Bacillus

Microbiology

2nd semester

11th lecture: Bacillus

Done by: Fatimah Nadeer Al-Zaher.

Revised by: Huda Al-Mabiouq.

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 BACILLUS
CLASSIFICATION OF GRAM +VE BACILLI:

 Facultative anaerobic, non-sporulating

"corynebacterium diphtheria-listeria".
 Facultative anaerobic ,sporulating "Bacillus"
 Strict anaerobic , sporulating "clostridium"

GENUS: BACILLUS

Aerobe, sporulating, large gram +ve bacilli

Bacillus species

anthracoids
B.anthracis
many species that present in the
it cause anthrax atmosphere as Saprophytic (meaning
that they can easily contaminat any
culture) , or may fuse with B.anthracis
and give false result.
it may cause diseases in
immunocompramised individual
one of them B.cereus that cause food
poisoning in healthy individual

B.ANTHRACIS:

 Morphology: large gram +ve bacilli , arranged in long chains

and the spores are central in location ,oval in shape "helpful in
identification under the microscope "
 facultative anaerobe
 non-motile "differ from anthracoids which are motile"

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  Have antiphagocytic capsule which is unique capsule composed
of D-glutamate “ not polysaccharide”,well encapsulated in-vivo
“that means it’s capsule is very clear when you take the
specimen directly from the patient and apply gram stain to it
but if you culture it first the capsule might not be clear”
 grow on ordinary media
 non-hemolytic colonies on blood agar " differ from
anthracoids which are B hemolytic on blood agar"
 medusa – head colonies

Cycle of the organism:

Zoontic disease – the organism infect the animals and then
the animal cause infection to the human.

Source of infection to
human is Animal product
“Wool-hair-hooves-hides"
Inside the animal: Spores
because these will be
will germinate and the
contaminated
Vegetative bacteria will
multiply rapidly causing
2-animal
Fatal septicemia
usually grass eaten animal
"caw,sheep,goats" eat the grass The animal will die and
or come in contact with it when then the vegetative
they are walking bacteria will form spore
in the soil.

1-spores
in soil " the grass will be 3-spore in soil
contaminated with
spores"

Source of infection to human

is also the soil “by direct
contact e.g. walking on it”

4-animal

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 N.B. - in any sporulating bacteria the source of infection is the spores -not the
vegetative form – which germinate inside the host and then it will re-convert to
spores when it leaves the human body.
- Spores remain viable in the soil and in the animal product for decades.

Source of infection" to the human”:

 Soil contaminated with spore.
 Infected animal and animal product "wool-hair-hooves-hides".
High risk group:
 Farmers.
 Butchers.
 Veterinarians.
 Handlers of animal product.
Mode of transmission:
 Direct contact : abrasion or cut wound in the skin come in
contact with the spores causing cutaneous anthrax
(The most common form of anthrax in human “about 95% “is
the cutaneous anthrax).
 Inhalation "sever”: people work with "wool containing spores"
in closed room will inhale the spore causing pulmonary
anthrax (wool sorter‘s disease). Mortality rate
approaching100% if remain untreated. Thus B.anthracis is
biological weapon.
 Ingestion of infected meat or food contaminated with spores
causing GIT anthrax "1% only" very rare.
Virulence factor:
 Capsule" D-glutamic acid "which is
antiphagocytic. N.B. -EF and LF
 Plasmid -coded exotoxin: 3 exotoxin or it is one cannot produce
divided into 3 parts: protective antibody
 EF "edema factor" causing edema. -PA mediates cell
 PA "protective antigen" induces protective entry of EL and LF
antibodies “they use it to make acellular i.e .they cannot do
vaccine or self vaccine". their work unless
they bind to the PA.
 LF "lethal factor "causing cell death and
necrosis.

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 Pathogenesis of anthrax toxin:

• Edema factor (EF)-is inactive adenyl cyclase which binds to the

protective antigen.
• PA facilitates the transfer of EF into the cytoplasm of host cell.
• EF interacts with calmodulin (CAD)"calcium binding protein "
to become active adenyl cyclase “that is why the EF known as
calmodulin dependent adenylcyclase “that will convert the
ATP into CAMP which causes the edema.

