List And Describe Several Pathogens That Can Cause Gastroenteritis Essay

Poor hand hygiene - spread of germs from one patient to another or spread for hands to surfaces.

Pathogens are everywhere. They are in people, animals, and the environment. Pathogens come in a wide variety. The types are fungal, bacterial, viral, and other parasites. All pathogens can be dangerous, but two of them are more dangerous. These two types that more dangerous are fungal and bacterial. While both fungal and bacterial pathogens cause illness, they differ in the way they are transmitted, the way they are treated, and the diseases they cause.

Escherichia coli are rod shaped, gram negative bacteria often found in the gut of humans and other warm-blooded mammals (Jacques & Ngo, 2004). It is transmitted primarily through faecal contaminated food and water. Most strains of E. coli are not harmful to humans, however some strains are pathogenic and can cause symptoms including diarrhoea (Unknown, 2012).

The prototype of norovirus was identified in 1968 by electron microscopy as a cause of Gastroenteritis in Norwalk, Ohio. Human noroviruses are a major cause of Epidemic Gastroenteritis, and Epidemic Gastroenteritis is a major cause of foodborne illness. Outbreaks occur throughout the year, but it is most common in the winter. Causes 19-21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis, and contributes to 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations and 570-800 deaths, mostly among young children and older adults. Responsible for 58% of domestically-acquired foodborne illnesses, and about 50% of foodborne disease outbreaks due to known agents.

Salmonella is a bacterial disease that occurs in the intestines, the signs and symptoms can be; fever, or other illnesses such as diarrhea and abdominal cramps. People typically get salmonella from contaminated foods, which seems to occur frequently from poultry and eggs (Nordqvist, 2016). This is just a basic look at salmonella though, next we need to look at the epidemiologic triad (host, agent, and environment) and see how each plays a role in a salmonella outbreak.

Also, an estimated 4 million cases and over 100,000 deaths occur each year due to this bacteria. Because the intestines are the site in which fluid is absorbed from food, unfortunately for people suffering from the bacteria, the intestines overdo their job and one suffers from diarrhea. Diarrhea is a homeostatic imbalance, in which stools are “watery” (Hoehn, 892).

Many people are affected each year by what is usually misdiagnosed as the “stomach flu”. The official medical term for this illness is Norovirus, but is also known as Norwalk Virus. It was first seen in 1968 at Bronson Elementary School in Norwalk, Ohio. The first outbreak occurred at the elementary school, infecting 116 of the 223 students and teachers. Norovirus is a contagious virus that can lead to an infection called acute gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which results in diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. In the United States alone, 19-21 million cases, 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations, and 570-800 deaths are reported each year (CDC).

Once ingested, the bacteria target the intestinal mucosa for infection. After the bacteria adhere to the mucosal cells, it causes them to uptake it in vacuoles. The

Noroviruses are the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans, and affect people of all ages. Norovirus infection is characterised by nausea, forceful vomiting, watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and in some cases, loss of taste. General lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and low-grade fever may occur. The disease is usually self-limiting,

Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infection is characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain, and fever or headaches may also occur. This usually develops 12 to 48 hours after being exposed. Individuals with norovirus may vomit and have diarrhea many times a day, leading to extreme dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses. The recovery typically occurs within 1 to 3 days.

Norovirus and Salmonella are the two most common pathogens, resulting in the most hospitalizations and deaths. Norovirus is a pathogen that infects the stomach and intestines by causing inflammation. Symptoms of norovirus include; nausea/vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain leading to dehydration causing one to urinate more frequently and feel dizzy while standing up. In order to avoid contracting the Norovirus, the CDC recommends thoroughly washing fruits, vegetables and cooking seafood to appropriate temperatures, which can survive up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html). Salmonella affects the gastrointestinal tract when bacteria is swallowed, mainly coming from raw food products; eggs,

The infectious agent (pathogen) that causes salmonella is called salmonella enteriditis. The bacteria is larger than a virus; but, is visible to the eye with the microscope. It is rod-shaped, gram negative, non-motile bacteria that does not form spores. Interestingly enough it communicates to its fellow bacteria via AHL. It infects the cell, multiplies within it; then, bursts the cell. Special effector protein factors are required for salmonella intestinal invasion and the induction of fluid secretion and for inflammatory responses. There are about six names species names of it, salmonella

Rotavirus is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, meaning the virus is present in the feces of one person and is then ingested by another. This can occur if there is direct contact between a person and contaminated feces, or if food or water come in contact with contaminated feces and are then ingested.1 An infected person, who is otherwise healthy, may become contagious two days prior to experiencing diarrhea and may continue to be contagious for up to twelve days following its start. However, people with immune deficiencies may be contagious for up to a month after experiencing the first episode of diarrhea.3 Rotavirus mostly affects infants and young children but it can also affect those who work in close proximity with them, such as daycare

Previous studies have shown that bacteria such as Escherichia coli have contributed to diarrhea among children across the world (Kreisberg et al., 2010). E coli produce particular heat- liable toxins, STb, which has been responsible for diarrheas in many farm animals through the induction of intestinal barrier dysfunction (Kreisberg et al., 2010). Another study had also investigated the alterations in tight junctions after E coli infection in vivo. The investigation concluded that the tight junction proteins, claudin and occludin, were dislocated from the cellular membrane (Zhang et al., 2010). The integrity of the tight junction proteins in vitro can be observed by utilizing the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). The electrical resistance determines the confluence of the epithelial monolayer. Properly functioning tight junctions are characterized by high TER (Lu el at., 2013). The bacterial effect on tight junction should be addressed because it emphasizes the importance of the communication between bacteria and the intestinal epithelial cells. It allows for an elaborate understanding of the bacterial pathogens and how it induces epithelial cell

Giardia lamblia’s stages are very different to go along with its ability to thrive and survive. The