SPIROCHETES

SPIROCHETES
• Spirochetes: Large, heterogeneous group of spiral, motile bacteria.

• Classification: Belong to the order Spirochaetales.
• Human Pathogens:
o Family Spirochaetaceae: Includes Borrelia and Treponema.
o Family Leptospiraceae: Contains the genus Leptospira.
• Shape: Long, slender, helically coiled, spiral, or corkscrew-shaped bacilli.
• Outer Sheath: Presence of a glycosaminoglycan coating.
• Outer Membrane: Contains peptidoglycan, maintains structural integrity.
• Endoflagella: Flagella-like organelles in the periplasmic space, encased by the outer membrane,
extending from both ends to the midpoint.
• Inner Membrane (Cytoplasmic Membrane): Provides osmotic stability, covers the protoplasmic
cylinder.
• Cytoplasmic Tubules (Body Fibrils): Located inside the cell near the inner membrane.
• Reproduction Method: Transverse fission.
Treponema pallidum
• "Treponema" combines Greek "trepo" (to turn) and "nema" (thread), referring to its spiral shape.
• "Pallidum" from Latin means "pale," describing its microscopic appearance.
MORPHOLOGY AND IDENTIFICATION

• Structure: Slender spirals, approximately 0.2 μm wide and 5–15 μm long, with regularly spaced
spiral coils.
• Movement: Actively motile, rotating around endoflagella; can form a circle temporarily.
• Visibility: Difficult to see without immunofluorescent stain or dark-field illumination; does not
stain well with aniline dyes but visible with silver impregnation.
(Dark field microscopy)
(modified Steiner silver stain method)
CULTURE
• Limitations: Pathogenic T. pallidum has never been successfully cultured in artificial media,
fertile eggs, or tissue culture.
• Viability: Remains motile for 3–6 days at 25°C in suitable fluids; viable for at least 24 hours in
whole blood or plasma at 4°C.
REACTION TO CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL AGENTS

• Susceptibility: Rapidly killed by drying, high temperature (42°C), and certain chemical agents
(arsenical, mercury, bismuth).
• Penicillin: Treponemicidal at low concentrations; no resistance demonstrated, slow killing rate
due to organism's metabolic inactivity and slow multiplication.
GENOME
• Size and Structure: Circular chromosome of approximately 1,138,000 base pairs, relatively small
for bacteria.
• Characteristics: Lack of transposable elements suggests a highly conserved genome; reliant on
host for energy production and nutrient synthesis.
ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE
• Limited Characterization: Due to inability to culture in vitro.
• Outer Membrane: Contains proteins with covalently bound lipids, inaccessible to antibodies.
• Endoflagella: Contain core proteins and a sheath protein, play a role in organism's invasiveness.
• Enzymes: Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid in tissues.
• Enzymes: Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid in tissues.
IMMUNE RESPONSE IN HUMANS

• Antibodies: Capable of staining T. pallidum (indirect immunofluorescence), immobilizing and
killing live organisms, and fixing complement.
• Reagin: Antibody-like substance developed in response to spirochetes, used in serologic
diagnosis of syphilis.
IMMUNITY
• Resistance: Individuals with active or latent syphilis show resistance to superinfection with T.
pallidum.
• Post-Treatment Susceptibility: After effective treatment of early syphilis, susceptibility to the
infection is restored.
• Limitation: Immune responses generally fail to eradicate the infection or halt its progression.
TREATMENT
• Penicillin: Primary treatment with significant treponemicidal activity.
• Follow-Up: Essential, especially in neurosyphilis and patients with AIDS.
• Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction: May occur after starting treatment due to toxin release from dying
spirochetes.
• Dosage and Administration:
o Early Syphilis: Single injection of benzathine penicillin G (2.4 million units IM).
o Older/Latent Syphilis: Benzathine penicillin G IM, three doses at weekly intervals.
o Neurosyphilis: Same therapy or higher doses of intravenous penicillin; alternative antibiotics like
tetracyclines or erythromycin possible.
EPIDEMIOLOGY, PREVENTION, AND CONTROL
• Transmission: Mainly through sexual contact; congenital syphilis and occupational exposures are
rare.
• Contagious Period: 3–5 years during early syphilis; late syphilis (over 5 years) usually non-
contagious.
• Control Measures: Prompt treatment of cases, follow-up on contacts, safe sex practices
(condoms), and consideration of syphilis in diagnoses of other sexually transmitted diseases.
Treponema pallidum
ACQUIRED SYPHILIS
• Transmission: Primarily through sexual contact, with infectious lesions on skin or mucous
membranes. Non-genital lesions occur in 10-20% of cases.
• Infection Entry: Via intact mucous membranes or breaks in the epidermis.
• Early Development: Spirochetes multiply locally, spread to lymph nodes, then bloodstream.
 Primary Stage: Papule formation at infection site, evolving into a hard-based ulcer (“hard
chancre”), healing spontaneously.
 Secondary Stage: Occurs 2-10 weeks later, presenting red maculopapular rash, condylomas, and
possible syphilitic meningitis, hepatitis, or nephritis. Lesions subside but are highly infectious.
 Tertiary Stage: In about 30% of untreated cases, characterized by granulomatous lesions
(gummas), CNS degeneration (meningovascular syphilis, paresis, tabes), or cardiovascular lesions.
Treponemes rare in these lesions.

SPIROCHETES

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SPIROCHETES

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SPIROCHETES

• Spirochetes: Large, heterogeneous group of spiral, motile bacteria.

MORPHOLOGY AND IDENTIFICATION

(modified Steiner silver stain method)

REACTION TO CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL AGENTS

IMMUNE RESPONSE IN HUMANS

You might also like