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How do these mysterious spiral bacteria persist in the tropics? Reveal the survival skills of L. interrogans!
Leptospira interrogans is an aerobic, spiral-shaped bacterium that looks like a screwdriver with hook-shaped ends. These bacteria primarily inhabit tropical areas and can survive in soil or water for weeks to months. As a pathogen that causes a variety of mammalian infections, L. interrogans is obviously pathogenic to wild and domestic animals (including pet dogs), and is very likely to be transmitted to humans through contaminated water sources or soil, causing flu-like symptoms. and cause kidney and liver damage.
The survivability of L. interrogans allows it to remain viable in a variety of environments, and it is usually transmitted through the urine of infected animals.
The main route of human infection with L. interrogans is contact with contaminated water or soil. These infections are particularly common among certain groups, such as farmers or veterinarians, who are at higher risk due to contact with animals. The infection process can be divided into two phases: anicteric phase and icteric phase.
Two stages of infection
The anjaundice phase is often referred to as stage 1, and patients often experience fever, headache, and nausea. The jaundice phase, or stage 2, includes more severe symptoms such as bleeding and tubular failure. Typically, methods to test and diagnose this bacterial infection include microscopic agglutination testing and PCR testing.
Most human cases show only an jaundice phase, however some people will further develop jaundice, causing more serious health problems.
Biological and biochemical properties
The cells of L. interrogans are Gram-negative and possess two periplasmic flagella. These flagella play a key role in bacterial movement and survival. In terms of growth, L. interrogans prefers to grow at neutral pH (about 7.4) and a temperature range of 28 to 30 degrees Celsius, and uses long-chain fatty acids as the main energy source.
The genome of L. interrogans contains two circular chromosomes and has unique metabolic requirements, such as long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, while saturated fatty acids are not conducive to its growth.
Genome and metabolism
The genomes of these bacteria are approximately 4.7 million base pairs and contain many genes related to eukaryotic cell invasion, cell adhesion and motility. This complex genome organization allows L. interrogans to survive efficiently in the tropics and makes it a successful pathogen.
Environmental survivability
L. interrogans is mainly transmitted through the body fluids of infected animals, especially rats, which are the main carriers of the disease but have no obvious symptoms themselves. These bacteria can survive in clear water and enter new hosts through the skin and mucous membranes.
These bacteria can survive and multiply in the kidneys of humans and animals, which is critical for their spread to new hosts.
Infection symptoms in humans and dogs
In humans, the symptoms of L. interrogans are sometimes divided into two stages, an anicteric or an icteric form, also known as Weil's disease. Studies have shown that these bacteria may cause damage to the endothelial cells of various organs and blood vessels.
In the case of dogs, infection with L. interrogans can trigger a high degree of inflammatory response, causing hormones such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) to rise significantly, leading to serious consequences such as premature birth or miscarriage in bitches.
Treatments and Vaccines
Gonorrhea in humans can be treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline and penicillin. In canines, lymphoma also presents in different ways. Although vaccines have been developed against certain serotypes, their use requires further optimization due to the diversity of pathogens and the poor protective efficacy of the vaccines.
As the environment and ecology change, we must think about whether the threats to human health posed by these microorganisms that survive in extreme environments can be effectively controlled?
