Salmonella Microbiology Flashcards

Study Notes

Salmonella Overview

Salmonella is a motile bacterium, characterized by its ability to move, often symbolized by a flopping tail of salmon.
This organism grows black colonies on Hektoen agar, indicating H2S positivity, similar to other motile enteric bacteria.

Salmonella Characteristics

Salmonella is encapsulated, visualized as salmon under a glass dome.
It is acid labile, meaning it is sensitive to acidic environments. Higher organism counts are required for infection due to susceptibility to stomach acidity. Lower stomach acidity increases infection risk.

Infection and Host Interaction

Salmonella primarily infects macrophages and has a facultative intracellular lifestyle, represented by bird cages with macrophage symbols.

Salmonella Enteritidis

The reservoir for Salmonella Enteritidis is chickens, which serve as a primary source of infection.
Symptoms of infection include inflammatory diarrhea, denoted by imagery of a chicken lighting a candle.
A key virulence factor is its Type 3 secretion system, which enables it to detect eukaryotic cells and secrete proteins that enhance infectivity, symbolized by a turkey baster.

Salmonella Typhi

Chronic carriers of Salmonella Typhi harbor the bacterium in their gallbladder, symbolized by a seagull.
Patients with enteric fever may develop rose spots or red macules on the abdomen, illustrated by a seagull wearing an apron with red polka dots.
Salmonella Typhi is the leading cause of osteomyelitis in individuals with sickle cell disease, represented by a seagull holding a sickle amidst bones.

Symptoms and Treatment

Generally causes constipation, but when diarrhea occurs, it resembles pea soup, depicted with bird droppings under the seagull.
Treatment typically involves fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin, indicated by a flower on the table near the seagull.

Vaccination

There is a live attenuated vaccine available specifically for Salmonella Typhi. The vaccination is symbolized by a syringe in the seagull's leg. Notably, there is no vaccine for Salmonella Enteritidis.

Description

Test your knowledge on Salmonella with these informative flashcards. Each card covers key characteristics including motility, growth on agar, and encapsulation. Perfect for microbiology students looking to reinforce their understanding of this important bacterium.