Some members of Yersinia are pathogenic in humans. One in particular, Y. pestis, is the causative agent of the plague called Yersiniosis. Rodents are the natural reservoirs of Yersinia; less frequently other mammals serve as the host. Infection may occur through blood (in the case of Y. pestis it is spread by flea bites). The symptoms of plague depend on the concentrated areas of infection in each person. Examples are: bubonic plague in lymph nodes, septicemic plague in blood vessels, pneumonic plague in lungs, and so on. Yersinia may also...
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Several species of Vibrio are pathogens. Most disease causing strains are associated with gastroenteritis (food poisoning, usually associated with eating undercooked seafood) but can also infect open wounds and cause septicemia (severe infection). It can be carried by numerous sea-living animals, such as crabs or prawns, and has been known to cause fatal infections in humans during exposure. Pathogenic Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera, an infection of the small intestine. The primary symptoms of cholera are profuse painless diarrhea and vomiting of clear fluid. These symptoms usually...
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Treponema species cause treponemal diseases such as syphilis, bejel, pinta and yaws. T. pallidum pallidum is a motile spirochaete that is generally acquired by close sexual contact. The organism can also be transmitted to a fetus by transplacental passage during the later stages of pregnancy, causing congenital syphilis. The subspecies causing yaws, pinta, and bejel are morphologically and serologically indistinguishable from T. pallidum pallidum (syphilis). However, their transmission is not venereal in nature and the course of each disease is significantly different. Syphilis is transmitted through sexual contact or from...
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Streptococci are part of the normal environment of the mouth, skin, intestine, and upper respiratory tract of humans. Streptococci are even a necessary ingredient in Swiss cheese. Some species are pathogenic which means they cause infection. The most common ones are: Streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) Impetigo (infection of the skin) Rheumatic fever (inflammation of the heart and joints) Scarlet fever (skin rash) Severe, sometimes life-threatening disease may occur when bacteria get into parts of the body where it is usually not found, such as the blood, muscle, or the lungs....
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Found worldwide, the Staphylococcus species are a small component of soil microbial flora (good bacteria). Most species are harmless and reside normally on the skin and in mucous membranes of the nasal and upper respiratory system of humans and other organisms. However, some Staphylococcus species can cause a wide variety of diseases in humans and animals through either toxin production or penetration. Staphylococcal toxins are a common cause of food poisoning, as it can grow in improperly-stored food items. Staphylococcus aureus cause most staph infections, principally: Skin infections Pneumonia Food...
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Shigella is closely related to E. Coli and Salmonella. It is only naturally found in humans and apes. Shigella infection is typically contracted via ingestion (fecal–oral contamination). Depending on the age and condition of the host, as few as 100 bacterial cells can be enough to cause an infection. Shigella causes dysentery that results in the destruction of the epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa in the cecum and rectum. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and flatulence. The stool may contain blood, mucus, or...
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Salmonella are found worldwide in cold and warm blooded animals (including humans), and in the environment. They cause illnesses like typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and food borne illness (food poisoning, often called enteritis). Typhoid and Paratyphoid ( a milder form of Typhoid) are diseases transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium. The bacteria then perforate through the intestinal wall and are phagocytosed by macrophages. The use of reasonable sanitary practices is the best way to prevent these...
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The Rickettsia survival depends on entry, growth, and replication within host cells (typically endothelial cells). Rickettsia species are carried by ticks, fleas, and lice, and cause diseases in humans such as typhus, rickettsialpox, Boutonneuse fever, African tick bite fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Flinders Island spotted fever and Queensland tick typhus (Australian Tick Typhus). They have also been associated with a range of plant diseases. Despite the similar name, Rickettsia bacteria do not cause rickets, which is a result of vitamin D deficiency. This Quantum Formula antidotes the various species...
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Although there are 191 described species of pseudomonas, these infectious species flourish in hospital environments. They are a particular problem in this environment since it is the second most common infection in hospitalized patients (nosocomial infections). This pathogenesis might be due to the wide range of protein secretion systems in these bacteria. P. syringae is a prolific plant pathogen, many of which demonstrate a high degree of host plant specificity. There are numerous other Pseudomonas species that can act as plant pathogens. Although not strictly a plant pathogen, P. tolaasii...
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This genus of bacteria is named for their unique metabolism. They are able to synthesize propionic acid by using unusual biotin containing transcarboxylase enzymes. Its members are primarily facultative parasites and commensals of humans and other animals, living in and around the sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and other areas of the skin. They are virtually ubiquitous and do not cause problems for most people, but propionobacteria have been implicated in acne and other skin conditions. It can also cause chronic blepharitis (inflammation of the eye lid) and endophthalmitis (inflammation of...
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Pseudomonas Although there are 191 described species of pseudomonas, these infectious species flourish in hospital environments. They are a particular problem in this environment since it is the second most common infection in hospitalized patients (nosocomial infections). This pathogenesis might be due to the wide range of protein secretion systems in these bacteria. P. syringae is a prolific plant pathogen, many of which demonstrate a high degree of host plant specificity. There are numerous other Pseudomonas species that can act as plant pathogens. Although not strictly a plant pathogen, P....
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Mycoplasma species are the smallest free-living organisms known on the planet. Mycoplasmal organisms are usually associated with mucosal surfaces, residing extracellularly in the respiratory and urogenital tracts. They rarely penetrate the submucosa, except in the case of immunosuppression or instrumentation, when they may invade the bloodstream and disseminate to different organs and tissues throughout the body. Unlike viruses, Mycoplasmas can grow in tissue fluids (blood, joint, heart, chest and spinal fluids) and inside any living tissue cell without killing the cells, as most normal bacteria and viruses will do. Mycoplasmas...
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