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.
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...
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...d rectal thermometers and transmission by hands after touching IV or urinary catheters. Enterococci can be intrinsic and can tolerate or resist beta-lactam antibiotics due to containing penicillin-binding proteins. That means they are still able to combine cell wall components. There can be acquired resistance of Enterococci that comprises of resistance to penicillin by beta-lactamases, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines, rifampin, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and vancomycin. There is a potential for cell-wall synthesis because the genes that encrypt intrinsic or acquired vancomycin resistance produce in a peptide to which vancomycin cannot connect. Unfortunately, due to the resistance of penicillin, Enterococci can be inhibited but cannot be killed. Health care professionals are left with limited therapeutic therapy that can be effective in the treatment of VRE.
Enteric bacteria are major microorganisms that colonise human’s gastrointestinal tract- a long tube containing specialised sections such as the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum and the anus. Gut bacteria make up approximately 95 percent of the total cells in the body, with the colon containing the densest microbial communities (Gibson, Rastall and Fuller 2008: 52). Human gastrointestinal tract consists of 100 different prokaryotic species, and with two bacterial species, firmicutes and bacteroicidetes dominating them (Brooker et al. 2011: 559).
Irregular bowel movements or constipation is quite a major and common concern in adults and babies as well. The condition becomes more challenging when it comes to babies. Parents of infants worry when their infant’s bowel movement is not regular and clear as that causes formation of gas and stomach pain.
In Euripides’ play The Bacchae, the ideals that were the foundation of Greek culture were called into question. Until early 400B.C.E. Athens was a society founded upon rational thinking, individuals acting for the good of the populace, and the “ideal” society. This is what scholars commonly refer to as the Hellenic age of Greek culture. As Athens is besieged by Sparta, however, the citizens find themselves questioning the ideals that they had previously lived their lives by. Euripides’ play The Bacchae shows the underlying shift in ideology of the Greek people from Hellenic (or classical), to Hellenistic; the god character Dionysus will be the example that points to the shifting Greek ideology.
Is fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) effective treatment for patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). UC is a chronic inflammation of the large intestine. FMT is used to describe the delivery of a healthy donors stool into a patient via enema, colonoscope, or nasogastric tube. In the past several years FMT has been used for an alternative treatment with patients diagnosed with Clostridium difficile (CD). The purpose of this paper is to discuss if FMT is just as effective in treating UC over just medication. The articles below will give insight if this theory is true or not.
The Cruise lines from all over the world have been hit hard with outbreaks of the “Stomach Flu.” This concerning illness is known as gastroenteritis and it can be caused by a handful of different bacteria and viruses. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the “norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States.”(cite cdc overview). Cruise lines have taken large measures to prevent and contain the spread of the norovirus but the latest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean, has been greatly impacted by the norovirus with over 600 passengers infected.
This condition can spread from one person to another (contagious). Toxin-producing E. coli can also spread from animals to humans. Most cases of E. coli infection come from cattle.
The cause of acute, persistent, or relapsing clinical infections is often due to multidrug resistance and/or antibiotic tolerance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widespread, opportunistic, gram-negative, bacterial pathogen that readily develops multidrug resistance and is responsible for causing acute and persistent infections (Starkey et al, 2014). P. aeruginosa thrives in moist environments, primarily as waterborne and soil-borne organisms (Chen, 2015). It is found on medical equipment including catheters, which can cause cross-infections in hospitals and lead to nosocomial infections. If P. aeruginosa is found in the lungs, the urinary tract, or the kidneys, the results can be fatal (Chen, 2015). In addition to causing life-threatening diseases,
Bacteria are found nearly everywhere within the body and most types are harmless or even helpful to bodily function (Novitt-Moreno). While it is important to have these bacteria in the body, pathogenic invaders can cause serious illnesses. Pathogenic bacteria work by either actually attacking a part of the victim’s body or releasing toxic waste products into the body. Bacteria are single-celled and contain all of the cellular mechanisms needed to live, grow, and reproduce (Novitt-Moreno). That means, when treating a bacterial infection, it is critical to have a highly specific antibiotic that can destroy the unwanted
Giardiasis is a disease of the lower digestive system caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia which is transmitted via a faecal-oral route. The infection is acquired when a person ingests a dormant cyst of the parasite, usually by drinking contaminated water. The disease affects around 200 million people worldwide and is especially prevalent in third world countries, where there are larger populations of people in areas with poorer sanitation and therefore a greater risk of the parasite being passed on from person to person through direct contact. However, the parasite is also zoonotic and may spread between animals and humans. After an incubation period of one to two weeks, symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, vomiting and weight loss may arise but some infected people remain asymptomatic and a carrier of the parasite. There are two assemblages of the causative agent Giardia lamblia which infects humans and other animals, except rodents. This parasite has a distinctive morphology. It is a single-celled, pear-shaped protozoan with two nuclei, four pairs of flagella and median bodies in the cytoskeleton. . It does not contain peroxisomes or mitochondria but does have a mitosome. A specialized feature of Giardia lamblia, known as an adhesive disc, ensures the attachment of the parasite to the intestinal mucosa in the infected host.
Passing of poop, stool or faeces is regarded as a normal phenomenon in the human physiology. Poop is regarded as the solid waste matter discharged from the intestine after digestion of food has taken place through the anus.
Parents across the nation have struggled with the effectiveness of toilet training. Toilet training is an age old task that does not just consist of making it in time to the restroom, but a complete process of discussion, undressing, eliminating, dressing again, flushing the toilet, and washing ones hands (Brannigan, Cuskelly, and Keen, 2007). With a variety of techniques parents have created their own way of completing the process of toilet training through some form of behavior modification. Behavior modification involves the systematic application of learning principles and techniques to assess and improve individuals’ covert and overt behaviors in order to enhance their daily functioning (Martin and Pear, 2015). While parents create their
The main factors that affect the composition of gut microbial are age, diet, antibiotic use and genetics. These factors change the gut microbiota by changing the selective environment of the gut. Although we can gain new gut microbes during our life, most of the changes that occur are changes in the relative abundance of the microbes already in our guts. We start with a sterile gut and gain microbes during and after birth. At birth, infants show a low diversity of microbes which are experimentally shown to be associated with their mode of delivery. The intestinal microbiota of infants delivered through the vagina contain microbes present in the mother’s vagina and feces. These microbes are usually of the Lactobacillus and
Gastroenteritis, sometimes referred to as infectious diarrhoea is a common disease that affects millions of people annually. It is a disease caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites that enter the human body and spread, which induce symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea. Although it is a common occurrence in society and is usually not harmful, cases of gastroenteritis in less developed countries may have more fatal repercussions due to their inability to access ample means of treatment. Over time, as more research was conducted into the disease, scientific developments were made to aid those affected by gastroenteritis and reduce the number of fatalities by educating people regarding preventative methods.
Diarrhoea is the process of passing watery faeces, accompanied by symptoms such as stomach pains, nausea and vomiting (betterheath). It is very widespread, being experienced by lots of people several times a year and is usually easily treatable (webmd). However, not all cases of diarrhoea are as simple. In fact, some diarrhoeal cases are life-threatening, killing approximately 760 000 children under the age of five each year (WHO1).
The excretory system is a passive biological system that removes excess, unnecessary materials from the body fluids of an organism, so as to help maintain internal chemical homeostasis and prevent damage to the body. The dual function of excretory systems is the elimination of the waste products of metabolism and to drain the body of used up and broken down components in a liquid and gaseous state. In humans and other amniotes most of these substances leave the body as urine and to some degree exhalation, mammals also expel them through sweating.