What is the most pathogenic group of streptococcus?
Group A (Streptococcus pyogenes)
What is the microscopic morphology of streptococci?
What are the various hemolysis patterns of streptococci types on 5% sheep blood agar?
Which hemolysis type does Group A strep have?
-Beta (clear)
What hemolysis type does strep pneumoniae have?
-alpha (Green)
What does the bacitracin susceptibility test reveal about a strep culture, and which hemolytic pattern is it used on?
What is the important Group D strep species?
-S. gallolyticus [bovis]
What is Lancefield classification?
How are Group D streptococci identified?
**very sensitive to penicillin
What is the antigenic structure of streptococci?
How is the capsule of strep non-antigenic?
-probably because it is chemically indistinguishable from hyaluronate in ground substance of connective tissue
How are M-proteins of strep antiphagocytic?
-prevents interaction of organism with complement
**antibody to M-protein is protective and imparts long-lasting immunity
What are the extracellular products of Group A strep?
Which extracellular product of Group A strep is responsible for a number of the clinical manifestations of toxic strep syndrome?
-Pyrogenic exotoxins
What do pyrogenic exotoxins of strep do?
What does streptokinase do?
*Hypersensitivity reactions occur in patients previously exposed to this antigen.
Why are anti-DNAse titers more useful than Antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer in diagnosing strep A/Rheumatic fever?
-DNAse is not neutralized by cholesterol during skin infections
How does Group A strep cause disease?
What is the pathogenesis of acute suppurative diseases caused by Group A strep?
What are common examples of acute suppurative diseases caused by Group A strep?
What is pyoderma?
What is erysipelas?
What are some common examples of toxin-associated disease caused by Group A strep?
What is toxic strep/shock syndrome?