Fungal keratitis or keratomycossis is one of the major challenges faced by ophthalmologist all over the world. Filamentous fungi Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. form the major etiological agents of fungal keratitis. Though several antifungal drugs are available for treatment, the ability to acquire resistance against these drugs and penetrate inside host tissue makes the treatment of Fusarium difficult. In the present study a total of 30 isolates of Fusarium spp., were obtaines after processing the corneal specimen taken from the patients attending a tertiary care eye hospital in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. The efficacy of 10 different antifungal agents against 30 isolates of Fusarium spp. was determined by broth microdilution method. Our study revealed that out of 10 different antifungal agents (azoles, polyenes and allylamine) tested, voriconazole and amphotericin B were effective against Fusarium spp. and durgs like clotrimazole, fluconazole and natamycin have inhibited most of the strains at a concentration of 8 µg/ml but some isolates remain resistant to higher concentratio...
Serratia marcescens, a Gram-negative bacillus, was originally and solely considered a biological marker in the medicinal industry, due to its highly natural red pigment: Prodigiosin (Hejazi and Falkiner, 1997). The pigment has numerous roles within bacteria, which can be further translated into the pharmaceutical and medical domain. This bacterium naturally occurs in water, soil, on plants as well as in humans and animals (Khanafari et al, 2006), where it is deemed an opportunistic pathogen.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva also known as FOP is a one of the rarest, most disabling genetic bone conditions known to medicine. FOP causes muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues to turn in to bone. Movement becomes limited in the affected areas of the body. People with FOP typically have malformed toes at birth, meaning the big toe is typically shorter than normal and abnormally turned outward in a position called a valgus deviation. Symptoms of FOP start to show up in early childhood. Most people with FOP develop painful tumor-like swellings also known as fibrous nodules. The fibrous nodules are visible on the neck, shoulders, and back.
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.
For medical care, no treatment is needed for those who are asymptomatic, just monitoring for mild symptoms (2). For those who cannot fight the disease as easily as the majority, there are an array of treatments available. To start, blood cultures should be performed in all patients, and sputum cultures should be taken for those with chronic histoplasmosis (2). Chest radiology would be preferred for individuals with acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, steroids and possible laser treatment for ocular histoplasmosis, and CT scans for those with cerebral histoplasmosis (2). With prolonged symptoms of more than 4 weeks, medical therapy via itraconazole is recommended for 6-12 weeks, followed by chest imaging (2). Bronchiectasis caused by the microbe is treated with either a bronchoscopy or surgical removal (3). Phrenological treatments to histoplasmosis include amphorcetericin B, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole (3). Currently, antifungal agents are being developed to offer alternative treatment (3). To successfully survive as a pathogen, the virus must change itself on a micro level to survive changing conditions, macrophages, and other threats to the fungi’s reproduction (4). Being able to go from an environmental mold to an intercellular yeast is extremely useful for a microbe in an ecosystem that fights for control of those it infects (4). These advantages present within histoplasmosis are what keeps it as a cause of respiratory and systemic disease in mammals (4). There are plenty of treatments available to accommodate all forms of histoplasmosis, making it a microbe that is very simple to cure, despite how hard it tries to
This paper will cover a description of Hydnum repandum, its ecology, and some research involving the species.
Antiviral creams: Prescription antiviral creams, such as imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara), are often effective in removing Molluscum Contagiosum lesions over time.
It is undeniable that the recent discovery of antibiotics and disinfectants in the past century is leading to the creation of increasingly dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Super bugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus have begun breaking out in hospital areas, killing more and more patients due to the lack of people following through with simple safety measures. In order to stop the creation and spread of antibiotic-resistant super bugs, proper precautions must be taken such as avoiding antibacterial cleaners, following through with instructions when taking prescriptions and maintaining adequate hand hygiene. Through adhering to basic safety rules, the creation and spread of super bugs can be minimized and all together discontinued from occurring at such a rapid rate.
Yersinia pestis, the culprit behind the infamous Black Death, spread by rat fleas, has cast a shadow over human civilization, taken the lives of countless peasants and nobles alike like a violent brute who murders invariably. There are three major forms of infection stages, the bubonic plague, the septicemic plague, and the pneumonic plague (primary and secondary), all are lethal if not treated with proper antibiotics. Due to similar symptoms, clinical diagnosis, the distinction between a common cold and a lethal infection is made difficult. However, though a potent murderer, Yersinia pestis can be easily eliminated by antibiotic treatment; survivors of the disease may be scarred.
