Unusual organisms

Borrelia burgdorferi

Disease: Lyme disease

Transmitted by: Black legged tick bite

Diagnosis: antibody testing

Causes: erythema migrans rash (bullseye)

Borrelia recurrentis

Disease: Louse-borne relapsing fever

Causes: fever, headache, muscle pain episodes that last several days and are separated by a week of feeling well

Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Disease: tracheobronchitis (chest cold)

Transmission: coughing and sneezing

Diagnosis: physical examination of symptoms

*most common cause of walking pneumonia in adults

Mycoplamsa hominis

Disease: BV

Transmission: sexual contact with infected person

Diagnosis: PCR

*can cause PID or pregnancy complications if not treated

Mycoplasma genitalium

Disease: STI

Transmission: sexual contact with infected person

Diagnosis: PCR

*can cause PID or pregnancy complications if not treated

Ureaplasma ureolticum

Disease: normal flora but overgrowth issues

Transmission: sexual contact or mother to child during birth

Diagnosis: PCR

Treponema pallidium subs. pertenue

Disease: Yaws disease

characteristics: early stage granulomatous nodules that can disseminate in later stages

Treponema pallidium subs. endemicum

Disease: Bejel disease/ endemic syphilis

Characteristics: ulcerative lesions on throat with papules on corners of mouth

transmitted by: direct contact or sharing contaminated utensils

Treponema carateum

Disease: Pinta

transmission: through direct contact, not common to be sexual intercourse

Characteristics: Lesions begining as scaling, painless papules, followed by erythematous rash

*only pathogenic treponeme limited to the skin

Rickettsia rickettsii

Description: GN intracellular pathogens in endothelial cells and macrophages

Disease: Rocky mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)

Found in: Eastern U.S and is seasonal in spring and summer

Transmission: Ticks

Symptoms: Fever, Myalgia, Rash on ankles and wrists

Diagnosis: clinical presentation and serology (culture is difficult)

Rickettsia typhi

Disease: flea-borne typhus (endemic typhus)

Transmission: Fleas and lice

Diagnosis: NAATs or serological assays in BSL-3 labs

Rickettsia prowazekii

Disease: Louse-borne Typhus (endemic typhus)

- can lead to Brill-Zinsser disease

Transmission: Fleas and lice

Diagnosis: NAATs or serological assays in BSL-3 labs

Orienta tsutsugamushi

Disease: Scrub typhus

Transmission: Fleas and lice

Diagnosis: NAATs or serological assays in BSL-3 labs

Streptobacillus moniliformis

Disease: Rat bite disease

Transmission: close contact with infected rodents

Diagnosis: culture isolation from blood or bodily fluids

*forms a fried egg appearance on media

Spirillum minus

Disease: Rat bite disease (Sodoku)

Transmission: close contact with infected rodents or bites/scratches

Diagnosis: Characteristic spirochetes under dark field microscopy

- does not grow on artificial media

Coxiella burnetii

Disease: Q fever

Transmission: naturally infects animals like goats, sheep, or cows

Diagnosis: PCR for acute infections then serological testing on whole blood

*potential bioterrorism threat

Erhlichia and Anaplasma (HME and HGA)

Disease: Erchlichosis and Anaplasmosis

Transmission: Tick bite

Diagnosis: serology/PCR on whole blood

*both are intracellular pathogens that infect leukocytes

Leptospira interrogans

Disease: Leptospirosis or Weil's disease

Symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea in first phase; second phase includes kidney/liver failure

Transmission: spread through urine of infected animals

Diagnosis: Blood/Urine tests and PCR

Bartonella henselae

Disease: Cat scratch disease

Symptoms: low grade fever, lymphadenopathy, pspule at the infected site, endocarditis

Transmission: cat scratch or bite

Diagnosis: signs and symptoms, PCR

Bartonella quintana

Disease: Trench fever

Symptoms: fever, bone pain, skin lesions, endocarditis

Transmission: human body louse

Diagnosis: PCR detection

Bartonella bacilliformis

Disease: Oroya fever (1st) and Verruga peruana (2nd)

Symptoms: (1st): headach, fever, muscle aches, abdominal pain, severe anemia w/ complications; (2nd): growths from under the skin that develop into red/purple sores

Transmission: sand flies

Diagnosis: Blood cultures and PCR

Chlamydia trachomatis

Disease: Chlamydia

Transmission: contact with genitals or bodily fluids

Symptoms: painful urination, discharge of genitals, testicular pain

Diagnosis: PCR

*can cause complications like PID, infertility, ectopic pregnancy if untreated

Chlamydia psittaci

Disease: Psittacosis

Transmission: breathing in dried bird droppings or bird bites

Symptoms: usually mild, can cause pneumonia, dry cough, fever, chills, etc.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae

Disease: upper and lower respiratory infections that damage the lining of the respiratory tract

Symptoms: Fatigue, headache, runny nose, sore throat, hoarseness

complications: encephalitis, myocarditis, worsening asthma, arthritis

Legionella pneumophila

Disease: Legionnaires ' disease and Pontiac Fever

Transmission: breathing in mist containing the bacteria

Symptoms: cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, confusion

Diagnosis: urine antigen test or PCR (use BCYE agar)

*can be found in windshield wiper fluid

Still learning (3)

You've started learning these terms. Keep it up!