Cryptococcosis is a chronic mycotic infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans variation neoformans and Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii, both considered opportunistic. Though the organism is usually harmless to humans, the yeast type fungus can severely affect those with severe immunosuppression, such as HIV and AIDS patients.
In 1894 Greifswal Medical Society was presented with a paper by a pathologist named Busse, stating that he managed to isolate yeast from a woman¡¦s tibia. It was noted the resistance to sodium hydroxide. At the same time yet another physician, a surgeon noted an exact report of the same organism from the same patient; this condition was later named Busse-Buschke disease. Later reports of cryptococcal infections ranged from simple colonization of the airways and asymptomatic infections of laboratory employees to meningitis or circulated disease. The number one factor in whether a person may or may not become infected by a strain of cryptococci is the immune status of the host; because most of the serious infections occur in patients with some form of immunosuppression. In fact, cryptococcosis has now become a major life-threatening fugal infection in AIDS patients (King MD).
The most common variation of Cryptococcus in the United States, and other mild climate regions of the world is C. neoformans var. neoformans. This variation is usually found in the fecal droppings of pigeons. On the other hand C. neoformans var. gattii is found in the tropical regions of the world and grows in around some species of eucalyptus trees, not from birds. The rate of maturity of this organism is very fast each cell is expected to reach maturity in as little as 3 days (Larone 55). Though this infection is prevalent in immunosuppressed patients it is not limited to them, in fact C neoformans var. gattii does not commonly infect those patients with weakened immune systems but is more commonly found in those considered healthy and immunnocompetent. This is opposed to the fact that C neoformans var neoformans causes most of the world wide cryptococcal infections and targets immunosuppresed patients. This variation causes 85% of the cryptococcal infections in the United States amongst HIV patients (Cryptococcois).
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...ococcosis, Medline).
This disease can cause detrimental results in some patients but for the most part if a person is immunocompetent the chances of severe or chronic cryptococcal infection is rare. The progression of medical treatment and research has opened many doors in the treatment and information acquired about this disease. With more advances to come hopefully a cure to such disease as HIV and AIDS is found so that those patients do not have to undergo the turmoil of this fungal infection.
Works Cited
"Cryptococcois." CDC. Centers for disease control and prevention. 01 Mar. 2005 .
"Cryptococcosis." Medline Plus. Medline Plus. 01 Mar. 2005 .
King MD, John W. "Cryptococcosis." eMedicine. eMedicine. 01 Mar. 2005 .
Larone, Davise H. Medically Important Fungi: A guide to Identification. 2nd ed. Washington DC: American Society of Microbiology, 1993.
Phaff, H.J., M.W. Miller, and E.M. Mrak. The Life of Yeasts. 5th ed. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1966.
Skidmore, ed. Mosby's Drug Guide. 3rd ed. New York: Mosby, 1999.
Enterococcus faecalis is a genus of gram positive cocci and form short chains or are arranged in pairs. They are nonmotile, facultative anaerobic organisms and can survive in harsh conditions in nature. There are over 15 species of the Enterococcus genus but about 90% of clinical isolates are E. faecalis. E. faecalis is a nosocomial pathogen because it is commonly found in the hospital environment and can cause life-threatening infections in humans. It is a bacterium that normally inhabits the intestinal tract in humans and animals but when found in other body locations it can cause serious infections. The most common sites for E. faecalis infections are the heart, bloodstream, urinary tract, and skin wounds. Due to vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, many antibiotics have been shown ineffective in the treatment. In this paper, I will describe the ecology and pathology of E. faecalis; the antibacterial resistance; treatment; and, what you can do to prevent Enterococcus infection.
Cultures on vaginalis agar exhibited many short gram-negative rods. A medium containing starch showed more pleomorphic, gram-variable, clumped, and beaded cultures. 48 hour cultures of patients’ blood specimens with G. vaginalis were reported as mostly gram-positive (Catlin, 1992). G. vaginalis is beta-hemolytic on media containing human or rabbit blood but not on sheep blood agar. Hemolysis is improved by anaerobic incubation.
Microbiology with Diseases by Body System (Hardcover) & MasteringMicrobiology, 3rd edition, Bauman, R. W., Benjamin- Cummings Publishing Company, 2012, San Francisco, CA. ISBN 9780321716378. OR
Candidiasis, also called thrush or moniliasis, is a yeast infection. Candida albicans is an organism that normally makes a quiet home for itself on your skin and doesn't bother anyone. We all carry this organism on our skin, in our mouth, in our gastrointestinal tract (gut), and, in the case of women, in the vagina.
