What diseases are caused by bacteria? Human diseases caused by bacteria What diseases are caused by the alba bacterium

Such diseases include acute respiratory infections, some pneumonia, pyelonephritis, scarlet fever, syphilis, salmonellosis, tetanus, plague, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, erysipelas, endocarditis and many others. Their peculiarity is that they are caused by microorganisms that have a cell wall and a unique set of protective and aggressive factors.

What is a bacterium

A bacterium is a single-celled microorganism that has a cell wall, unlike viruses and prions.

With regard to the development of diseases in humans, all bacteria are divided into:

pathogenic;
conditionally pathogenic;
not pathogenic.

When pathogenic bacteria enter the human body, they always cause disease. This feature is determined by the presence of special devices designed for aggression towards humans. Among these factors of aggression are:

Such microorganisms include:

Luffner's bacillus, which causes diphtheria;
salmonella, which causes salmonellosis;
Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax;
gonococcus, which causes gonorrhea;
Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis and others.

Conditionally pathogenic microorganisms can live on the human body, normally not causing disease, but under certain conditions become pathogenic.

These bacteria include:

E. coli;
streptococcus;
staphylococcus;
Proteus and some others.

Non-pathogenic microorganisms do not cause disease in humans under any circumstances.

What happens when pathogenic microorganisms enter the human body

For a pathogen to cause disease in humans, several conditions must be met.

The number of bacteria must be quite large. One or two bacteria are practically unable to infect a person; the nonspecific and specific defense systems of the human body can easily cope with such a minor threat.
Bacteria must be complete, that is, have all their pathogenic properties. Weakened strains of bacteria also do not pose a danger to humans; they are only able to inform the immune system about their properties so that in the future the immune system can adequately recognize its enemy. The action of various vaccinations is based on this principle.
Bacteria must get to a place in the body where they can attach, invade, take root and multiply. If, for example, salmonella gets on a person’s skin and not in the gastrointestinal tract, then such a person will not develop salmonellosis. Therefore, you need to wash your hands before eating.
The human immune system should not be prepared for a bacterial attack. If immunity is instilled naturally or artificially, then in most cases bacteria will not be able to break through the body’s defenses. On the contrary, if the immune system has not encountered a given type of bacteria or it is severely weakened (for example, with AIDS), then this means that in such an organism all the gates are open for the invasion of a bacterial infection.

If all these conditions are met, then an infectious bacterial infection occurs. But any infection has an incubation period, which can range from several hours (foodborne illness) to several years (leprosy, tick-borne borreliosis). During this period, bacteria multiply, settle down, get used to new living conditions, and spread throughout the internal environments of the body.

From the moment the first symptoms of the disease appear, the incubation period ends, and the disease itself begins with the corresponding clinical picture. The body can cope with some infectious bacterial diseases on its own, while others may require outside help.

How is a bacterial infection diagnosed?

Diagnosis of bacterial infection is carried out using the following methods:

using a microscope (staining microscopy);
using sowing (material with bacteria is spread on a special nutrient medium and allowed to stand in a warm place for about a week, after which they look at what has grown there and make a conclusion);
using the determination of antigens and antibodies (laboratory methods: ELISA, RIF, PCR and others);
by infecting animals (biological method: rats and mice are infected with the material, then they are opened and their insides are examined under a microscope)

How to treat a bacterial infection

The main method of treating bacterial diseases is antibacterial chemotherapy. There are many groups and varieties of antibiotics that are intended for strictly defined groups of microorganisms.

Antibacterial treatment must be taken very seriously, since inept handling of antibiotics has recently caused real disasters in the modern world. The fact is that microorganisms, due to their inherent mutations, gradually get used to antibiotics and sooner or later the so-called antibiotic resistance of microorganisms arises. In other words, antibiotics simply stop working on them, and then more powerful antibiotics (reserve antibiotics) have to be used, which are still able to resist bacteria.

Thus, medicine is indirectly to blame for the emergence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Previously, such infections were called nosocomial infections (HAIs) or hospital acquired infections (HAIs). These infections differ from ordinary ones in that standard antibiotics do not work on them and can only be defeated by using more powerful drugs.

Not long ago, multidrug-resistant strains of tuberculosis infection appeared. There are not so many drugs against tuberculosis. Medicine uses mainly what was developed during the Soviet era. Since then, the development of phthisiology has noticeably slowed down. And now no anti-tuberculosis drugs (there are only 6 of them) are effective against this type of tuberculosis infection. In other words, people with this form of infection are incurable. But more than that, they are deadly to the people around them, since they are carriers.

Causes of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a natural process, since bacteria, like all living things, are able to adapt (adapt) to changing environmental conditions. But the speed of this process was greatly influenced by the inept use of antibacterial drugs. When antibiotics were sold in pharmacies without a prescription, any person (or, even worse, a pharmacist!) could “play” being a doctor and prescribe treatment for themselves. But, as a rule, this treatment ended 1-2 days after the symptoms of the disease disappeared. And this led to the fact that the bacteria were not completely destroyed, but passed into other forms (L-forms) and lived for a long time in the “dark corners” of the body of “cured” people, waiting for the right moment. When immunity decreases for one reason or another, they again turn into their original forms and cause the previous disease, which could be transmitted to other people and so on.

