Bacterial invasion strategies
Bacteria have developed different mechanisms to faciliate the invasion of respiratory tissues. Bordetella bronchiseptica, mycoplasmas and staphylococci attach to the ciliar epithelium and induce ciliostasis, thereby crippling one of the most important defense mechanisms.
They are also facultative intracellular parasites that may escape the host defense system and later cause recurrence of the infection (12).
Pseudomonas damages the host tissue directly and is able to increase mucus viscosity to make it less elastic and less transportable, whereas other bacteria inhibit or alter the function of alveolar macrophages and intraluminal neutrophilic granulocytes (11),(13).
 |
PDF Version (Size: 461 KB) | © 2001 Bayer AG |
References
| (11) | King LG, Boothe DM: Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract in dogs and cats. Veterinary Learning Systems Kansas USA, 1997. |
| (12) | Keil DJ, Fenwick B: Role of Bordetella bronchiseptica in infectious tracheobronchitis in dogs. JAVMA 2: 200-207, 1998. |
| (13) | King RR: Pathogenesis of lower respiratory tract infections. Small Animal Respiratory Disorders: Proceedings of the Comparative Respiratory Society Symposium, held at the 1996 North American Veterinary Conference, Orlando: 13-16, 1996. |
