Campylobacter and Related Genera Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering the morphological classification, general characteristics, epidemiology, and laboratory diagnosis of Campylobacter and related genera.

Campylobacter

A genus of bacteria named from the Greek word for "crooked", which are gram (-) curved rods, oxidase (+), and non-fermentative.

FTSz

A default cytoskeletal structure seen in all bacteria responsible for the default cocci shape and cell division through binary fission.

Mreb

A cytoskeletal structure that, when present with FTSz, elongates the bacterial cell into an oblong or rod shape (Bacilli).

Crescintin / Cres C

A specific cytoskeletal structure present in curved or spiral-shaped bacteria that induces the curve or spiraling of the bacterial cell.

Assacharolytic

A term describing organisms, such as Campylobacter and Helicobacter, that are non-fermentative and unable to ferment any types of sugars.

Microaerophiles

Organisms that grow best at a oxygen concentration of $5-10\%$ and are typically slow growing and fastidious.

Arcobacter spp.

Bacteria that are aerotolerant and inhabit the gastrointestinal tracts of various animals, with 3 out of 18 species identified as clinically significant in humans.

CAMPY - BA

A specific enriched selective medium used to grow fastidious bacteria, producing moist, big white colonies; it contains Brucella-agar base, sheep's RBC, vancomycin, trimethoprim, polymyxin B, amphotericin B, and cephalotin.

Urease testing

The point of separation in identification between most Helicobacter spp. (which are positive) and Campylobacter and related genera (which are negative).

Guillain-Barre syndrome

A post-infection neurological condition where antibodies against C. jejuni destroy neurons or neurological components, occurring in $20-40\%$ of individuals infected 1-3 weeks prior.

Antigenic cross reaction

A hypersensitivity reaction where antibodies produced against a pathogen react with antigens present in the human body due to similarities in structure.

Cary-Blair Transport medium

A transport medium required for specimen collection if there is a delay of more than 2 hours before processing.

Campy Medium (CVA)

A cultivation medium containing cefoperazone, vancomycin, and amphotericin B designed to suppress fecal flora.

CCDA & CSSM

Blood-free Campylobacter agar bases where the enriching components of red blood cells are replaced by charcoal, sodium pyruvate, and ferrous sulfate.