BACILLUS & LACTOBACILLUS

Dr. Esquivel
BACILLUS
gram (+) rods
spore former (centrally located)
mostly obligate aerobes, some facultative
anaerobes
B. anthracis
large square ended bacilli
non motile, spore former (central)
facultative aerobe, non-hemo
cells are freq in long chains which have a
bamboo-like appearance
encapsulation occurs in enriched culture media
and bicarbonate containing medium with 5%
CO2
sporolation occurs in culture medium, in soil
but not in living tissues
colonies are large, opaque, raised w/ irregular
curled margin
optimum growth @ 35C and becomes
avirulent at 42-43C due to loss of capsule
Biochem characteristics
CHO fermentation glucose, lactose, fructose,
trehalose, maltose
hydrolysis of starch
liquefy gelatin
reduces nitrates to nitrites
Vogues Proskauer reaction (+)
spores inactivated @ 121C for 15mins
autoclaving
vegetative cell inactivated at 54C for 30 min.
Determinants of Pathogenicity
1. capsule made up of high mol wt polypeptide
of D glutamic acid
2. exotoxin composed of 3 proteins that act
synergistically to induce cell death & edema
a. LF - lethal factor
b. EF - edema factor
c. PA protective antigen
LF and EF are dependent to PA

- 3 forms:
1. cutaneous
2. pulmonary (more severe)
3. gastrointestinal
Cutaneous Anthrax
Most common presentation
painless papule @ hands, forearm, & head
portal of entry: skin abrasion
specimen for culture: wound discharge
Pulmonary Anthrax
wool sorters disease
acquired thru inhalation of spores
xray: found in lower portion of lungs
GI Anthrax
acquired thru ingestion of contaminated
food
s/s: nausea, vomiting, & diarrhea
Laboratory Diagnosis
grams staining gram (+) bacilli with
centrally located spore
culture
o specimens: blood, wound discharge
fluorescent Ab staining technique
presumptive test
animal inoculation studies follows the
Kochs principle
string of Pearls test
o susceptibility test of microorg to
0.5% PEN
B. cereus
food poisoning
enterotoxin similar to E. coli
B hemolytic
B. subtilis
Most frequent laboratory contaminant
Cause infection in immunocompromised
patients
B. staerothermophilis
Indicator of efficacy of autoclave and other
sterilization procedure
B. thuringiensis
Used as biological insecticide
LACTOBACILLUS
-Doderleins bacilli
- L. acidophilus
L. leichmanii

Clinical Dx
Anthrax
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L. casei
L. plantarum
- normal flora of oral cavities, GIT, female genital
tract
- isolated from blood, CSF/amniotic fluid
- facultative anaerobe
- microaerophilic
- non-motile
- produce large amount of lactic acid
- colonies: pin-point and alpha hemolytic
- ferments glucose and mannitol

capsule
formation
sensitivity to
PEN
Motility
B hemolytic
Growth @
45C
Lysis by
bacteriophage
Pathogenesis
in animals

B.
anthracis

B. cereus

B.
mycoides

variable

(-)

(-)

B.
thuringiensi
s
(-)

sensitive

resistant

resistant

resistant

(-)
variable
slight

(+)
variable
rapid

(-)
variable
(-)

(+)
variable
slight

(-)

(-)

variable

(-)

(+)

(+)

(-)

(+)

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