Lecture: RICKETTSIA, CHLAMYDIA, MYCOPLASMA
Introduction
General
1. To introduce the rickettsia, chlamydia and mycoplasma as distinct groups of degenerate bacteria.
2. To differentiate the rickettsia, chlamydia and mycoplasma on the basis of cell structure, metabolism, genetic
characteristics, pathogenicity, routes of disease transmission and methods of diagnosis.
Specific educational objectives (terms and concepts upon which you will be tested)
1. To define the following terms and concepts:
* ATP generation by mycoplasma
* Animal reservoirs of rickettsia
* Arthropod vectors of rickettsia
* Castaneda stain
* Chlamydia
* Cold agglutinins
* Evidence for endotoxin production by rickettsia
* Frei test
* Giemsa stain
* L-form
* Latency of infection
* Macchiavello stain
* Mycoplasma
* Obligate parasitism
* Physiologic basis of obligate parasitism
* Pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO)
* Pleuropneumonia organism (PPO)
* Protochlamydia
* Rickettsia
* T-stains Weil-Felix reaction
2. To define the etiology of these human diseases:
* Bacillary angiomatosis
* Chlamydial bronchitis/sinusitis/pneumonia
* Ehrlichiosis
* Inclusion conjunctivitis
* Lymphogranuloma venereum
* Ornithosis
* Primary atypical pneumonia
* Psittacosis
* Q fever
* Rickettsialpox
* Rocky Mountain spotted fever
* Trachoma
* Typhus
*snip*
Chlamydia exhibit low pathogenicity except in a compromised host. The chlamydial diseases are relatively easy to treat, but present two problems.
1. Latency of infection--infections may remain latent or sub-clinical
for years.
2. Susceptibility of compromised host to reinfection--the compromised host usually remains compromised
because of genetic and/or environmental factors and becomes reinfected.
3. Minimal symptomology
Chlamydia trachomatis - doxycycline or azithromycin
Chlamydia pneumonia - doxycycline or azithromycin or erythromycin
Chlamydia psittaci - doxycycline or erythromycin
Lecture:
www.kcom.edu/faculty/chamberlain/website/Lects/Rickett.htm