It is for this reason that antibiotics are prescribed for a course of 5-7-10-14 days. Bacteria must be destroyed completely, and not accustomed to antibiotics.

But there is another problem with antibiotic therapy. It lies in the fact that in addition to pathogenic bacteria, when taking antibiotics, beneficial ones are also destroyed (lactobacteria, bifidobacteria of the gastrointestinal tract). This can serve as a start for the transition of opportunistic gastrointestinal flora to pathogenic and lead to the development of such a complication of antibacterial therapy as dysbiosis, which requires certain treatment in the form of stimulation of the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora.

How does a bacterial infection progress?

When a bacterial infection develops, one of the first symptoms will be fever. She is usually tall. Fever is caused by the fact that the LPS complex of the bacterial cell wall, when destroyed, enters the bloodstream and reaches the hypothalamus, namely the thermoregulation center in it, along with the blood flow. The LPS complex shifts the set point of the thermoregulation center and the body “thinks” that it is cold and increases heat production and reduces heat transfer.

Fever is a protective reaction of the body, since body temperature up to 39 degrees stimulates the immune system. If the body temperature rises above 39 degrees, then it must be brought down with paracetamol or, indirectly, with antibiotics (a decrease in body temperature within 24-48 hours from the start of antibiotic therapy is a sign of a properly selected antibacterial drug).

Another manifestation of a bacterial infectious process is intoxication syndrome. It manifests itself as a deterioration in health, apathy, decreased mood, headaches, pain in muscles and joints, nausea, vomiting, and the like are possible. To relieve these symptoms, you need to drink a lot of warm water (at least 2 liters per day). Excess water will dilute bacterial toxins, reducing their concentration, and also remove some of them in the urine.

These two signs of bacterial inflammation are universal to almost all infections. All other signs are determined by the characteristics of a particular pathogen, their exotoxins and other factors of aggression.

Separately, it should be said about such specific infections as tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy (which, however, no longer exists). These infections are a little different from the others. The fact is that they have existed with humanity for a long time and the human body has become a little “accustomed” to them. They, as a rule, do not cause a clear picture of an infectious bacterial process, and their clinical manifestations are not clear. But they cause specific inflammation in the body, which can be seen through a microscope (granulomas). These diseases are treated with great difficulty and treatment consists only of eliminating the clinical manifestations of the disease. It is currently not possible to completely cleanse the human body of these pathogens (eradication).

How the body fights bacteria

The body's immune system consists of two subsystems: humoral and cellular.

The humoral system is designed to create special antibodies to pathogen antigens. These antibodies, like bullets, are able to pierce the cell wall of bacteria. This happens as follows. When a harmful bacterium enters the body, it somehow encounters special guard cells of the immune system - macrophages. These macrophages attack the bacterium and devour it, thereby studying its antigenic structure (essentially, they look at the “lining” of the bacterium and look for “protrusions” on it - antigens, where an antibody can be attached so that it can pierce this lining). Having examined the bacterium, macrophages, which are now called antigen presenting cells (APCs), go to the central organs of the immune system (red bone marrow) and report on the bacterium. They give the order to make antibodies (proteins) that will be able to attach to a given cell wall. The antibodies created are simply released into the bloodstream. When an antibody finds its antigen, it attaches to it. Proteins begin to attach to this “antigen-antibody” complex from the blood, which change the spatial configuration of the antibody so that the latter unfolds, bends and pierces (perforates) the wall of the bacteria, causing its death.

Cellular immunity works differently. White blood cells (leukocytes), like an army of soldiers, attack the enemy en masse, using special proteolytic enzymes, hydrogen peroxide and other weapons. Outwardly it looks like pus. It is thanks to this abundance of proteolytic enzymes in pus that it is able to dissolve surrounding tissues and break out, thereby removing foreign substances from the body.

What happens after recovery

Recovery may be clinical, laboratory or complete.

Clinical recovery means the absence of any symptoms related to the disease.

Laboratory cure placed when it is impossible to identify any laboratory signs of the presence of this disease.

Full recovery will be when the pathogenic microbes that caused the disease remain in the human body.

Of course, not all infectious bacterial processes end in recovery. Sometimes deaths are possible. It is also possible for an acute infectious process to become chronic (clinical recovery).

Video: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics

Bacteria refer to microorganisms consisting of a single cell. They are capable of penetrating into the human body, multiplying there, mutating and, with improper lifestyle or nutrition, causing infectious diseases.

Harmful microbes inhabit all objects around, but not every microorganism is capable of causing disease. In order for a person to be affected by a bacterial infection, certain conditions must be met.

