Spirochaetal infections of the nervous system

摘要: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the spirochetal infections of nervous system. The spirochetes comprise numerous species spiral bacteria varying habits ranging from free living through saprophytic to pathogenic. Human pathogens are found in three genera—Leptospira, Borrelia, and Treponema—members each which can cause system disease man. Venereal syphilis is a chronic systemic infection caused by Treponema pallidum characterized stages: (1) local primary lesion accompanied regional lymphadenopathy; (2) secondary bacteremia stage with generalized mucocutaneous lesions adenopathy; (3) tertiary aortitis, central disease, or destructive granulomatous that develops only after latent period subclinical lasting years. Borreliae elongated, flat, spiral-shaped 10–20 μm long 3–10 irregular coils. They move corkscrew fashion divide transverse fission. Unlike other spirochetes, borreliae stain readily aniline dyes they be grown on artificial media. pathogenic man causative agents two arthropod-borne diseases—relapsing fever Lyme disease—both involve Leptospirosis cosmopolitan infectious strains Leptospira interrogans an initial phase followed immune phase.