Gram Positive Bacteria Digging Deeper into Bacterial Life Part 1 of 3

Things to Remember All bacteria are procaryotes Simplistic Means “pre-nucleus” The body fights them with leukocytes Video of WBC chasing bacteria Hospital workers fight them with antibiotics Gram staining starts the identification process allowing people to see the following: Color Morphology Clustering style Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnlULOjUhSQ

Gram Positive Bacteria Stain blue or violet* Produce exotoxins Have thick layer of peptidoglycan in cell membrane More easily treated with antibiotic therapy than gram negative bacteria Staphyloccus aureus is shown at the right *Using gram staining technique. Note: due to different photography techniques, you may note colors other than expected.

Gram Positive Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus pneumoniae Corynebacterium diphtheriae Bacillus anthracis Clostridium botulinum Clostridium tetani

Staphylococcus aureus Commonly referred to as Staph Often found in nasal passages Facultative Opportunistic Many strains resistant to antibiotics Produce lactic acid Note the name of the bacterium: staph means there is mass clustering while coccus refers to the spherical shape. The photo shown was taken using electroscopy which is why the color is not blue.

Staphylococcus aureus What does opportunistic mean? Will not cause an infection in a host unless the immune system is already compromised What compromises an immune system? Illness Stress Use of corticosteroids (used by many respiratory patients) Why is antibiotic resistance so important? When bacteria stop responding to antibiotics, it increases the chances of serious illness and death from infection of that microbe Corticosteroids information at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/asthma/inhaled.pdf

Resistant S. aureus MRSA VRSA Methicillin Resistant S. aureus May be found in or on: Respiratory tract and sputum Skin Gastrointestinal system Wounds VRSA Vancomycin Resistant S. aureus Found in same places as MRSA It is especially important to avoid spreading these

Streptococcus pneumoniae Commonly known as pneumococcus Causes most of the severe cases of bacterial lobar pneumonia Often found as diplococci but may be single or in chains Produce hydrogen peroxide Produces a pink salmon-colored sputum This bacteria is quite finicky. The lab must provide very specific conditions to encourage growth. A very small amount of carbon dioxide is needed. Some S. pneumoniae require anaerobic conditions though in humans the bacteria flourish in the lungs which have plenty of oxygen. S. pneumoniae grows best in the presence of blood. They‘re considered fragile but find the lungs to be hospitable enough to set up shop and cause up to 80% of bacterial pneumonia cases. For more information, go to http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/S.pneumoniae.html. Pneumonia information: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/pneumonia-topic-overview

Streptococcus pneumoniae

S. Pneumoniae CT scan of Pneumococcal pneumonia which is most dangerous when infecting the very young, the very old, or those with suppressed immune systems. Black indicates air-filled lung; white/grey indicates consolidation.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae Found in nasal passages and skin Aerobic bacillus Cause of diphtheria An upper respiratory tract infection Symptoms include sore throat and fever Can be fatal in up to 10% of cases Successfully prevented with DPT vaccine For more information go to Todar's website Todar’s website: http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/diphtheria.html

Bacillus anthracis Aerobic bacillus Forms spores which survive harsh environments Causes anthrax Three manifestations of human illness: Dermal Gastrointestinal Respiratory Mortality rate close to 100% though it is rare Resembles common cold in early stages Death occurs within 2 – 5 days Treatable with antibiotics if started quickly after exposure

B. anthracis CDC Website: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/needtoknow.asp A vaccine is available for anthrax but has its own dangers. For more information, visit the CDC website

Clostridium botulinum Anaerobic bacillus Forms spores which survive harsh environments Neurotoxins are ingested and cause botulism Food poisoning Contaminated canned food is the most common source Destroyed by heating food to about 180°F for 10 minutes Flaccid paralysis May be life threatening Look for signs such as drooping eyelids Is the basis of botox injections Flaccid paralysis definition: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/flaccid%20paralysis

C. botulinum The neurotoxins that cause paralysis are used for Botox treatments Botox injections are used to: Decrease the appearance of wrinkles Diminish chronic muscle tension Prevent migraines caused by chronic muscle tension

Clostridium tetani Anaerobic bacillus Causes tetanus Vaccine is available but needs to be repeated every 10 years C. tetani can survive as a spore for up to 10 years Neurotoxins enter wounds causing: Rigid paralysis Lockjaw Respiratory arrest leading to death

C. tetani Child at right afflicted with tetanus. Arms curled in fetal position due to rigid paralysis. Lockjaw makes it impossible to open his mouth. Common in 3rd world countries for survivors to have front teeth knocked out to provide a space to ingest food. Rare for people in the U.S. to get tetanus due to availability of vaccine.

Next Steps Please close this PowerPoint presentation and then click Assignment 3 to continue.