Diseases are caused by bacteria that break through the immune system. In the case of a large accumulation of “strong” bacteria with pathogenic qualities, the disease begins to manifest itself. Each bacterium is responsible for its own disease, which means it must get into the environment necessary for its reproduction. For example, microbes that cause intestinal disorders will begin to act only in the gastrointestinal tract, and are not dangerous on the skin. That's why it's so important to wash your hands. The infection is more likely to take root in a person with a weak immune system that is not capable of protective functions.

Tuberculosis

In ancient times, tuberculosis was called consumption - people wasted away before our eyes, the disease was characterized by high mortality. In modern times, an infectious disease caused by the rod-shaped bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosi is also considered a serious disease, although not as common as in our ancestors.

Tuberculosis microorganisms are transmitted along with inhaled air, through microparticles of saliva sprayed when coughing or talking, and through close contact with a sick person. It is possible to become infected through eating milk from infected animals.

The respiratory tract and especially the lungs suffer from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease, like other diseases caused by bacteria, is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The patient has a strong cough and feels pain in the chest. Coughing occurs with the release of blood or phlegm.

If treatment is not started immediately, the bacteria can affect other organs. For example, kidneys, brain, skeletal system. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient is hospitalized. He is prescribed a course of antibacterial drugs, which must be taken carefully for 6 months. It is also necessary to improve your diet, rest more often, and spend time in the fresh air. If all treatment rules are followed, complete recovery is possible.

Diphtheria

The main feature of this disease, similar to a sore throat, is considered to be a low temperature and absence of pain in the throat. Bacteria affect the upper respiratory tract, pharynx, and nose. It is possible to become infected with diphtheria through open wounds. Characteristic gray films with a high content of corynobacteria form on the mucosa. The severity of the disease depends on the total amount of toxins produced at the site of inflammation.

Acute infection leads to general intoxication of the body. Toxic bacteria are carried along with the blood, affecting the cardiovascular system, kidneys and cells of the nervous system. Diphtheria infection can be prevented through vaccination.

Bacteria that cause infectious diseases, in particular diphtheria, can be defeated with the help of antitoxic serum. Recovery occurs only when the vaccine is administered in the first hours of the disease. As a rule, the patient seeks help after a long period of time, which leads to the development of complications. Along with serum, a course of antibiotics is prescribed.

Whooping cough

Whooping cough, caused by the rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria Bordetella pertussis, is one of the “childhood” diseases. This infection poses the greatest danger before the age of 2 years. The disease is characterized by damage to the upper respiratory tract and attacks of a strong “barking” cough.

The lifespan of bacteria in the body is about 6 weeks, during which the patient goes through three stages of the disease. An infected person is especially contagious in the first 25 days. During the recovery stage, the cough decreases and you feel better. Whooping cough is dangerous due to a secondary bacterial infection that causes pneumonia.

Infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Bacterial infections that affect the digestive organs include: cholera (gram-negative comma-shaped bacteria Vebrio cholerae), typhoid fever (gram-positive bacillus Salmonella typhus), bacillary dysentery (rod-shaped, gram-negative Shigella dysenteriae), bacterial poisoning (gastroenteritis or salmonellosis).

All of these infections develop in the digestive tract and are dangerous due to the spread of toxins into the small intestine, and with typhoid fever into the blood, bone marrow, lungs and spleen.

You can catch a bacterial infection through fecal contamination: contaminated water and food, dirty objects. Salmonellosis spreads through the meat of sick animals and birds. The bacteria can be carried by insects. Treatment is with tetracycline antibiotics and vaccines containing dead bacteria.

Other bacterial infections

Diseases caused by bacteria that primarily affect the genital organs have long been known to everyone. These are syphilis (spirochete) and gonorrhea (coccus). They appeared in ancient times and today are successfully treated with antibacterial agents such as penicillin and streptomycin.-1 rating, 1 voice)

Content

The problem of infectious diseases, especially bacterial ones, remains relevant in the modern world. Although medicine has reached a high level of development, doctors have not yet been able to cope with bacteria. Microbes are found in public places and inhabit personal items. There are no known places on the planet that are not inhabited by these microorganisms. The pathogenicity of bacteria for the human body is caused by toxins - products of their vital activity.

What are human bacterial diseases

The number of bacterial infections that cause disease in humans is enormous. Some diseases caused by bacteria can not only worsen the quality of life, but also lead to death. History knows cases when an epidemic reached enormous proportions, regions died out, and the population rapidly declined due to just one bacterial infection. Particularly dangerous were plague, diphtheria, cholera, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever.

In the modern world, bacterial infectious diseases also often worsen, but thanks to the development of the pharmacological industry and the qualifications of doctors, today patients get rid of pathology faster, because the disease can be detected at an early stage. Vaccination also helps protect the body from infection. List of the most common diseases caused by bacteria:

tuberculosis;
pneumonia;
syphilis;
meningitis;
brucellosis;
gonorrhea;
anthrax;
diphtheria;
dysentery;
salmonellosis;
leptospirosis.

