Description of Clostridium Difficile Clostridium difficile, otherwise known as C. diff, is a species of spore-forming, anaerobic, gram-positive bacteria that is known to cause watery diarrhea. 1 The genus name, Clostridium refers to the spindle shape of the organism while Difficile means difficult in Latin due to the fact that this organism thrives in unfavorable conditions and is very difficult to isolate.4 The incidence of getting CDI has increased over the years due to new strains of increased toxin production of the bacteria and increased resistance to antibiotics.2 It is a gastrointestinal infection, and the most common cause of infectious diarrhea.1 C. difficile was first identified in the feces of healthy newborns back in the 1930’s and by 1935, it was considered normal flora. 2 During 1974, researchers conducted that about 21% of patients that were treated with an antibiotic called clindamyacin reported diarrhea and about 10% of them reported to have conducted pseudomembranous colitis as a side effect of this treatment. 2 It was in 1978 where C. diff had been known to cause anti-biotic associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. 2 It is known to form spores that resist many disinfectants; it also survives for several months on different surfaces.1 It is a common form of a nosocomial infection and the prevalence of becoming infected with C. diff is about 0-15% in a health care setting. 3 The spores survive well in environments such as soil, water and animals and is distributed worldwide. 4 CDI produces two toxins (Toxin A and B), which are cytotoxic and cause tissue necrosis.4 Transmission C. difficile is highly contagious and is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. 2 It also known to develop right afte... ... middle of paper ... ...ns should be worn. 2 Vaccines and Antisera Currently, there is no official vaccine that is being used to protect patients against C. diff. Vaccines are currently being developed which targets the specific proteins of the organism that is essential for vaccine development. 5 These proteins produce an immune response when introduced to a host. 5 There are also recent clinical trials that have shown strains of C. diff that only produce toxin B exist and that developing an antitoxin B may be used in defense of an infection. 5 Researchers have also developed vaccine that contains purified versions of toxin A and B. Patients injected with this vaccine had a significant rise of antitoxins during the 30th day of the vaccination regimen. Although this vaccine did not create any adverse reaction and was deemed safe by the researchers it is still under clinical trial. 5
In this lab project, the microbiology students were given 2 unknown bacteria in a mixed broth each broth being numbered. The goal of this project is to determine the species of bacteria in the broth. They had to separate and isolate the bacteria from the mixed broth and ran numerous tests to identify the unknown bacteria. The significance of identifying an unknown bacteria is in a clinical setting. Determining the exact bacteria in order to prescribe the right treatment for the patient. This project is significant for a microbiology students because it gives necessary skills to them for future careers relating to clinical and research work.
The purpose of this laboratory is to learn about cultural, morphological, and biochemical characteristics that are used in identifying bacterial isolates. Besides identifying the unknown culture, students also gain an understanding of the process of identification and the techniques and theory behind the process. Experiments such as gram stain, negative stain, endospore and other important tests in identifying unknown bacteria are performed. Various chemical tests were done and the results were carefully determined to identify the unknown bacteria. First session of lab started of by the selection of an unknown bacterium then inoculations of 2 tryptic soy gar (TSA) slants, 1 nutrient broth (TSB), 1 nutrient gelatin deep, 1 motility
...y to CMV once it’s present in the body. Once the vaccine was tested on several animals it was concluded that were unable to become infected due to the fact the immune system establish neutralizing antibodies. As result, it blocked CMV from entering and infecting major targeted cells. The vaccine allows the immune system to react rapidly and effectively if recurrence occurs.
Shukla, H.D. and S. K. Sharma. “Clostridium botulinum: A Bug with Beauty and Weapon.” Informa Healthcare 31.1 (2005): n.p. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
E. coli are bacteria that can cause an infection in various parts of your body, including your intestines. E. coli bacteria normally live in the intestines of people and animals. Most types of E. coli do not cause infections, but some produce a poison (toxin) that can cause diarrhea. Depending on the toxin, this can cause mild or severe diarrhea.
“Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial infection caused primarily by the species Legionella pneumophila, it was initially recognized as the cause of a 1976 outbreak of respiratory disease outbreak in Philadelphia. Legionellosis infection occurs after persons have breathed mists that come from a water source. The most recent outbreak of Legionnaires’disease is in New York City, in the Bronx, with a total of ten deaths and more than one hundred outbreaks, which were traced to a cooling tower, deaths have also been reported in Michigan, and Ohio.
