Organism/Characteristics
What is the disease that f. tularesis causes called?
Tularemia
Reservoirs and host for f.tularensis?
Reservoirs = small animals
Vectors = arthropods
What is the infectious dose of f. tularensis?
10 organism of f.tularensis
What are the different type of tularemia
Ulceroglandual tularemia and Oropharyngeal tularemia
Is f.tularensisi a true or opportunistic pathogen?
True pathogen
What is domain and phylum?
Phylum = Proteobacteria
What are the ranges of hosts that f.tularensis can infect?
Different type of both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates to invertebrates
Where is replication mostly happening? (e.g., in nucleus or cytoplasm)
In the cytoplasm
Which type of tularemia can cause ulcers, stomatitis, pharyngitis?
Oropharyngeal
How virulent is f. tularensis?
Highly virulent, as infectious dose is low
What are the two subspecies that can cause human illness?
Type A (tularensis) and type B (holartica)
Three main modes of transmission?
1. Contaiminated food & water
2. Insect bites
3. Aerosol (as they can live in the soil)
What is one of the main virulence factor that has to do with evading the host immune system?
Can escape phagocytic immune cells, such as macrophages, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes
What is the timeline of the antibiotics used to treat tularemia?
Use of streptomycin and gentamicin for the first 10 days and will switch to aminoglycosides for at least 14 days.
Why would a capsule be a virulence factor?
Block antibodies
What is the specific type of chormosome and GC percentage?
1,892,819bp circular chromosome with a G+C of 32.9%
How long does it take for symptoms to show up
Within 3-5 days but might take as long as two weeks to show up
What are two virulence factors related to the membrane?
Mannose recepotr and unique LPS structure
No, in the US only insect repellant and protective clothing can be worn as the vaccine used in Europe and Asia hasn't passed FDA standard
Define vector and give an example of a vector for f. tularensis.
Vectors are live animals that will transmit a pathogen from one host to another.
Example for f. tularensis are arthropod
What are three physical characteristics?
1. Gram Negative
2. Coccobacillus
3. Encapsulated
If the transmission is successful, does always guarantee that the host becomes symptomatic?
No. Even when there is successful transmission, pathogenesis and virulence factor of the bacteria itself determines whether or not it is strong enough to fight off the host immune system
Another virulence factor of f. tularensisi is MAC doesn't work. Explain how the complement pathway would normally work.
Activation = antibodies, surface carbs from the pathogen, to even lectin complexes
A pore will form known as MAC aka membrane attack complex and the bacteria will have a whole bunch of pores in its membrane, and it will not be able to control the balance of solute leading to a misbalance causing the cell to burst.
What strain of f.tularesis is being studied to create a safer vaccine?
LVS strain
What gene is associated with the bacteria's ability to escape the phagocytic immune cells?
Francisella pathogenicity island