Classification of bacteria

Single-celled organisms (bacteria) are very small in size. They can only be seen under a microscope (average size 0.5–5 microns). Because of their size, bacteria are called microbes. These microorganisms live everywhere: in water, soil, on the surface and inside of plants, animals, birds, people. There are about a million varieties of microbes on earth. They do not have a formed nuclear substance and plastids. The shape of bacteria is spherical, rod-shaped, round, convoluted, tetrahedral, stellate, cubic O- or C-shaped.

There are different classification systems for microorganisms, but they are all arbitrary. In medicine and pharmacology, some bacteria are usually divided into two groups: pathogenic and opportunistic. The first type causes infectious diseases, and the second is part of the microflora of the human body. Conditional pathogens can also cause inflammatory processes when immunity is reduced.

Bacteria differ in their shell structure and size:

with a large cell wall - gram-positive (cocci, rods, corynemorphs);
with a thin protective layer - gram-negative (legionella, brucella, spirochetes, pseudomonads, Francisella and others).

The majority of those dangerous to human health are gram-positive microorganisms. They cause diseases such as tetanus (botulism), mycoplasma, pharyngitis, pneumonia, sepsis, erysipelas and other diseases. Gram-negative types of bacterial infections are more resistant to antibiotics. They provoke respiratory diseases, meningitis, peptic ulcers, and digestive disorders. Gram-negative microorganisms cause sexually transmitted pathologies: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydial infections.

Transmission routes

After entering the human body, microbes take root in it. Bacteria receive all the necessary conditions for reproduction and existence. Bacterial diseases are easily transmitted to other people in a variety of ways:

By airborne droplets. To catch scarlet fever, whooping cough, meningitis or diphtheria of the respiratory tract, it is enough to be at a short distance from the patient. Infection can occur during a conversation or when a carrier of the infection cries, sneezes, or coughs.
Dust method. Some bacteria find refuge in layers of dust on walls and furniture. This route of infection transmission is characteristic of tuberculosis, diphtheria, and salmonellosis.
Contact and household. It involves items of everyday use: dishes, books, phones and others. They are temporary carriers of pathogens. By using a mug or other utensils of a patient, you can instantly become infected with helminthiasis, dysentery, or tetanus.

What diseases do bacteria cause in humans?

Bacteria are divided into aerobes and anaerobes. The former must receive oxygen in order to live. Anaerobic bacteria do not require it or do not need it at all. Both microorganisms can cause bacterial diseases in humans. Aerobic microorganisms are some types of pseudomonads, diphtheria and tubercle bacilli, causative agents of tularemia, Vibrio cholerae, most pathogenic microbes (gonococci, meningococci). All aerobes die at an oxygen concentration of 40–50%.

Anaerobic bacteria are more tenacious, since the presence or absence of oxygen does not affect them. They settle in dying tissues, deep wounds, where the level of body defense is minimal. Anaerobes that pose a threat to human health include peptococci, peptostreptococci, clostridia and others. Some anaerobic bacteria provide healthy microflora of the intestines and oral cavity (bacteroides, prevotella, fusobacteria). Their vital activity can lead to illness. The most common problem is wound suppuration and infection.

Intestinal

Over 400 species of bacteria live in the human intestine. They maintain microflora and immunity in order, and play an important role in digestion. When the balance is disturbed, when pathogenic microorganisms crowd out beneficial bacteria, diseases develop. The main causative agents of infectious intestinal diseases are:

Type of pathogen	Source of infection	Transfer method		Symptoms	Possible complications
Salmonella	Fish, meat, dairy products.	Nutritional	From 6 to 72 hours.	High temperature, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea.	Colitis, gastritis, reactive arthritis, acute heart failure.
Bacteroides	From person to person.	Sexual, contact and household.	From 2 to 12 days.	Violation of intestinal motility: constipation, diarrhea, bloating, flatulence, loss of appetite.	Peritonitis, abscess, sepsis, colitis, phlebitis, inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.

Respiratory tract

Acute infectious diseases develop due to infection in the respiratory tract. Accompanied by inflammatory reactions and characteristic clinical manifestations:

Type of pathogen	Source of infection	Transfer method	Length of incubation period	Symptoms	Possible complications
Pneumococci	From person to person.	Airborne	From 1 to 3 days.	High temperature, weakness, chills, rapid heartbeat, wet cough with purulent sputum.	Brain edema, acute respiratory/heart failure, cardiac arrest.
Whooping cough stick	From person to person.	Airborne	From 3 days to 2 weeks.	Moderate fever, dry paroxysmal cough, sore throat, chest pressure.	Bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, stroke, hemorrhoids, purulent otitis, tonsillitis.

Genitourinary system

Urinary tract infections are caused by a huge number of pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. The following bacteria cause diseases most often:

Type of pathogen	Source of infection	Transfer method	Length of incubation period	Symptoms	Possible complications
Gonococcus			For men – 2-5 days, for women – 5-10 days.	Hyperemia, swelling of the urethra, burning, itching in the vagina, cutting pain when urinating.	Total urethritis, prostatitis, inflammation of the pelvic peritoneum, uterine mucosa.
Chlamydia	The carrier of the pathogen is human.	Sexual, transplacental.	From 1 to 2 weeks.	Mucopurulent discharge from the urethra and vagina, swelling, redness of the urethral opening, itching, burning, abdominal pain.	Ascending urinary tract infections, joint damage, vascular disease, heart disease, impotence.

