Diseases Caused by Bacteria

Bacteria are very tiny organisms, that are typically present in almost every habitat on the planet. Even though they measure just a few micrometers, they prove life-threatening when they infect the respiratory system and deteriorate digestive health. They are ubiquitous to soil, radioactive waste, water, biomass and even organic matter. Bacteria inhabit the bodies of life forms, like plants and animals. They are much more in number than the human cells in the human body, and thrive on the skin and within the digestive tract. Bacteria play a very vital role in recycling nutrients. While majority of bacteria in the human body are countered by the immune system, there are a few that are pathogenic in nature. Pathogenic bacteria cause infectious diseases like leprosy, cholera, anthrax and bubonic plague. They are also responsible for the spread of respiratory infections like tuberculosis.

Some Diseases Caused by Bacteria:

Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are called mycobacterium tuberculosis. People with TB or tuberculosis cough excessively and suffer a terrible pain in the chest. They cough up blood and display excessive weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite and a persistent fever. TB spreads from the infected person to others in the peripheral. When the patient sneezes, coughs or spits, the bacteria infect those around. Latent Tuberculosis is a condition in which the infected person remains unaware of the infection because of milder symptoms. But, the condition becomes active very often, threatening the patient's life span in the absence of proper antibiotics. Pulmonary Tuberculosis affects a person's lungs, while Miliary Tuberculosis results in infection of the lungs that slowly spreads to the heart, liver and brain. Tuberculosis, also affects the skin and bones.

Bubonic Plague: Bubonic plague is another life-threatening disease caused by bacteria. The bacteria that cause the plague are the yersinia pestis variety. The different kinds of bubonic plague include the common form that spreads through certain rats and fleas. Sepsis is a form of the disease when the bloodstream is infected with the bacterium. Pneumonic plague refers to a condition when the bacterium infects the lungs. And, the most harmless form is called the abortive form. The fever persists for a while, before abating. The incubation period for the infections that are life-threatening range from 2 to 7 days.

Pertussis: Pertussis is also referred to as 'whooping cough'. The bacteria that spread this disease are referred to as bordetella pertussis. The disease takes a toll on the immune system of younger people within 6 weeks. The symptoms of Pertussis include nausea, severe coughing, and fever. The term 'whooping cough' is the result of the sound that the patient makes while coughing. Sadly, the disease spreads in underdeveloped regions of the world, where the access rate of the expensive antibiotics is highly questionable.

Cholera: The term indicates 'flow of bile', in Greek. It is an intestinal infection caused by the vibrio cholerae bacteria that contaminates food stuff and water. Cholera is a diarrheal disease that is spread via consumption of undercooked food, deficiency of hydrochloric acid and poor hygiene. The symptoms only surface around three days after infection sets in. The signs include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, severe dehydration, dryness in the mouth and skin, low urination, low blood pressure, fatigue and nausea. In the absence of timely treatment, the patient can die in a matter of hours.