Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection: Difference between revisions

From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource
No edit summary
Line 18: Line 18:
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is an opportunistic pathogen commonly found in the environment mainly in soil and water, but is also regularly found on plants and sometimes on animals, including humans. It is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is motile by means of a single polar flagellum and known to be highly antibiotic resistant and able to grow in a variety of generally inhospitable environments, often through its ability to form resilient biofilms[textbook of bacteriology]. The bacteria often produce the blue-green pigment pyocyanin, a redox-active phenazine, which is known to kill mammalian and bacterial cells through the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates [Hassett]. <i>Pseudomonas</i> infections often have a characteristic sweet odor and have become a substantial cause of infection in patients with immunodeficiencies. It is one of the main agents of hospital-acquired infections such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteremia [medscape].
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is an opportunistic pathogen commonly found in the environment mainly in soil and water, but is also regularly found on plants and sometimes on animals, including humans. It is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is motile by means of a single polar flagellum and known to be highly antibiotic resistant and able to grow in a variety of generally inhospitable environments, often through its ability to form resilient biofilms[textbook of bacteriology]. The bacteria often produce the blue-green pigment pyocyanin, a redox-active phenazine, which is known to kill mammalian and bacterial cells through the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates [Hassett]. <i>Pseudomonas</i> infections often have a characteristic sweet odor and have become a substantial cause of infection in patients with immunodeficiencies. It is one of the main agents of hospital-acquired infections such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteremia [medscape].
==Pathogenesis==
==Pathogenesis==
[[File:Paeruginosa path.png|400px|thumb|right|Mechanism of pathogenesis for <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. From: Nature.com [http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/posters/pseudomonas/posters.pdf]]]
<i>P. aeruginosa</i> is an opportunistic pathogen that rarely causes disease in healthy individuals. Most infections are able to take hold by the loss of the integrity of a physical barrier to infection (eg, skin, mucous membrane) or the presence of immune deficiency. This bacterium has also minimal nutritional requirements and can tolerate a wide variety of physical conditions like temperatures up to 41 degrees Celsius.  
<i>P. aeruginosa</i> is an opportunistic pathogen that rarely causes disease in healthy individuals. Most infections are able to take hold by the loss of the integrity of a physical barrier to infection (eg, skin, mucous membrane) or the presence of immune deficiency. This bacterium has also minimal nutritional requirements and can tolerate a wide variety of physical conditions like temperatures up to 41 degrees Celsius.  
===Transmission===
===Transmission===
Line 34: Line 35:


===Virulence Factors===
===Virulence Factors===
==Clinical features==
==Clinical features==
===Respiratory Tract===
===Respiratory Tract===

Revision as of 17:20, 23 July 2013

This is a curated page. Report corrections to Microbewiki.

Etiology/Bacteriology

Taxonomy

| Domain = Bacteria | Phylum = Proteobacteria | Class = Gamma Proteobacteria | Order = Pseudomonadales | Family = Pseudomonadaceae | Genus = Pseudomonas | species = Pseudomonas aeruginosa

NCBI: Taxonomy Genome: Genome

Description

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen commonly found in the environment mainly in soil and water, but is also regularly found on plants and sometimes on animals, including humans. It is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is motile by means of a single polar flagellum and known to be highly antibiotic resistant and able to grow in a variety of generally inhospitable environments, often through its ability to form resilient biofilms[textbook of bacteriology]. The bacteria often produce the blue-green pigment pyocyanin, a redox-active phenazine, which is known to kill mammalian and bacterial cells through the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates [Hassett]. Pseudomonas infections often have a characteristic sweet odor and have become a substantial cause of infection in patients with immunodeficiencies. It is one of the main agents of hospital-acquired infections such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteremia [medscape].

Pathogenesis

Mechanism of pathogenesis for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From: Nature.com [1]

P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that rarely causes disease in healthy individuals. Most infections are able to take hold by the loss of the integrity of a physical barrier to infection (eg, skin, mucous membrane) or the presence of immune deficiency. This bacterium has also minimal nutritional requirements and can tolerate a wide variety of physical conditions like temperatures up to 41 degrees Celsius.

Transmission

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common inhabitant of soil, water, vegetation, and animals. It is found on the skin of some healthy persons and has been isolated from the throat (5 percent) and stool (3 percent) of nonhospitalized patients [medscape]. In some studies, gastrointestinal carriage rates increased in hospitalized patients to 20 percent within 72 hours of admission.

P. aeruginosa finds numerous reservoirs in a hospital setting such as disinfectants, respiratory equipment, food, sinks, taps, toilets, showers and mops. Because of its ubiquity, it is constantly reintroduced into the hospital environment on food, visitors, and patients transferred from other facilities. Transmission occurs from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare workers, by patient contact with contaminated reservoirs, and by the ingestion of contaminated materials.[textbook of bacteriology]

Infectious dose, incubation, and colonization

The infectious dose of P. aeruginosa is unknown, as it is an opportunistic pathogen that can colonize healthy hosts without disease. Likewise, the incubation period is disputed, as the infection can manifest in many ways depending upon the sight of infection. The pathogenesis of Pseudomonas is multifactorial and complex because Pseudomonas species are both invasive and toxigenic. The 3 stages are (1) bacterial attachment and colonization, (2) local infection, and (3) bloodstream dissemination and systemic disease [Pollack]. The importance of colonization and adherence is most evident when studied in the context of respiratory tract infection in patients that need complicate mechanical ventilation, such as those with cystic fibrosis. [medscape]

Epidemiology

Frequency

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated the overall prevalence of P. aeruginosa infections in US hospitals at approximately 4 per 1000 discharged patients (0.4%). P. aeruginosa accounts for 10.1% of all hospital-acquired infections and is also the fourth most commonly isolated nosocomial pathogen. [medscape]

Morbidity and Mortality

All P. aeruginosa infections are treatable and potentially curable, but fulminant infections, such as bacteremic pneumonia, sepsis, burn wound infections, and meningitis, generally have extremely high mortality rates. [medscape] These infections are a serious problem in patients with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and severe burns. The fatality rate in these patients is near 50 percent. [textbook of bacteriology]

Virulence Factors

Clinical features

Respiratory Tract

Nosocomially-acquired pneumonia often develops in patients with immunosuppression and chronic lung disease in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, which can be primary, following aspiration of the organism from the upper respiratory tract, especially in patients on mechanical ventilation, and has a particularly high mortality rate [medscape, nature thing]. It may also occur as a result of a bacteremic infection spread to the lungs. This is observed commonly in patients following chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. P. aeruginosa is also commonly isolated from the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis patients and is often a cause of severe decline in these patients. Chronic lung colonization and infection also occur in patients with diseases affecting the airways of the lungs such as bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [nature thing].

Central Nervous System

A P. aeruginosa infection in the CNS can cause meningitis and brain abscess, most often following an extension from a contiguous parameningeal structure, such as an ear, a mastoid, paranasal sinus surgery, or diagnostic procedures [medscape]. In some patients, a CNS infection is due to hematogenous spread of the organism from infective endocarditis, pneumonia, or UTI. Patients with a CNS infection present with fever, headache, and confusion. The onset of disease may be fulminant or somewhat less severe, a characteristic that usually depends on the immune status of the patient.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention

Host Immune Response

References

Created by Lillian Flannigan, student of Tyrrell Conway at the University of Oklahoma.