Blood

Bacterial infections that affect the human circulatory system can enter the body after an insect bite, from mother to fetus, or through sexual contact. The most common sources of blood diseases:

Type of pathogen	Source of infection	Transfer method	Length of incubation period	Symptoms	Possible complications
Malarial plasmodium	Bite of a female Anopheles mosquito.	Transmissible	from 7 to 16 days.	Headaches and muscle pains, general malaise, pale and dry skin, cold extremities.	Malarial coma, cerebral edema, mental disorders, splenic rupture.
Tick-borne encephalitis	Ixodid tick	Transmissible, fecal-oral.	From 7 to 14 days.	Increase in body temperature to 38°C, insomnia, headaches, drooping of the upper eyelid, lack of eye movements.	Atrophic paralysis, death.

Skin

About a third of all skin diseases are pyoderma - pustular diseases caused by pyogenic bacteria. The main causative agents of this pathology are gram-positive cocci:

Type of pathogen	Source of infection	Transfer method	Length of incubation period	Symptoms	Possible complications
Staphylococcus	People are permanent and temporary carriers of food.	Contact-household, airborne, dust, oral-fecal, alimentary.	From several hours to several days.	Headache, skin lesions at the mouth of the hair, folliculitis, boil, carbuncle.	Meningitis, brain abscess.
Streptococcus	From person to person.		From 2 to 5 days.	The skin is inflamed to the level of the subcutaneous tissue, large sticky scales and abscesses form.	Purulent otitis media, chronic lymphadenitis, rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, acute rheumatic fever.

Diagnostics

The main method for diagnosing bacterial infections is bacteriological examination (bacteriological culture). Biomaterial (urine, blood, sputum, secretions, skin) containing bacteria is taken from the patient and inoculated on special nutrient media for 48 hours. After the growth of colonies, the pathogen is identified and symptomatic treatment is prescribed. Another advantage of diagnostics is the ability to study the sensitivity of the isolated microorganism to antibiotics. Also used:

General blood analysis. Effective diagnosis of the presence of infection in the body.
Serological study. Shows the presence of antibodies to certain bacteria in the blood. An increase in their titer indicates the presence of a bacterial infection.
Examination of material under a microscope. Helps to quickly make an approximate diagnosis.

Treatment of bacterial diseases

When a bacterial infection is diagnosed, treatment with antibacterial drugs is prescribed. To destroy the pathogen, several groups of antibiotics are used - with a bacteriostatic effect (suppress the reproduction and growth of bacterial cells) and bactericidal (kill bacteria). Antibacterial drugs from the group of monobactams, cephalosporins, quinolones and penicillins are prescribed exclusively by a doctor on an individual basis.

To slow down the growth of pathogenic flora, use Chloramphenicol and Tetracycline tablets (orally). To destroy the pathogen, Rifampicin and Penicillin in capsules and ampoules (intramuscular) are prescribed. Symptomatic therapy is prescribed in combination:

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen, Indomethacin are used for analgesic effect for pain of different localization;
Regidron saline solution - prescribed for acute intoxication of the body;
antiseptics - SeptIfril, Stopangin, Strepsils, Ingalipt will help with throat infections;
Physiotherapy procedures are used to cleanse the nose: inhalation using a nebulizer with Aqualor and Dolphin solutions;
antibacterial suppositories/ointments – Metronidazole, Diflucan are used topically to treat bacterial infections in gynecology/urology;
antihistamines - Allegra, Tigofast are prescribed for bacterial allergies;
Polysorb sorbent – used for gastric lavage for intestinal infections;
Tannin powder - used to treat dermatological infections;
sorbents and probiotics Laktofiltrum, Linex - for intestinal restoration.

Prevention of bacterial diseases

To prevent infectious pathologies, it is recommended to keep the room clean, regularly ventilate it, and carry out wet cleaning 2-3 times a week with products containing antibacterial substances. In addition, other preventive measures must be observed:

maintain personal hygiene;
periodically disinfect (rinse) household items in hot water;
after visiting public places, wash your hands with soap;
do not contact sick people;
rinse vegetables and fruits several times;
meat and fish require washing and heat treatment;
in case of cuts, the wounds must immediately be disinfected and protected from external influences (bandaged);
take vitamins and minerals to boost immunity (especially during seasonal epidemics);
use bacterial vaccines (after consulting a doctor), especially when planning to travel abroad.

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The appearance of most diseases is facilitated by the entry of various viruses and bacteria into the body. Since these two causes are very similar in symptoms, it is still important to correctly determine what exactly contributed to the infection of the body.

This is important because the treatment of viral and bacterial diseases is completely different. You can get rid of bacteria by taking and following all doctor’s instructions.

