Top 10 Infectious Disease Caused by Bacterial Species.

Bacteria are the oldest, abundant single celled prokaryotic microorganisms seen on our surroundings. They can thrive in diverse environments and most bacteria are harmless. They play a major role in maintaining our ecosystem. An interesting fact is that our human body is also inhabited by some of them. They have plenty of applications in the field of agriculture, medicine and pharmacology.

However, relatively some strains of bacteria are considered as pathogens and cause infectious disease. Now a days bacterial infections can easily treated with vaccines and antibiotics. A major threat is that bacterial strains are become antibiotic resistant. Bacteria can be classified in to gram positive and gram negative depending upon the staining methods. Here, In this article we will focus on the top 10 infections caused by different bacterial strains.

Let’s discuss about the top 10 infectious bacterial disease:-

10. Cholera (watery diarrhoea)

This pandemic is caused by comma shaped, gram negative bacterium vibrio cholera. It is a diarroheal illness. It is easily transmitted through contaminated food and water. Easily affects both children’s and adults. If not properly treated death may occur.

It is endemic to the regions associated with inadequate sanitization and less clean drinking water facilities. This epidemic was first reported in the Bengal regions of India. The strains of these bacterium was first isolated by German physician, Robert Koch. Symptoms:- Vomiting, watery diarrhoea, abdominal cramping. Treatment:- fluid restoration.

9. Botulism

A rare, dangerous disease due to a lethal toxin (botulinum) produced by clostridium botulinum, a bacterial strain. We all known about this bacterium at some point in our life, any guesses?? Botox is produced from clostridium botulinum. They are heat resistant, and have the ability to geminate in anaerobic conditions.

The spores can be survived in canned food items. They affect our nervous system. The three common forms of botulism are Infant botulism very rare, the disease seen in infants under 6 months of age. Food borne botulism very potent, botulism toxin produced in canned food products like meat, Ham, less acidified food products. Seven forms of botulinum are there- A, B, C, D, E, F and G.

Symptoms:- Weak crying, constipation, floppy movements, drooping eye lids were seen in infants. Muscle weakness, respiratory failure, blurred vision are the symptoms comes under wound botulism. Vomiting, diarrhoea, tiredness, difficulty in swallowing can be seen in patients suffering from food borne botulism. Eventually all the three forms leads to paralysis. Treatment :- Usage of clean and cooked food items, Use of properly boiled foods.

8. Shigellosis

Contagious disease caused by gram negative bacterial genus Shigella. The disease is commonly found in Young children’s (under age 5). It can be spread through contaminated water, food. Kiyoshi Shiga a Japanese scientist, discovered the bacteria in 1897.The genus shigella comprises four species.

They are 1. shigella dysenteriae, 2. shigella flexneri, 3. shigella sonnei, 4. shigella boydii. Symptoms:- Nausea, vomiting, fever, stomach cramp, diarrhoea. Treatment:- medicines like ampicillin, amoxicillin are used to treat this. Good personal hygiene is necessary. Use soap and water, sanitizers. Should avoid close contact with infected person.

7. Leprosy (Hansen’s disease)

It is a curable infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It was in 1873, a Norwegian physician, Gerhard Armauer Hansen discovered the causative agent. This disease cannot pass from pregnant mother to foetus. Prolonged close contact with the infected person may result in spread of the disease to the other person. Symptoms:- lose sense of touch, numbness, skin colour changes in affected areas, muscle weakness. Treatment:- combinations of antibiotics can be used.

6. Syphilis

A sexually transmitting disease caused by bacterium treponema pallidium. It is common found in men than women. Untreated syphilis results may be fatal. It can be treatable in its early stages. It is divided into four stages- primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. Symptoms:- Painless sore on Genitals, fever, fatigue, rashes appeared on body.

5. Diphtheria

It is a potent fatal bacterial infection that usually affects the mucous membrane of our nose and throat. Once it was a major cause of demise among children. It is caused by strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It affects children of below 15 years. It spread through close contact with infectant.

