Smith James L
Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038, USA.
J Food Prot. 2005 Jul;68(7):1525-34. doi: 10.4315/0362-028x-68.7.1525.
Colonic spirochetosis is a disease caused by the gram-negative bacteria Brachyspira aalborgi and Brachyspira pilosicoli. B. pilosicoli induces disease in both humans and animals, whereas B. aalborgi affects only humans and higher primates. Symptoms in humans include diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal cramps. Colonic spirochetosis is common in third world countries; however, in developed countries, the disease is observed mainly in homosexual males. Terminally ill patients infected with Brachyspira are particularly at risk for developing spirochetemia. Diarrhea, poor growth performance, and decreased feed-to-gain efficiency is seen in pigs with colonic spirochetosis. The disease in chickens is characterized by delayed and/or reduced egg production, diarrhea, poor feed conversion, and retarded growth. Thus, colonic spirochetosis can represent a serious economic loss in the swine and poultry industries. The organisms are transmitted by the fecal-oral route, and several studies have demonstrated that human, primate, pig, dog, or bird strains of B. pilosicoli can be transmitted to pigs, chickens, and mice. B. pilosicoli may be a zoonotic pathogen, and although it has not been demonstrated, there is a possibility that both B. pilosicoli and B. aalborgi can be transferred to humans via contact with the feces of infected animals, meat from infected animals, or food contaminated by food handlers. Neither B. pilosicoli nor B. aalborgi has been well characterized in terms of basic cellular functions, pathogenicity, or genetics. Studies are needed to more thoroughly understand these Brachyspira species and their disease mechanisms.
结肠螺旋体病是一种由革兰氏阴性菌奥尔堡短螺旋体和毛样短螺旋体引起的疾病。毛样短螺旋体可在人类和动物中引发疾病，而奥尔堡短螺旋体仅感染人类和高等灵长类动物。人类的症状包括腹泻、直肠出血和腹部绞痛。结肠螺旋体病在第三世界国家很常见；然而，在发达国家，这种疾病主要见于同性恋男性。感染短螺旋体的晚期患者尤其有发生螺旋体血症的风险。患有结肠螺旋体病的猪会出现腹泻、生长性能差以及饲料转化率降低的情况。鸡的这种疾病表现为产蛋延迟和/或产蛋量减少、腹泻、饲料转化率低以及生长发育迟缓。因此，结肠螺旋体病会给猪和家禽养殖业带来严重的经济损失。这些病原体通过粪口途径传播，多项研究表明，毛样短螺旋体的人、灵长类、猪、狗或鸟类菌株可传播给猪、鸡和小鼠。毛样短螺旋体可能是一种人畜共患病原体，尽管尚未得到证实，但毛样短螺旋体和奥尔堡短螺旋体都有可能通过接触受感染动物的粪便、受感染动物的肉或食品处理人员污染的食物而传播给人类。无论是毛样短螺旋体还是奥尔堡短螺旋体，在基本细胞功能、致病性或遗传学方面都尚未得到充分研究。需要开展更多研究以更全面地了解这些短螺旋体物种及其致病机制。
