Causative Agent Essay

“Rutherford had contacted Dr. Ackerman about a bacterium that the army had stored at USAMRIID. It had been discovered in East Africa. This particular bacterium had remarkable natural properties in that it kept animal cells from deteriorating after the process of death set in and nature’s natural cycle of cellular breakdown had begun.

Naegleria fowleri infection is a deadly disease caused by a form of protist typically found dwelling within warm bodies of fresh water, such as lakes, rivers, streams and unchlorinated swimming pools. It can also be found within soil or in warm fresh water deposits outside of factories. Naegleria fowleria typically reside within fish or other water-dwelling organisms, but they have been known to infiltrate the human body via the nasal cavity.

In the early stages, the most commonly known symptom is the failure to acquire new memories, such as difficulty in remembering recently viewed facts. As the disease progress, symptoms include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general isolation of the victim as the senses decline. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, finally leading to death (Corliss, Gilbert, & Growdon, 2009).

When studying unknown bacterial organisms, microbiologists use a wide variety of techniques to observe the organism’s traits and classify it. Many genotypic and phenotypic methods exist that aid in the identification of known bacteria, the characterization of unknown bacteria, as well as the comparison between new findings and

The girl was 16 years old and got it from swimming in a warm lake in Florida. After getting the amoeba, she died six days later. I was immediately intrigued by this amoeba. The nick name for Neagleria fowleri is the Brain-eating amoeba, because once it enters the brain through an individual’s nose, it causes PAM and causes the person to go brain dead in 4-10 days. The amoeba thrives off warmth, so that means they are found in warm water. These bodies of water include: lakes, ponds and rivers, hot springs or other geothermal water, swimming pools that are not properly cleaned, thermally polluted waters; Tap water, and also moist soil and mud puddles. N.fowleri targets healthy individuals, usually kids from age 2-18. The brain is a perfect source of nutrition’s for an amoeba if the person is

The CDC has only seen thirty-two cases of Naegleria Fowleri, also known as the brain eating amoeba, in the United States within the past ten years. Twenty-nine of these cases were fatal. The effects of this disease are apparent on the human body, and the survival ratings are notably low. One of the reasons it is so difficult to find a cure is the complex life cycle of the amoeba. Doctors are hoping to find a treatment for the amoeba and raise awareness to the general populace. (healthmap.org) 100

Naegleria Fowleri is a free living ameba found in high temperature, fresh water environments. Although rare, this ameba can travel through the nasal mucosa to the brain and cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The three stages of life for N. Fowleri include the cyst, trophozoite, and flagellate stage. The only stage the ameba is able to infect humans in is the trophozoite stage in which it feeds off of organic molecules such as brain tissue; When food source is scarce or temperatures are too cold the ameba will return to the cyst stage. The cyst consisting of a thickened cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria and vacuoles allow for the ameba to survive

N. meningitidis and the diseases that it is responsible for are diagnosed by blood samples or a spinal tap to retrieve cerebrospinal fluid samples. Since the bacteria grows fastidious and is oxidase positive, it is preferred to grow it on a blood agar plate or a chocolate agar plate at temperatures ranging from 35-37 degrees Celsius. It can be identified using the Kovac’s oxidase test and if a positive result is found it should be followed with a carbohydrate utilization test. If this too shows N.meningitidis then a serological test should be performed to determine which strain is present. The strains of A, B, C, Y and W135 are the only known associated with humans and disease. Strain B is a weaker form and does not generate an adequate immune response therefore natural infection is capable of generating some immunity. It is also important in the lab testing of N. meningitidis to remember that the bacteria is capable of fermenting maltose in cultures which would set it apart from N. gonorrhoeae. It is imperative to utilize the Biosafety Level 2 to prevent contamination in lab workers. Most strains and diseases caused by N. meningitidis are treated with the administration of intravenous penicillin in a natural form. Ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin or rifampin as well as Chloramphenicol in children are used in treatment. It is also advised that anyone who may be exposed to the disease be treated with prophylactic treatment in order to prevent secondary infections. The treatment

S. marcenscens is an adaptable bacteria found in many different environments including water, soil, gastrointestinal tracts of many animals, but grow particularly well on starchy food sources (Petersen and Tisa, 2013). S. marcenscens when first isolated it was believed to be non-pathogenic, but S. marcenscens is responsible for nosocomial human infections, plant infections, insect and nematode infections, among many more (Petersen and Tisa, 2013). S. marcenscens is opportunistic and is known to cause nearly every possible infection imaginable including, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections,

In more serious cases, you may also note a longer period of unconsciousness, prolonged headache, convulsions, confusion, and depression. There may be noted changes both physically and mentally, from lack of coordination to extreme agitation.

Onset symptoms may include headache, hemiparesis, altered mental status, and coma. Other not as severe symptoms include nausea and vomiting, altered vision or doubled vision. Initially, the patient may be clinically stable with only mild to moderate symptoms. However, after this first phase, patients often experience a rapid decline in function that can lead to coma or possibly death. Blood pressure is usually elevated because of uncontrolled

Other symptoms may occur such as loss of the ability to speak clearly, muscle weakness in arms and legs, unable to eat or swallow well, and difficulty carryout daily task.

For a full round of treatment the drug costs up to forty-eight thousand dollars. Another case in North Carolina was also not as fortunate as Sebastian’s, when an eighteen year old Ohio woman was killed by the infection. In mid-June, when water was at a warmer temperature, the girl had been raftering in Charlotte. The rafting center was closed between late June and August when the amoeba was found in the water. “Dr. Jennifer Cope, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the CDC, said 11 out of 11 tests for the amoeba were positive at the rafting center, which does sound alarming” (Aboraya, Tomsic). This case sent fear into the community of Charlotte making the community worry for their own safety. “Whitewater Center CEO Wise says roughly 1.5 million people have rafted there over the past decade, and this is the first health issue it has had tied to what's in the water” (Aboraya, Tomsic). Even though a case of infection caused by the amoeba has never appeared before the community took the incident very seriously and the rafting center decided the best route to reducing the chance of another fatal infection they would begin chlorinating the water used for rafting. These real life events that took place provide a very real feeling towards the

A. simplex undergoes five larvae development stage (L1 – L5) before progress to adult. The hosts of A. simplex includes crustaceans, fish or squid and with the ultimate host of marine mammals. Human is the accidental host if raw or uncooked fish with infected A. simplex L3 are eaten as shown by Arlian et al. (2003). Out of the 14,000 cases of anisakiasis reported as at 2002, 95% are came from Japan and about 2,000 cases are reported each

Ehrlichiosis is just a general name given to describe several bacterial diseases. The three bacteria that Ehrlichiosis is used to describe in human diseases is Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Ehrlichia muris-like (EML). Ehrlichiae is transmitted to humans by tick through a tick bite. The primary vector for this disease is the lone star tick or the Amblyomma americanum. Upon being bit, those who are infected will start showing symptoms 1-2 weeks later These symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. To diagnose and treat Ehrlichios , it is all based on symptoms, clinical presentation, and later confirmed with laboratory test. The best way to treat Ehrlichios is by using doxycycline.