Bacteria are microorganisms that look like cells.

That is, they contain a poorly defined nucleus, which contains organelles covered with a shell. If you drop a special solution on the bacterium, you can see it using a light microscope.

There are a huge number of bacteria in the environment, but only a few are dangerous to health. Many bacteria also live in, without causing any inconvenience to him. And some species, when ingested, provoke the development of serious diseases.

Symptoms of diseases can be different, as it all depends on the structure of the bacterium. This suggests that living microbes emit various toxic substances that enter the bloodstream and lead to poisoning of the entire body. The consequence of this action is a disruption of the immune system.

Children most often encounter conditionally pathogenic microorganisms that enter the body through the respiratory system. It is also worth separately identifying those in an intermediate position. They have a cellular structure, and therefore, when they enter the human body, they destroy cells from the inside.

How does a bacterial infection manifest?

The appearance of bacteria in the body causes vomiting and nausea.

The appearance and course of the disease is divided into several stages, which have their own symptoms:

Incubation period. In this case, bacteria multiply quickly and remain in the human body for some time. During this period, symptoms do not make themselves felt. Often this period of time can be only a few hours, or maybe 3 weeks.
Prodromal period. At this stage, general symptoms of the disease are observed, which manifest themselves as weakness and reluctance to eat.
The height of the disease. When there is an exacerbation of the disease, the symptoms are pronounced. In this case, it is necessary to begin treatment, after which the person will recover. Since bacteria are different, the manifestations of diseases are also different. The location of bacteria can be the entire body or a separate organ. If the microbe enters the human body, it may not immediately manifest the disease. The disease process is usually not expressed.

For a long period, a person may not even suspect that he is infected. In this case, the bacteria will remain dormant and not make themselves felt. Their sudden activation in the body can be caused by the influence of various factors, such as hypothermia, stress, or the entry of other bacteria into the body.

At an early age, the appearance of bacteria in the body is accompanied by:

High temperature, bordering on 39 degrees
, vomiting appears
severe poisoning of the body
my head hurts a lot
plaque appears on the tonsils
the body is pouring out

Often, bacterial infections cause harm to the female body, as they contribute to the development of pathologies of the genitourinary system. In women there are the following diseases:

trichomoniasis
yeast infection
gardnerellosis

When there is a change in the vaginal microflora, vaginitis occurs. The consequence of this disease is taking strong medications, using douching, and contracting the disease through sexual intercourse. Bacterial infections in women manifest themselves as follows:

Discharge observed
Itching appears
It hurts to go to the toilet
Unpleasant sensations during sexual intercourse
If a woman develops trichomoniasis, a discharge that is yellow-green or gray in color is observed.

Methods for detecting the disease

A blood test will help identify bacteria in the human body.

The most reliable option for identifying infections in childhood is taking a bacteriological test.

To conduct a study, material is taken from the child, which should contain such bacteria. When there is a possibility of damage to the respiratory tract, it is necessary to donate sputum.

The material taken must be in a certain environment, after which it will be examined. With the help of this study, it becomes possible to determine whether there are bacteria in the body, and how the body can be healed.

An infected person needs a general test, as this is the most productive way to determine the disease. If there is an infection in the human body, the structure of the blood will change, the level of leukocytes will increase, as the number of neutrophils will increase.

Often, when a person is infected, the number of band neutrophils increases, and an increase in metamyelocytes and myelocytes may occur. This is a consequence of a decrease in the number of white blood cells, while the ESR is very high.

Treatment

Tetracycline is a treatment for bacterial infection.

When the process of identifying a disease in children occurs, treatment must begin with antibacterial drugs.

They will help slow down the development of the disease, and subsequently completely cure it. When such bacteria enter the body, it is necessary to be treated according to the direction of a doctor. Any self-medication can only worsen the condition.

It is quite difficult to cure such a disease, since many microorganisms will resist treatment. Bacteria adapt well to their environment, and therefore it is necessary to constantly create new drugs for treatment. Their mutation leads to the fact that antibiotics do not have the desired effect.

Also, the appearance of one disease can be caused not by one type of bacteria, but by several, which complicates the treatment procedure. Often, to recover from this type of disease, it is necessary to use a set of measures:

The cause of the disease can be eliminated using bactericidal as well as bacteriostatic antibacterial drugs.
Remove from the body all harmful substances that have accumulated during the illness. It is also necessary to heal the organs that took the blow.
Implementation of treatment measures that will help improve the patient’s condition.
When the respiratory organs are affected, it is necessary to take cough medications, and in case of gynecological diseases, local antibiotics are necessary.

If this type of bacteria has settled in the body, then it is necessary to take antibiotics, which may be in, it is also possible to administer intramuscular injections. To prevent the development of bacteria in the body, you can take:

Chloramphenicol

The following will help prevent the development of negative fauna:

Penicillin
Rifamycin
Aminoglycosides

If we take penicillins into account, the highest quality drugs are:

Amoxicillin
Amoxicar
Augmentin
Amoxiclav

At the moment, using various drugs to fight bacteria, you can recover from many diseases. It is necessary to take into account that only a doctor can prescribe the right medicine, given that bacteria are constantly adapting.