In North Dakota and various other surrounding states have a very harsh climate compared to other places. Because of this, multicellular parasitic disease is an uncommon occurrence. Physicians in North Dakota and surrounding areas rarely if ever see and treat patients with parasitic diseases; however, it can happen and it is important to be informed about such diseases in order to better treat and inform patients. I myself was not informed about several parasites that can live in the area and would like to pass the knowledge onto my peers as well. The parasites I will focus on are Diphyllobothrium Latum and Fasciola Hepatica. In order to have a better understanding of the pathology of the two parasites, the following topics will need to be reviewed
Supplemental Figure 6. Influence of glucose on human keratinocyte cell function. The human keratinocyte cells, HaCats or primary keratinocytes were grown under normal (6 mM) or high (50 mM) glucose conditions for 2 days. A) Intracellular survival of S. aureus in a gentamicin protection assay. N=10. B) Survival of S. aureus in extracellular milieu. N=14. C). Gentamicin protection again with primary keratinocytes. N=15. D) Uptake of AF647 labelled S. aureus. N=2 for PBS and 7 for S. aureus. E) Viability of keratinocytes after gentamicin protection
Amphotericin B is a polyene antifungal agent that targets the cell membrane of a fungal cell. The cell membrane has a lipid bilayer component consisting of sterols. One of the sterols in this layer is ergo sterol. Ergo sterol provides stability and flexibility to the cell membrane. Amphotericin B penetrates the cell wall and inserts itself into the cell membrane. Once Amphotericin B enters the cell membrane it serves as an aggregate binding close to ergo sterol. This binding of ergo sterol and amphotericin B creates pores in the intracellular membrane causing the loss of potassium and ultimately the organism will die. This drug has not been proven effective in treating PAM, yet all known cases surviving this infection have been treated with Amphotericin B. Work is currently being done to determine what specific to Naegleria Fowleri makes it pathogenic and if these virulence factors can be specifically targeted by drugs. In 2014 the U.S. Food and Drug administration approved a drug called Miltefosine in treatment of Naegleria Fowleri. Miltefosine was originally intended as an anti-cancer treatment. Studies are still unclear as to whether or not Miltefosine will be effective in fighting the organism because this drug is still so new on the market. Test methods for detecting this organism are fairly limited because there are only a hand full of laboratories
In this exercise, Penicillium was utilized, a common, safe, mold. Certain species of Penicillium will spoil fruits, vegetables, grains, and grasses. Other species will ripen various chesses. Still, other species are used in the production of antibiotics. The species of Penicillium, italicum is provided for the lab because of its pronounced hyphae. Penicillium italicum, along with Penicillium digitatum attack citrus fruits post-harvest. In this experiment, the effect of Penicillium italicum on two types of citrus fruits and one non-citrus fruits were tested.
Very few view fungi as essential to human life. If asked to consider this diverse kingdom, most would only answer with whether they enjoy mushrooms on their pizzanotwithstanding the fact that there are at the very least 1 million species of fungi thought to outnumber vascular plants by a ratio somewhere between six to one and thirty-three to one. Even so, only 100,000 species of fungi are known to exist while mycologists continue to discover 1000 new species every year. Most notable was the recent discovery of a single honey mushroom congregation thought to weigh 605 tons and cover 2200 acres of Oregon’s Strawberry Mountains. If considered a single organism, this 2000-year-old fungus would have the largest surface area in the world (Stephenson 2010). As a result of this diversity, fungi form a complex and captivating clade that supports a large portion of Earth’s life.
It is estimated that over one-half of the antibiotics in the U.S. are used in food animal production. The overuse of antimicrobials in food animal production is an under-appreciated problem. In both human and veterinary medicine, the risk of developing resistance rises each time bacteria are exposed to antimicrobials. Resistance opens the door to treatment failure for even the most common pathogens and leads to an increasing number of infections. The mounting evidence of the relationship between antimicrobial use in animal husbandry and the increase in bacterial resistance in humans has prompted several reviews of agricultural practices by scientific authorities in a number of countries, including the US.
The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Program is an essential force maximizing quality, patient centered care, and safety throughout the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). The VANTHCS “... is a progressive health care provider in the heart of Texas ... we serve more than 117,000 Veterans and deliver 1.4 million outpatient episodes of care each year to Veterans in 38 Texas counties and two counties in southern Oklahoma” (“VA North Texas,” 2016, para. 1). The purpose of the IPC Program is to guide a facility-wide approach toward identifying, preventing, controlling, and eliminating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This approach is facilitated through infection control (IC) practitioner’s role-modeling behaviors of assessing, supporting, guiding, and/or directing healthcare providers (HCPs) in the application of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prevent HAIs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HAIs are often preventable adverse events that pose a major threat to patient safety (“Centers for Disease,” 2016). As a result, IC practitioners recognize the importance of preparing nurse faculty to engage clinical staff in the application of EBPs to prevent infections.