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Causes And Consequences Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae

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BIOL 2164 Pathogen Poster SafeAssign Template

Name: Eyerusalem Gebeyhu
Section:307

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus pneumoniae was discovered by Louis Pasteur in pneumonia patients in 1881. It is a gram positive coccus that forms short chains or more commonly, pairs and classified in its own genus, called “Diplococcus”. Streptococcus pneumonie is a pneumococcal pneumonia consists about 85 % of all cases of pneumonia. Around ninety two different strains of S. Pneumoniae, collectively called pneumococci, are known to cause harm on humans. Streptococcus pneumonia is a member of pharyngeal microbiota that can colonize the lungs, sinuses, and middle ear. They are round shaped, unpigmented grown for 24 hours. The Individual cells of streptococcus are between 0.5 and 1.25 mm in diameter. They are a fastidious bacterium.

PATHOGEN CHARACTERISTICS

Streptococcus pneumoniae cells are elongated cocci. (Lancet-shaped cocci). When cultured on blood agar, it become alpha hemolytic which makes it different S. pneumoniae from the beta hemolytic streptococcus. Colonies of Streptococcus pneumonaie grown for 24 hours are 1-3 mm in diameter, round mucoid, un-pigmented, and dimpled in the middle because of the death of older cells. Colonies are alpha hemolytic on blood agar when grown aerobically and beta hemolytic when grown anaerobically. This bacterium lacks Lancefield antigens but does incorporate a species-specific teichoic acid into its cell wall. Most of the time, they are

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