Candida can be obtained by rubbing a sterile cotton swab over the affected tissue lesions in the mouth and then inoculated in Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA). Another technique is using sterile foam pad that has been dipped in a liquid medium, such as Sabouraud's broth. The pad is then placed on the affected lesions in the mucosal cavity for 30 seconds and then transferred to an agar for culture. The last method is the oral rinse technique which require the patient to hold a sterile phosphate buffered saline in the mouth for one minute. The solution is then inoculated on an agar media at 37oC for 24-48 hours (1).
can be prevented by a vaccine. In 20 - 30% of the cases the infection spreads
Enterococcus faecalis species is known to be the most common of Enterococci. Enterococcus faecalis is a gram positive bacteria. It is Non-Acid Fast. There are no endospores, but capsules are present. Enterococcus faecalis or Enterococci live within our GI tract, they also can be found in the mouth and vagina. They normally live inside our intestines without problems, the problem occurs when Enterococcus faecalis leaves our intestines, it can create an infection in the blood, urine, or in wounds. E. faecalis can cause a problem in people with a lowered immune system because they are more infection prone for example cancer patients, people on dialysis, people who have HIV or AIDS, transplant patients, etc. Interesting note about E. faecalis is
"Bloodborne Pathogens : MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
Infections tend to be mild and may cause flu-like symptoms. Many time, the infection will require an antifungal treatment (Kellner et al, 111). Because of the flu-like symptoms, this disease was fairly difficult to diagnose; many patients died and were thought to have died from the flu. In 1892, the disease was finally discovered, was originally recognized as Coccidioides immitis only, and was treated with antifungal drugs (Cox and Magee, 805). According to the initial, official studies of this disease, patients could live anywhere from four months to nine years. The first two patients were drastically different; patient one had a slowly progressing form of Coccidioidomycosis, the disease caused by both Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. Patient one lived for nine years after the initial diagnosis and never received any antifungal treatment (Cox and Magee, 806). Patient two had a much more rapidly progressing form of Coccidioidomycosis. Patient two lived for only four months and died from the infection caused by the Coccidioides immitis pathogen (Cox and Magee, 806). Patient one made those studying this disease because that the pathogen would be slow acting, so patient two was treated as though the pathogen wouldn’t take full effect for a few years. As stated above, Coccidioidomycosis is the disease caused by Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. Coccidioidomycosis
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the obligate human pathogen that causes the sexually transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhea. This Gram-negative diplococci/gonococci does not infect other animals or experimental animals and does not survive freely in the environment. The gonococcal infection occurs in the upper or lower tract, pharynx, ophthalmic area, rectum, and bloodstream. During the 1980’s gonorrhea was also referred to as “the clap” when public awareness was quite minimal. This was one of the venereal diseases prostitutes hoped to contract since it resulted in infertility by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). As documentation, diagnostic testing, and public awareness improved, there has been a decline in incidence reports, however, it is still considered a very common infectious disease.
Murray, Patrick R., Ken S. Rosenthal and Michael A. Pfaller. Medical Microbiology, 6th Edition. Philadelphia: Mosby Elsevier, 2009.
It is an opportunistic pneumonia fungal infection caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci. While technically a fungal infection, antifungals have shown to be ineffective against it, so the treatment requires antibiotics and short term steroid use in HIV/AIDS patients. The PJP was causing his shortness of breath and cough.
Mucor is a life-threatening fungal infection that occurs in immunocompromised patients and its caused by a group of molds called mucoromycetes. It’s mainly affects people with weakened immune systems and can occur in nearly any part of the body. These molds live throughout the environment. It most commonly affects the sinuses or the lungs after inhaling fungal spores from the air, or the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, scrape, burn, or other type of skin trauma. Mucormycosis refers to several different diseases caused by infection with fungi in the order of Mucorales.
To begin this discussion on the life cycle of Hydnum Repandum, this text will start with the basidiospore germination (Webster 295). This results in a haploid mycelium with a single nucleus in each cell. It is then referred to as the monokaryon, or the primary mycelium (Ross 141). Following this, two genetically different thalli come together, and the nuclei move from one thallus into another. The migration of nuclei usually results in both of the thalli becoming dikaryotic (Ross 142). This nuclear migration is very quick, and every hyphal tip becomes binucleate. The subsequent growth of the mushroom is all dikaryon (Ross 143).
Pictures of yeast infection will make you want to think seriously about infection by fungus more specifically by yeast. Single celled, yeast is able to multiply and make your life a living hell. This description can only be confirmed by people who continue to suffer from new and recurring infections. There is general discomfort when you have yeast overgrowth and women tend to suffer more. You will find many pictures of the infection on the internet and some of the places or areas of the body you will get to view are the vagina, skin, gut, mouth and many more. You might find the pictures graphic and if you are not strong enough, they might be very disturbing.