Pseudomonas

Characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Gram negative, obligate aerobic rods

What does Opprotunistic pathogens mean?

• Readily killed by a healthy immune system

• will cause mild infections in healthy people:

  • Swimmer’s ear, hot-tub folliculitis

What makes them poor pathogens in most cases? 

• They rarely infect healthy individuals, mostly infect those with weaken immune systems

Why are they particularly difficult opportunistic pathogens?

• They are resistant to many types of antibiotics/ disinfectants 

• They also produce exotoxins of the same type as diphtheria toxin —> just no as strong

What are the most common types of patients affected by Pseudomonas infections?

Most common problem in hospitals:

• burn victims = damage prevents immune system access

• immune compromised patients = AIDS/ cancer patients

• Cystic Fibrosis = leading cause of pneumonia in CF patients

What do the exotoxins do?

Exotoxins cause local cell damage allowing them to gain access into the blood, causes sepsis and shock .