Difference between revisions of "Brucella species"

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*Important zoonoses worldwide
 
*Important zoonoses worldwide
 
*Cause chronic granulomatous diseases
 
*Cause chronic granulomatous diseases
 +
*6 species
 +
*Target reproductive organs of certain species
 +
*Infected animals act as reservoir of infection
 +
*Organisms can remain viable in moist environment for months
 +
*Cause undulant fever in humans
  
  
Line 18: Line 23:
 
*Small, non-moltile, Gram negative coccobacilli
 
*Small, non-moltile, Gram negative coccobacilli
 
*Facultatice intracellular pathogens
 
*Facultatice intracellular pathogens
 +
*Modified Ziehl-Neelsen positive - clusters of red coccobacilli on smears
 +
*Aerobic and capnophilic
 +
*Catalase positive; oxidase and urease positive except for ''Brucella ovis'' 
 +
*Some species require enriched media for growth
 +
*Non-haemolytic
 +
*Smooth colonies of ''B. abortus, B. melitensis'' and ''B. suis'' are small, glistening, blue and translucent after incubation for 3-5 days, and become opaque with age
 +
*Rough colonies of ''B. ovis'' and ''B. canis'' are dull, yellow, opaque and friable
 +
*Slide agglutination with speicific antisera detect important antigens
 +
*''B. abortus'' lysed by specific bacterophages
 +
*Oxidative metaboloic rates can differentiate species
  
*6 species
 
  
 
===Pathogenesis and pathogenicity===
 
===Pathogenesis and pathogenicity===

Revision as of 17:28, 17 May 2008

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Overview

  • Important zoonoses worldwide
  • Cause chronic granulomatous diseases
  • 6 species
  • Target reproductive organs of certain species
  • Infected animals act as reservoir of infection
  • Organisms can remain viable in moist environment for months
  • Cause undulant fever in humans


Characteristics

  • Small, non-moltile, Gram negative coccobacilli
  • Facultatice intracellular pathogens
  • Modified Ziehl-Neelsen positive - clusters of red coccobacilli on smears
  • Aerobic and capnophilic
  • Catalase positive; oxidase and urease positive except for Brucella ovis
  • Some species require enriched media for growth
  • Non-haemolytic
  • Smooth colonies of B. abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis are small, glistening, blue and translucent after incubation for 3-5 days, and become opaque with age
  • Rough colonies of B. ovis and B. canis are dull, yellow, opaque and friable
  • Slide agglutination with speicific antisera detect important antigens
  • B. abortus lysed by specific bacterophages
  • Oxidative metaboloic rates can differentiate species


Pathogenesis and pathogenicity

  • Penetrate nasal, oral or pharyngeal mucosa
  • Phagocytosed and carried to regional lymph nodes
  • Survive and multiply in cells of the reticulo-endothelial system
  • Inhibit lysosome-phagosome fusion
  • Lymph nodes enlarge (lymphatic and lymphoreticular hyperplasia) and inflammation is induced
  • Surviving organisms spread to other organs (liver, spleen, placenta) and cause granulomatous reactions
  • Eythritol is a growth stimulant and attracts the bacteria to the bovine placenta
  • Infection of foetus and abortion


Clinical disease

Diagnosis

Control

  • Serological testing of milk (Milk Ring Test) and beef cattle (Rose Bengal Plate Test)
  • Serological tests detect anti-lipopolysaccharide antibodies
  • LPS antigen present in virulent as well as some vaccine strains therefore vaccination may confuse serological testing
  • False positives due to cross-reaction with LPS in other bacteria
  • Vaccination:
    • Strain S19, a live vaccine, stimulating a cell-mediated immune response; vaccination of young animals; interferes with serological testing
    • Newer RB51 vaccine has no LPS O-antigen therefore not detcted by serological tests
    • Live attenuated Brucella melitensis vaccine to protect sheep and goats against B. melitensis
  • Test and slaughter program has eradicated Brucellosis in the UK