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 49(3), 438-443. Doi:10.1086/600391. See full address and map. Medicare.gov/Hospital Compare - The Official U.S. Government Site for Medicare (n.d).
First, I would like to introduce the different types of vaccines and how they are being manufactured. According to Lynn Cates, who is Medical Doctor, vaccines are made from either weakened, killed, or particles of the bacteria or viruses. There is also another type of vaccine that is made from the toxins or poisons made by the germ (Cates). People who receive the vaccines containing weakened bacteria or viruses will only develop a mild case of the original disease with little or no symptoms. The vaccines made with killed bacteria or viruses will not develop the disease or the symptoms of it. The last category of vaccine is toxoid. “Toxoid vaccines contain toxins (or poisons) produced by the germ that have been made harmless.” (Cates) Example of this type of vaccine is Tetanus. All of these vaccines work by making the body produce immunity towards the b...
Legionnaires disease, characterized as a form of pneumonia, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Legionella. Legionnaires disease accumulated its name after it spread to more than 4,000 World War II Legionnaires, as well as their family and friends, which all gathered to participate in the 58th American Legion's convention in Philadelphia, about 600 of whom were staying at the hotel this convention was being held at. The day after the convention was being hosted, a great number of the people began feeling ill. No one began to think anything of it, because the symptoms were beginning to be very similar to any other stomach flu. It wasn’t until the American Legionnaires started dying of an illness no one could figure out what was, that endless tests were completed, and Medical specialists came to a conclusion that a bacteria, Legionella, was spreading through the air conditioning vents in the convention hotel. (Legionnaires disease: A history if its discovery). This non contagious infection enters the body through contaminated bacteria into water vapor that we breathe in, affecting the bronchial tubes, and lungs. Legionnaires disease was then given it’s name in 1976, after it killed 34 people from the convention in Philadelphia.
E. Coli 0157, written by Mary Heersink, is a nerve-racking, adrenaline-filled story of a mother's experience with a then unknown deadly bacteria. The book brings up many reactions in its readers, especially the questioning of the practice of doctors in hospitals. The reader's knowledge base of scientific procedures in emergency centers was widened as well as the knowledge of how to the human body reacts to different agents in its system.
Anthrax can be treated in two ways through antibiotics and vaccines. If caught in the early stages antibiotics are useful in killing the B. anthracis as it tries to reproduce in both humans and animals. The second method of treatment is useful only when the individual receives treatment prior to being infected with Anthrax. Before an individual is infected with anthrax they can receive a vaccine that is very useful in combating the bacterium. Vaccines are currently licensed for limited use. People who are considered eligible for the vaccine are members of the military, veterinarians, laboratory workers, livestock handlers, and abattoir (slaughterhouse) workers.
C. difficile infection (CDI) is a dangerous healthcare-associated infection as well as a growing burden, especially with the appearance of more potent strains in the early 2000s. Clostridium difficile was initially identified as possessing the ability to initiate pseudomembranous colitis in the late 1970s. Asymptomatic colonization in healthy adults has been detected in only 3% of individuals, whereas the pervasiveness of such colonization among patients in long-term-care facilities is approximately 50%. People colonized with C. difficile act as a reservoir of contamination by infecting the environment with C. difficile spores, consequently leading to an increase of the pathogen on the hand...
Omer, S. B., Salmon, D.A., Orenstein, W. A., deHart, M. P., & Halsey, N. (2009). Vaccine
Clostridium tetani is a Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria retain a crystal violet stain in their thick peptidoglycan. C. tetani are bacillus-shaped organisms. Typically bacillus shaped organisms are shaped like rods, however, C. tetani, although bacillus, tend to have a drumstick-like shape. This drumstick shaping is due to terminal spores formed by the bacteria. Spores are dormant forms of an organism. The spores germinate and swell within the cell, imparting the bacteria’s drumstick shape.1 Clostridium tetani are also anaerobic, meaning that they cannot survive in the presence of oxygen. The organisms are very sensitive to heat, however, the spores that they produce can become rather resistant to heat and antiseptics.2 C. tetani spores are pervasive throughout nature. The natural habitat of C. tetani consists of areas that are damp and warm. Common sources for these bacteria include soil, manure, animal intestines, and feces.3 Generally, C. tetani spores can survive for months in their natural environment. However, under the proper environmental conditions, the spores can survive for years.4