bacillus cereus''===
 
 
 
*Mastitis in cattle
 
*Food poisoning and eye infections in humans
 

Latest revision as of 20:41, 10 May 2010