Vaccination against this dreadful disease has reduced the mortality rate. Symptoms:- Chills, fever, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, coughing, Nasal discharge. sore throat. Treatment:-using diphtherial antitoxin, use of antibiotics.

4. Tetanus (lock Jaw or trismus)

A fatal nervous disorder caused by the tetanospasmin, a exotoxin produced by an anaerobic gram positive bacterium Clostridium tetani, which is commonly found in soil. The tetanus causing toxin was first discovered by Arthur Nicolaier. It is not spread from one person to other. It enters the body through wounds, animal bite, infected syringe. Once they entered, they germinate and release tetanospasmin into the blood stream.

There are four types of tetanus- 1. Generalized tetanus, the most common form 2. Neonatal Tetanus, seen in newborn’s of unimmunized mother 3. Localized tetanus are the rarest form and they are fatal and 4. Cerebral tetanus( Cephalic tetanus) occurs after a skull fracture, dental procedures.

Symptoms:- Muscular rigidity, spasm, fever, headache, fast heart rate, trouble in swallowing. Treatment:- Antibiotics, Vaccines, Use of antitoxins. It can be successfully treat with botulinum toxin injections.

3. Anthrax

A rare infectious disease caused by gram positive, non-motile bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. The spores were commonly found in soil. It is also a lethal biological weapon. Domestic animals are usually infected by this disease. Occasionally it is transmitted to humans too by activities such as contaminated animal products, hunting etc.. four forms of anthrax are there;-

Cutaneous Anthrax:- the most common type. It usually occurred when spores ethers through scrap or cuts in Skin. Inhalation Anthrax:- Inhaling the spores. Gastro Intestinal Anthrax:- It is rare and it entered the body through eating anthrax infected raw or semi cooked meat. Injection Anthrax:- develops in people who inject heroin.

Symptoms:- vomiting, nausea, fever, shortness of breath, small blisters formation, sore form on neck and arms. Treatment:- Treating patients with antibiotics like Ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and antitoxin

2. Tuberculosis (TB)

A contagious bacterial disease caused by rod shaped bacterial strain mycobacterium tuberculosis. Robert Koch isolated this bacterium on 1882. This disease is popularly known as Kings evil in England and France, there was a myth that with a single touch from royals the infected persons could heal from it.

This disease primarily affect lungs, then affects other organs like brain, kidney and spine etc...There are two forms of tuberculosis and they are:- Latent TB (TB infection) and TB disease (Active TB). In latent TB forms, the carrier person do not have any symptoms, which was mainly due to the inactive phase of bacterium due to the active immune system of that person. The people with latent TB do not transmit this disease to other persons. While, in Active TB, the person is contagious. Coughing up blood, chest pain, difficulty in breathing can be seen in active TB patients. Symptoms:- Weight loss, fatigue, fever and chronic coughs. Treatment:- Combination of TB drugs.

1. Plague (Black death)

It is an epidemic disease caused by a gram negative bacteria known as Yersinia pestis. It is transmitted by fleas to rodents. The causative organisms was discovered by Scientist Alexander Yersin in 1898. The first outbreak of plague pandemic was in 541 CE.

Three clinical forms of plague are:- Bulbonic plague, the common form, occurred as a result of plague invade the lymphatic system, replicate and cause swellings of nodes and which results in buboes. In Septicemic plague, the bacteria enters the body through blood streams and Pneumonic plague, in which infection develops through the spreading of pathogen through lungs and it can be transmitted from one person to another.

Symptoms:- develops with in 2 to 7 days with in infection. The general symptoms of bulbonic plague includes painful swellings on the neck region, armpit, thighs. Abdominal pain, Fever, weakness are some of the symptoms of Septicemic plague. Treatment:- Now a days, the plague can be treated with antibiotics.

In this article we discussed only about the topic bacterial infections which are seen worldwide. There are a number of bacterial disease which are not included in this article. I hope this article will give you some information about the bacterial infections.

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