History
Francisella tularensis is a bacteria that is commonly referred to as Rabbit Fever. This microorganism is often known as this because the bacteria resides in mammals such as rabbits, squirrels and mice (UPMC Center for Health Security, 2013). There are many different components to this bacteria that make it unique. The microorganism F. tularensis is one that has very unique characteristics that make it responsible for being the kind of bacteria that it is. It is a gram-negative bacteria that occurs in coccobacillus form. It is a non-motile bacteria that is commonly found in water, mud, and decaying animal carcasses. (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, 2013). Because of these characteristics, F. tularensis is able to live in these conditions for weeks (UPMC Center for Health Security, 2013). For all of these reasons, this microorganism can be potentially harmful to humans.
Environment - Anwar F tularensis as a bacterium has a large array of sources from which it can be transmitted. As mentioned these include water, mud and decaying animal carcasses(Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, 2013). Additional sources include small mammals such as; rabbits, hares, muskrats and other such creatures(##). Small mammals such as
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tularensis could be used as a vaccine. The bacteria would be injected in the relatively colder areas of the body and would never spread to the hotter parts (spleen, liver, etc.). The bacteria replicated only in the rats’ tails, or the site of injection. This way the body could still build up immunities. Three weeks after the initial injection of the altered F. novicida with a marine microbe (Colwellia psychrerythraea), the rats were immune to a lethal dose of unchanged F. novicida. This experiment is hopeful that it may be used the same way with its cousin, F. tularensis, which as stated earlier, is a dangerous, biochemical
[1, 4, 5, 9, 13] There have been no documented cases where a human has contracted the disease from another human. [4] It appears, based on field and lab data, that infection requires direct contact with the virus through means such as contact with infective bodily secretions, urine, or tissues. [12] It is unknown to scientists how the virus can be maintained in the bat populations and avoids extinction as the host species becomes immune to its presence. [14] The incubation period from time of infection to the onset of symptoms is about 5-14 days in experimentally induced animals [4] and 8-14 days in natural field cases.
You woke up a week ago feeling odd. You were not sure what was wrong, but your body was full of aches, you felt hot to the touch, and you kept vomiting. Your mother told you to lay down and rest, hoping it was just a cold. After a few days, you began to feel better, well enough that you wanted to return to the river to watch the trade ships come in. Now, unfortunately, your symptoms have come back with a vengeance – your fever is back along with intense abdominal pain, your mouth is bleeding without being wounded, and every time you vomit, it appears black in color. Also, when you look in the mirror, your skin has changed from the sun-kissed color you have always been to a dull yellow hue. The doctor comes in to examine you; he makes many “tsk tsk” noises and hurries out of the room with a cloth over his face. The doctor mumbles to your mother that he believes you have Yellow Jack and there is nothing more he can do, you are going to die. Your mother weeps uncontrollably yet you cannot react because another horrendous pain in your head has doubled you over. Soon, as you stop shaking and begin to relax, the sounds of the doctor and your mother become white noise and your surroundings begin to dull until you prove the doctor right; another person fell victim to the infectious Yellow Fever virus.
...h apparently did not prevent transmission of T. equigenitalis (Erdman et al., 2011). With the exception of one, all other stallions were infected with T. equigenitalis indirectly via handling or contaminated fomites at breeding or collection facilities (Erdman et al., 2011). According to Erdman et al. (2011), this outbreak saw the largest number of horses that tested positive for the disease since the first outbreak in 1978. The source of the outbreak was most likely determined to be a stallion imported from Denmark in 2000 that had not been detected positive for T. equigenitalis neither upon pre-import testing in the country of origin nor quarantine testing in the United States (Erdman et al., 2011). The importation of this stallion in the United States subsequently led to subsequent transmission of infection between the years 2004 and 2009 (Erdman et al., 2011).
Many say that history repeats itself, and throughout history, the spread of food-borne diseases has been constantly threatening humans. Salmonella, a disease which attacks numerous people a year, has returned, infected, and put people under panic of what they are eating. According to Foodborne Diseases, it is stated that “Salmonella comprises a large and diverse group of Gram-negative rods. Salmonellae are ubiquitous and have been recovered from some insects and nearly all vertebrate species, especially humans, livestock, and companion animals” (Gray and Fedorka-Cray 55). Because of the flexibility and the ability to reproduce rapidly, this infamous disease still remains as one of the most common threats in our society as well as an unconquerable problem that humans face these days.
L. pneumophila belongs to the genus Legionella. This genus also causes Pontiac Fever, a milder illness resembling the flu. Infections by Legionella bacterium, separately or together, is sometimes called legionellosis. L. pneumophila is a ubiquitous organism which thrives in warm, moist places – including water pipes. It is thin, pleomorphic, flagellated and Gram-negative. It is the primary human pathogen of its genus. It does not have endospores or a capsule and morphologically it is a rod-like bacteria. Although, it is considered Gram-negative, it stains poorly because of its lipopolysaccharide outer layer of the outer cell membrane. It is non-acid-fast, aerobic and non-fermentative. It is not pigmented but it is oxidase and catalase positive. Its optimum temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius or 95 degrees Fairinheight and it is capable of surviving temperature ran...
