Pasteurellosis


Pasteurellosis is an infection with a species of the bacterial genus Pasteurella, which is found in humans and other animals.
Pasteurella multocida is carried in the mouth and respiratory tract of various animals, including pigs. It is a small, Gram-negative bacillus with bipolar staining by Wayson stain. In animals, it can originate in fulminant septicaemia, but is also a common commensal.
Until taxonomic revision in 1999, Mannheimia spp. were classified as Pasteurella spp., and infections by organisms now called Mannheimia spp., as well as by organisms now called Pasteurella spp., were designated as pasteurellosis. The term "pasteurellosis" is often still applied to mannheimiosis, although such usage has declined.

Types

The several forms of the infection are:
Other locations are possible, such as septic arthritis, meningitis, and acute endocarditis, but are very rare.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made with isolation of Pasteurella multocida in a normally sterile site.

Treatment

As the infection is usually transmitted into humans through animal bites, antibiotics usually treat the infection, but medical attention should be sought if the wound is severely swelling. Pasteurellosis is usually treated with high-dose penicillin if severe. Either tetracycline or chloramphenicol provides an alternative in beta-lactam-intolerant patients. However, it is most important to treat the wound.

Animals

P. multocida causes numerous pathological conditions in domestic animals. It often acts with other infectious agents, such as Chlamydia and Mycoplasma species and viruses. Environmental conditions also play a role.
These diseases are considered caused by P. multocida, alone or associated with other pathogens: