Spirillum Obermeieri, Obermeier (1873). 



SPIRILLUM OF RELAPSING OR RECURRENT FEVER; 

 SPIROCHAETE OBERMEIERI. 



ORIGIN. It is always and exclusively present in the' 

 blood of relapsing" fever patients, and, is especially found 

 during the febrile paroxysms at which time it may be 

 present in large numbers. A similar, closely related spiril- 

 lum is found in the Trans-Caucasus in the blood of geese 

 affected with a disease which resembles somewhat the 

 recurrent fever of man (S. anserini, SakharofT). 



FORM. Delicate, flexible, long, wavy spirals. May 

 have 10-20 windings. Length is usually from 16 to 30 />.. 

 They are much narrower than the comma bacillus. 



MOTILITY. Actively motile. Flagella have not been 

 demonstrated. It preserves its motility at the ordinary 

 temperature for many days. 



SPORULATION. This has not been observed. 



ANILIN DYES. It is stained rapidly and intensely by the 

 ordinary dyes (p. 281). Gentian violet is useful for this 

 purpose. Gram's method is not applicable. 



GROWTH. It is an obligative parasite. It has not been 

 successfully cultivated outside of the living body. They 

 may live in the blood of a leech for some days. 



IMMUNITY. One attack does not protect against another. 



PATHOGENESIS. Inoculation of healthy individuals with 

 blood which contains these spirals produces typical relap- 

 sing fever, which is accompanied by the presence of the 

 characteristic spirals. The disease can also be transmitted 

 to monkeys, but the animal usually recovers. In monkeys 

 from which the spleen has been removed the spirilla de- 

 velop in enormous numbers in the blood, and death results 1 . 

 Although it has not been isolated and grown in pure cul- 

 ture, yet the constant presence of the organism in this dis- 

 ease leads to the accepted belief that it is the cause. This 

 is also true of the leprosy bacillus, the plasmodium of ma- 

 laria and the ameba coli of dysentery. 



DIAGNOSIS. The spirillum is easily detected if present 

 in large numbers. Otherwise it will require a very careful 

 examination. The blood should be examined during the 

 attack. 



1 Consult Soudakewitch, Annales de 1'Institut Pasteur, 5, 1891, 

 p. 545. Plates XIV-XVII. 



372 



