Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
08:40
Establishment and Characterization of UTI and CAUTI in a Mouse Model
Published on: June 23, 2015
Helcococcus kunzii isolated from a sow with purulent urocystitis
Carla Grattarola1, Claudio Bellino, Massimiliano Tursi
1Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy. carla.grattarola@izsto.it
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|June 11, 2010
Summary
Helicoccocus kunzii was identified in a sow with a urinary tract infection. This finding suggests the bacteria may cause disease in pigs, marking its first report in veterinary medicine.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary microbiology
- Swine infectious diseases
Background:
- Helicoccocus kunzii is a bacterium not previously documented in veterinary contexts.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in swine can have various etiological agents.
Observation:
- The bacterium Helicoccocus kunzii was isolated from a sow presenting with purulent urocystitis.
- Clinical signs included a severe urinary tract infection.
Findings:
- This marks the first reported isolation of Helicoccocus kunzii in a veterinary medicine case.
- The isolation suggests a potential pathogenic role for H. kunzii in swine infections.
Implications:
- This discovery expands the known spectrum of bacterial pathogens affecting swine.
- Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenicity and treatment of H. kunzii infections in pigs.
- Veterinarians should consider H. kunzii in the differential diagnosis of swine urocystitis.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:30Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
A healthcare provider can diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI) through several methods:Medical History and Symptoms: The provider will take a detailed medical history and ask about symptoms such as frequent urination, burning sensation during urination, and lower abdominal pain.Urinalysis: A clean-catch urine sample is collected in a sterile container and tested for the presence of bacteria, white blood cells (leukocytes), nitrites, blood, and protein. The presence of leukocytes and...
01:28Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
The human urogenital system, once thought to be sterile in healthy individuals, is now recognized as a complex microbial habitat. Advancements in molecular sequencing techniques have revealed that even in healthy adults, the kidneys and bladder harbor microbial populations similar to those found in the distal urethra, albeit in much lower abundance. These resident microorganisms, while generally innocuous, can become opportunistic pathogens under conditions that alter the urogenital...