What does Actinomyces israelii cause?
What does Actinomyces israelii cause?
Actinomyces israelii is a colonial bacterium which can be found as a commensal in the mouth and tonsillar crypts. It can cause a chronic suppurative infection, actinomycosis, which is characterized by multiple abscesses drained by sinus tracts. Actinomycotic abscesses can be found in the liver, appendix, lung and neck.
Why is it called Actinomyces israelii?
israelii is an opportunistic pathogen and a cause of actinomycosis. Many physiologically diverse strains of the species are known to exist, though not all are strict anaerobes. It was named after the German surgeon James Adolf Israel (1848–1926), who studied the organism for the first time in 1878.
Is actinomycetes and Actinomyces the same?
Actinomycetes are prokaryotic organisms that are classified as bacteria, but are unique enough to be discussed as an individual group. Actinomycete numbers are generally one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the total bacterial population (Table 4.5).
What is actinomycosis and what causes it?
Actinomycosis is caused by a type of bacteria from the Actinomyces family. Most infections are due to Actinomyces israelli. These bacteria are found normally in the mouth, gastrointestinal, and genital tract of most people. They only causes an infection when there is a break in the skin or mucous membranes. [3]
How long does it take for Actinomyces to grow?
Growth of Actinomyces is slow; it appears within at least 5 days and may take up to 15–20 days. Thus, incubation of at least 10 days is required before conclusion of a negative culture.
How do actinomycetes break down cellulose?
This is achieved by decomposing various organic materials (e.g. cellulose and lignin etc) in their surroundings. To effectively break down these compounds, Actinomycetes produce a number of enzymes including cellulases and keratinases.
What do actinomycetes look like?
The actinomycetes (sing. actinomycete) are a large group of aerobic, high G-C percentage gram-positive bacteria that form branching filaments or hyphae and asexual spores. These bacteria closely resemble fungi in overall morphology. Presumably this resemblance results partly from adaptation to the same habitat.