It is worth taking antibiotics at an early stage of the development of the disease, as this will prevent further spread of the infection throughout the body. They are the ones who can heal a person.

If you constantly use antibacterial drugs, irreversible processes will begin to occur in the body. It may also appear on the components contained in these medicinal devices.

All these nuances must be taken into account when medications are prescribed. To prevent the spread of bacteria throughout the body, you must follow some rules. These include maintaining hygiene, not being in places where there are a lot of people, strengthening the immune system, and taking preventive measures for the health of your body.

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Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms without a cell nucleus that can live in almost any environment. They live in water, air, soil, penetrate host cells and are causative agents of bacterial infections in humans. The main places of localization of microorganisms are the respiratory tract, intestines and outer integument of a person. To effectively treat an infection, it is necessary to correctly diagnose what type of pathogenic bacteria caused the disease and choose effective ways to suppress the vital activity of microorganisms.

Bacteria surround humans everywhere

Bacteria are among the most ancient microorganisms on earth. They are single-celled microbes without a nucleus. Genetic information is stored in the cytoplasm. Microorganisms are covered with a dense shell that protects them from negative environmental factors. Bacteria were first accidentally discovered in the 17th century by the Dutchman Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, who examined them in a puddle of water through the world's first microscope. Louis Pasteur paid a lot of attention to the role of microorganisms in the infectious process back in the 19th century, outlining the relationship between bacteria and disease. But effective mechanisms to combat pathogenic microbes were developed much later.

Many types of bacteria live in the human body, ensuring its normal functioning. However, most cells are pathogenic (or pathogenic) with varying degrees of virulence and toxicity.

Leeuwenhoek conducted numerous studies using a microscope he created with his own hands

Representatives of the microcosm cause infectious diseases of varying severity. It became possible to fight them after the invention of penicillin, which suppresses the growth and reproduction of bacterial cells.

Bacteria can be easily identified by appearance using a microscope

Until the twentieth century, bacterial infections were fought in the same way as viral ones, which was completely ineffective. Microbes have significant differences, and only diagnostics can reliably identify the pathogens and choose a treatment method.

Symptoms of an attack by pathogenic bacteria

All bacteria are classified into:

non-pathogenic - do not harm humans;
opportunistic - coexist peacefully with humans until a certain point;
pathogenic – dangerous bacteria that cause serious diseases.

In addition, all types of pathogens have different virulence. This means that under equal living conditions, one type of bacteria will be more toxic to humans than another.

The release of toxins (poisons) into the body is the most important point in the development of infectious diseases. Bacteria can produce endotoxins. This occurs in the event of cell death and destruction (intestinal infection). The second option for intoxication of the body is the release of exotoxins during the life of a bacterial cell (diphtheria).

Depending on the type of bacteria causing the infection, a person will experience different symptoms.

Depending on the location of the microorganisms, there are several types of bacterial infections, each of which manifests itself with different symptoms:

Sexual infections in women. Some of the most common diseases are vaginosis, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis, and yeast infection. Pathologies of the female genitourinary system as a result of changes in the vaginal microflora are manifested by the following symptoms: the formation of vaginal discharge of various characteristic colors and consistency, a burning sensation and itching, pain during urination, discomfort during sexual intercourse, a specific unpleasant odor. Female bacterial diseases can be provoked by douching, taking medications, changes in hormonal levels, decreased immunity, and frequent changes of sexual partners.
Intestinal infection. It occurs as a result of the direct toxic effect of bacteria on the epithelium of the digestive tube and tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. Salmonellosis is characterized by increased body temperature, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Staphylococcal intestinal infection occurs with a runny nose, sore throat, slight fever, loose stools, skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the abdominal area. The general condition of the patient is similar to food poisoning. Typhoid intestinal infection - joints and throat hurt, loss of appetite, stomach pain. In severe cases - delirium, coma.
Childhood diseases. The most common diseases are mumps, rubella, scarlet fever, measles, and tonsillitis. Toxins released by bacteria affect the child's internal organs. Symptoms of a childhood bacterial infection include: fever above 39°C, cough, general weakness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, plaque on the tongue and tonsils, skin rashes, severe intoxication of the body. To avoid complications, you must consult a doctor immediately. Children are almost always given antibiotics for a bacterial infection as treatment.
Throat diseases. The following symptoms are characteristic of respiratory tract infection: deterioration in general health, a pronounced focus of the disease, purulent discharge, white plaque in the throat, low temperature at the initial stage of the disease. Often a bacterial throat infection is preceded by a cold. Bacteria can live in the body without showing themselves in any way, but after an acute respiratory viral infection, immunity decreases, and the rapid growth and reproduction of the pathogenic microbe begins. Effective treatment is impossible without taking antibiotics.