Disease caused by B.anthracis:

CUTANEOUS ANTHRAX:
Skin abrasion comes in contact with the spores.

ulcer covered
with black crust
papule and surrounded
vegetative developed " by area of edema
spores germinate bacterria multiply raised area this appearance
on the skin" is known as
malignant
pustule

 N.B: the most important thing that distinguish the malignant

pustule from others that it is painless.
 It does not contain puss unless there is
secondary infection with pyogenic organism
"e.g. Streptococci".

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 commonly within 1-2 weeks there
will be: healing- drying of the ulcer
,falling of the black crust. with scar
formation
"more common"
Fate of The malignant pustule
" with treatment " otherwise there will be invasion of
the regional lymph node then it goes
to the blood causing "bacteremia"
and then the bacteria will produce
toxin "toxemia" and death occur
" less common"

PULMONARY ANTHRAX:"WOOL SORTER‘S DISEASE”:

 Due to inhalation of spores in a confined area.
 Need to inhale thousands of spores to cause the disease.
 Starts as flue like symptoms that suddenly become sever
pneumonia with massive edema of the chest and neck
causing respiratory distress.
 If not treated 90-100% death.
Anthrax as a biological weapon:
 An estimate.
 100 kgs of anthrax spores, released from a low-flying
aircraft over a large city on a clear, calm night could kill
1-3 million people
GIT anthrax: rare 1% only

Diagnosis:
specimen
in cutaneous anthrax : fluid"by syringe" from the papule or swab from the ulcer
culture on blood agar
direct gram stain smear "from the specimen "non-hemolytic colonies" ELISA
" medusa head apperance " as the long chains rotate antibodies against
around it self " protective antigen we do
large gram +ve bacilli with no spore because
no spore is formed inside the human body then we do gram stain film "large gram +ve bacili with this if we cannot diagnose
spore" with other method
spore appeared as the non-stained zone

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The same thing is done to pulmonary anthrax but the specimen is
sputum or blood because in pulmonary anthrax the organism
reaches the blood
Biochemical test:
To differentiate between B.anthrax and anthracoids:
The B.anthrax

 Non-motile
 Non-hemolytic colonies on blood agar
 Do not grow on phenyl-ethyl-alcohol PEA “sensitive”
 Cannot grow on penicillin blood agar “sensitive”
We do this to confirm the diagnosis

Treatment:
Penicillin “it was the drug of choice for long time but now it is not
recommended because of inducible B-lactamase strains”
Ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and Doxycycline
Usually we give ciprofloxacin
Prevention:
Animals:
• Sterilization of animal products by autoclave at 120 degree
for 15 min." spores are highly resistant to physical and
chemical agent ".
• Burning the bodies of dead animals.

• Vaccination of animals.
Persons at high risk:
• Protective clothing
• Immunization with vaccine containing
Purified protective antigen “acellular vaccine"

 Post exposure prophylaxis with Ciprofloxacin or Doxycycline

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 BACILLUS CEREUS

Pathogenesis & clinical features:

° Spores are found on dry foods especially rice.
° Spores are heat-resistant so it will not be affected by boiling.
° Rice Outside the refrigerator" after we cooked it "this will form
a suitable environment for the spore to germinate and multiply
producing enterotoxin that is also not affected by brief heating
– ingested  food poisoning.
° Short incubation period – 4-6 hours – similar to Staphylococcal
food poisoning “we ingest the toxin directly”.

° The difference between the staphylococcal and the B.cereus

food poisoning is in the kind of food if it is rice the causing
organism is B.cereus.

Diagnosis:
Specimen: food, vomits or stool
 Direct gram smear ,gram +ve bacilli
 Culture On blood agar ,B hemolytic colonies
Biochemical test: to confirm the diagnosis
Motile, Grow on phenyl-ethyl-alcohol “PEA” and grow on penicillin
“resistance”

Treatment:
No need to give antibiotic fluid replacement is enough “Symptomatic
treatment”

Done by: Fatimah Nadeer Al-Zaher.

Revised by: Huda Al-Mabiouq.
Sorry for any mistakes.
,,,‫وصلى هللا على محمد وآل محمد‬