Also known as Coccidioidomycosis, Valley fever infections have been on the rise in recent years. Endemic to the desert Southwest, valley fever is caused by the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides. The cocci get stirred up by building, drilling, tilling, and clearing land, and disperse due to dry, hot, windy conditions. The spores may be inhaled and are capable of embedding deep into the lungs.
Valley fever is a fungal pathogen. Coccidioidomycosis is valley fever’s scientific name. The pathogen’s structure is a spore. Valley fever is caused by Coccidioides immitis. Coccidioides immitis is a fungus that grows in soil. Valley fever is most commonly found in areas with little precipitation. This pathogen is most commonly found in the southern United States, Central America, and South America. However, scientists are worried that increased temperatures may cause valley fever to spread and affect new areas.
I identified the genus and species of an unknown bacterial culture, #16, and I applied the following knowledge of morphologic, cultural and metabolic characteristics of the unknown microorganism according to the laboratory manual as well as my class notes and power point print outs. I was given an incubated agar slant labeled #16 and a rack of different tests to either examine or perform myself; the tests are as follows: Gram Stain; Nutrient Gelatin Test; Carbohydrate Fermentation; Dextrose, Lactose and Sucrose; IMVIC tests; Citrate, Indole, Mythel-Red and Vogues Proskauer test; as well as a Urease and TSI Test.
There are different species of trichinella that can cause human disease, which has much disturbance worldwide. There are several species of trichinella that have been discovered. They include T. pseudospiralis (mammals and birds worldwide), T. nelsoni (African predators and scavengers), T. native (Artic bears), and T. britovi (carnivores of western Asia and Europe) (CDC, 2012). In the United States, there are less cases reported now than in the past. In the 1940’s, the United States Public Health Services began tracking the number of trichinellosis cases. There were 400 cases in the United States each year on average (CDC, 1997-2001). From 2008 to 2010, 20 cases were reported each year on average (CDC, 2012).
Enterococci are normally found inhabiting the large bowls of humans but are also a part of the intestinal micro flora in mammals and birds. Enterococci are also found in soil, plants, and water. Normally, you do not find E. faecalis in water but there are other species of Enterococci that have been found in water due to contamination. Often from feces. E. faecalis is considered an assorted species because it mingles with many different organisms and has an effect on the environment. Some of the ways that E. faecalis can be transmitted in the environment are by various insects and animals. House flies are a good example of how the bacterium is transmitted because where they live there are live microbial communities present. Normally they are found around...
The common name of a current invasive species found in California is the European Rabbit. The scientific name is the Oryctolagus cuniculus. European rabbits are grayish brown with commixed ebony, brown and reddish hairs on its back, light brown to beige fur on its underside, a beige ring around its eyes, and long ebony-tipped ears. It ranges from 13.5 to 20 inches (34-50 cm) in length and has a diminutive bushy tail that is 1.5 to 3.75 inches(4-8 cm) long. It ranges in weight from 2.25 to 5.5 lbs (1-2.5 kg), so it's a deceptively diminutive and cuddly-looking rabbit. The European rabbit looks homogeneous to a rodent in many ways. In addition, it genuinely belongs to the order of lagomorphs, along with hares and pikas. European
Salmonella enterica typhi (typhoid fever causing bacteria) are parasites with no other known living environment outside of humans (Pike, 2014). Typhoid has the ability to cause large outbreaks and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified Salmonella species with other food safety threats as high priority potential bioterrorism agents (Baggier, Burwen, Haber, & Ball, 2004). Salmonella enterica typhi is one of three species of the Salmonella genus. Typhoid gets its name from Typhos, which means smoke, or to cloud, or vapor. It was thought to be transmitted through a “cloud of sickness called miasma” (Pike, 2014). When someone recovers from typhoid fever, about 3-5% become carriers o...
Salmonella is also a bacterium that is widespread in the intestines of birds, reptiles, and mammals. It can spread to the human species a variety of different ways; through foods or animal origins. Some examples of food involved in outbreaks are eggs, poultry and other meats, raw milk and chocolate. The illnesses it causes are typically fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In people with poor underlying health or weakened immune...
T. pallidum is highly sensitive to oxygen and has a decreased ability to survive when not in human body temperature environments 1. The mode of transmission is through sexual contact or vertical transmission from the mother to the fetus. T. pallidum lacks the lipopolysaccharide which is the endotoxin normally present in gram negative bacteria1. The bacterium does produce many lipoproteins which are thought to prompt the inflammatory mediators through the recognition of toll-like receptors1. T. pallidum has a virulence factor of being highly motile due to its ability to propel itself forward by rotating on a longitudinal axis1. The spirochetes easily penetrate the skin or mucosal membranes and spread throughout the lymph nodes and then the blood circulation, affecting many parts in the body1.