A decrease in immune defense is the main cause of many diseases caused by the fact that opportunistic microbes become pathogenic and very dangerous for the human body. Failure to promptly seek qualified medical help is fraught with serious consequences.

Routes of transmission of infection and types of diseases

Millions of bacteria constantly live in the environment. They are found in food, water, soil, air and in the human body.

A nursing mother should take careful care of her health

There are main ways how the infection is transmitted:

contact and household – items of common use (dishes, textiles);
nutritional – with food or contaminated water;
sexual – through sperm or saliva (venereal diseases);
airborne - when sneezing, coughing, talking, breathing;
transplacental – bacteria transmitted from mother to child.

The group of diseases caused by bacteria is the most extensive, and microbes can affect different human organs. Many of them are life-threatening and, if not treated promptly, can lead to death:

meningitis, plague, cholera, typhus, anthrax;
diphtheria, dysentery, salmonellosis, brucellosis;
pneumonia, tonsillitis, scarlet fever, mumps, measles;
syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, vaginosis.

Serious skin diseases and eye infections are also a consequence of the work of bacteria. Maintaining personal hygiene, keeping the body in good shape, carefully processing food and maintaining immunity are the main preventive methods aimed at preventing bacterial infection.

Diagnosis of diseases

Laboratory testing is the main method for detecting bacterial disease in adult patients and children. For analysis, material containing bacteria is taken - sputum, scrapings, mucus, blood, urine. There are the following methods for microbiological diagnosis of infections caused by bacteria:

Direct microscopy. The material taken for analysis is placed under glass and examined under a microscope. In this way, it is possible to quickly identify the origin of the disease.
The cultural method is the inoculation of the pathogen on a nutrient medium and the cultivation of microorganisms for a certain time. The analysis requires a minimum of 48 hours, and weeks to detect tubercle bacilli.
Linked immunosorbent assay. Aimed at determining the total amount of antigens and antibodies in the test material. A bacterial infection is detected very accurately in a blood test (shift in the leukocyte formula).
Immunofluorescence reaction. To detect the presence of infection, pathogen antigens are associated with a specific antibody labeled with a fluorescent agent, with the microbe further identified by its glow.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In biological fluids taken for laboratory analysis, the amount of nucleic acids is determined and, based on the data obtained, a conclusion is made about infection.

Colonies of bacteria in a Petri dish

Diagnosis of bacterial infections allows you to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease in order to prescribe effective treatment. Women who suspect a vaginal infection can conduct a preliminary test at home on their own (later a trip to the doctor is required). To do this, it is necessary to determine the deviation of the pH level from the norm.

Using test paper, the test is carried out at home. A paper (vaginal infection detection pad) is used to rub along the inside of the vaginal area. Compare the test with a colored paper sample. How to identify a genitourinary tract infection:

normal pH level is between 3.8-4.5;
the test paper has a level between 1 and 14;
if the color of the sample is outside the normal range, there is a vaginal infection.

The test only allows you to preliminarily determine the presence of harmful microbes in the microflora. More accurate and detailed testing is carried out in laboratory conditions. Self-medication is excluded, no matter what the home test is. If symptoms of infection are present, medications should be prescribed by a specialist. Features of bacterial infection are:

The incubation period is long – it takes from two days to two weeks.
There is often no prodromal period of the disease - it begins immediately, locally and pronouncedly.
A general deterioration in health does not always accompany a bacterial disease, but is more often a sign of a respiratory viral disease.
Another sign is how long the temperature lasts. Its value usually does not exceed 38 degrees, but the readings are constant.
The blood picture with such an infection: increased level of leukocytes, increased number of neutrophils, high ESR, decreased content of lymphocytes.

By examining biological material, it is possible to accurately diagnose the cause of diseases, identify the causative microbe and identify methods of effective treatment, which is based on the use of antibiotics.

Medicines for infection

Antibiotics, which are recommended to eliminate infections caused by bacteria, are divided into two large groups: bactericidal (complete destruction of microorganisms), bacteriostatic (reducing the growth and number of bacteria).

Medicines are an integral part of treatment

Along with taking antibiotics, antihistamines (anti-allergic) drugs, prebiotics for the intestines, vitamins and medications that strengthen the immune system are prescribed. Treatment of a bacterial infection is based on the following antibiotics:

bacteriostatic drugs – Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol;
bactericidal - Penicillin, Rifamycin, Aminoglycoside;
antibacterial penicillins - Amoxicillin, Amoxicar, Amoxiclav.

All antibiotics have a strong targeted effect. You can take medications only as prescribed by a doctor, who will select an effective remedy depending on the location of the pathogenic bacteria, the form and severity of the disease and the biological type of the causative agent. If the patient is contagious, it is necessary to limit his contact with healthy people.

What is more dangerous: a viral or bacterial infection? This question is difficult to answer unambiguously. But bacteria are definitely more widespread in the environment and can live and reproduce outside of a living cell, unlike viruses. For years, these microorganisms can coexist peacefully next to or inside a person, but when immunity decreases, they become pathogenic, dangerous and toxic.