Fungi-like bacteria

Actinomyces species
Nocardia species
Streptomyces species

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 Actinomycetes
 Aerobic gram-positive  Anaerobic non-spore
bacilli forming gram-positive
 Nocardia bacilli

Actinomadura 
Actinomyces
 Nocardiopsis
 Streptomyces
 Gram Positive Filamentous Bacteria

GENUS OXYGEN GRANULE ACIDFAST

Mycobacteria aerobe no yes

Actinomyces ANAEROBE YES no

Nocardia aerobe sometime PARTIALLY

Streptomyces aerobe YES no

 Physiology
 Bacteria with fungi-like
structures.

 Actinomycetes are true

bacteria
 lack of nucleus membrane
and mitochondria Acid-fast stain of Nocardia sp.
 susceptibility to antibacterial
but not to antifungal

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 Physiology
 There are aerobic and anaerobic
actinomycetes
 Aerobe; Nocardia, Actinomadura,
Streptomyces
 Anaerobe; Actinomyces
 Slowly growing
 3 days - 2 weeks

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Nocardia growing in culture
after 7 days as colony that are c
halky and raised,with color varyi
ng from white to yellow-orange
 Diseases
Actinomycetoma
Nocardiosis (Nocardial infection)
Actinomycosis
 Modified acid-fast stain
 Acid-fast stain  Modified acid-fast stain
 carbolfuchsin  carbofuchsin
 3%HCl-alcohol  1% H2SO4- alcohol

Methylene blue
 Methylene blue

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 Actinomycosis
 Lumpy jaw
 Chronic disease characterized by formation of
multiple abscesses and sinus tracts that
discharge sulfur granules

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 Actinomycosis
 Etiologic agent: Anaerobic bacteria
 Actinomyces israeli, A. gerencseriae

A. naeslundii, A.odontolyticus, A. viscosus

 Gram-positive branching filamentous, no spore

forming

 Acid-fast negative

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 Actinomycosis
 Source : Normal flora of the upper respiratory,
gastrointestinal and female genital tracts

 3 major clinical types

 Cervicofacial actinomycosis (50-70%)
 Thoracic actinomycosis (15-20%)

Abdominal & pelvic actinomycosis (10-20%)

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Actinomycosis

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 Actinomycosis
 Laboratory diagnosis
 Specimen : pus, sputum,
skin biopsy

Naked eye ; sulfur
granule
 10 % KOH, Gram’s stain

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Sulphur
granules
 Actinomycosis

A) Microscope view of actinomycotic B) Gram-stained smear from the specimen

“sulfur granules” (10x) (Exudate as in A), showing thin sulfur granule with
from an abdominal wound infection) thin, branching filaments (800x)

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 Actinomycosis
 Laboratory diagnosis
 Cultures immediately
under anaerobic
conditions and incubated
for 48 hours or require 2-3
weeks.

Typical colonies have
"molar tooth" appearance Molar tooth colony
on agar

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 Actinomycosis
 Treatment
 1 to 2 months of penicillin given through a vein,
followed by 6 to 12 months of penicillin taken by mout
h.

co-trimoxasole, chloramphenicol, methicilin

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