Raw Oysters and Antacids: A Deadly Mix?
The highly acidic environment of the stomach kills most bacteria before they cause disease. One bacterium that can slightly tolerate conditions as it passes through the stomach is Vibrio vulnificus—a bacterium commonly ingested by eating raw tainted oysters. The bacterium cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled in food or water.
V. vulnificus is an emerging pathogen and a growing cause of food poisoning in the United States: it triggers vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The pathogen can also infect the bloodstream, causing life-threatening illness characterized by fever, chills, skin lesions, and deadly loss of blood pressure. About 50% of patients with bloodstream infections die. V. vulnificus especially affects the immunocompromised and people with long-term liver disease.
Researchers have discovered that taking antacids may make people more susceptible to becoming ill from V. vulnificus. They found that antacids in a simulated gastric environment significantly increased the survival rate of V. vulnificus.
- 1. Why are patients who take antacids at greater risk for infections with V vutnificus?
- 2. Will antacids raise or lower the pH of the stomach?
- 3. Other than refraining from antacids, what can people do to reduce their risk of infection?
Learn your wayIncludes step-by-step video
Chapter 2 Solutions
Microbiology with Diseases by Body System (4th Edition)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Campbell Biology (10th Edition)
Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
Human Anatomy & Physiology
Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology (5th Edition)
Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (7th Edition)
Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections (9th Edition)
- An important food-borne pathogen as it can survive common food preservation methods: (choose one) Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli Salmonella typhi Listeria monocytogenes Bacillus cereusarrow_forwardThe following are microbial products. Beside each product, identify the microorganisms producing it and briefly describe the function of the product. penicillin amylase glucose isomeraseg. proteases Taq polymerase Thermostable galactosidase thermostable DNA ligasearrow_forwardThe following are microbial products. Beside each product, identify the microorganisms producing it and briefly describe the function of the product. MSG yoghurt vinegar penicillin amylase glucose isomeraseg. proteases Taq polymerase Thermostable galactosidase thermostable DNA ligasearrow_forward
- Which of the following statements is true about macrolide antibiotics? Multiple Choice 1-They are considered bactericidal. 2-The most common adverse effect of these drugs is crystalluria. 3-They were discovered in 1935 as a by-product of the dye industry. 4-The newer derivatives include clarithromycin and dirithromycin.arrow_forwardLearn about the many adulterants that have been introduced to milk and other dairy products. Detection of microorganisms in dairy products: Table sugar is detected in the following ways: Determination of the presence of starch Detection of Acids and Bases Soap Detection and Identification Formalin is being looked for. Detection of Ammonium Sulfate: in addition to the tests for detecting them, there are other tests for detecting them.arrow_forwardThiourea Functional class: Electrophilic site(s): Include structure. Nucleophilic site(s): • Include structuresarrow_forward
- Match the descriptions to the terms. There are 4 descriptions to match. You can use a choice more than once or not at all. A community of microbes embedded in a polysaccharide matrix; this community is extra-resistant to antibiotics. (this goes with the picture) The pili on this pathogen mediate __________. Lipopolysaccharide found in outer membrane of Gram negative bacteria Polysaccharide structure that can form the biofilm matrix A. biofilm B. glycocalyx C. adherence D. Bacterial endotoxin E. normal flora F. flagellaarrow_forwardmissing a name or two from the list (Enterobacter aerogenes), and (Serratia rubidaea) - should be 20 Proteus Vulgaris (spelling) is eliminated under citrate so you can't have it at the end. some of the above choices are strict aerobes and some are facultative anaerobes. This is helpful to first eliminate a set from your possibilities (look them up to figure this out)At first eliminate the organisms that *cannot* do something your organism *can*. This means you have a positive test result and you eliminate those that are always negative for that result. That way you do not have to worry that you accidentally killed the unknown before you inoculated it. You do still need to be concerned that you interpreted the test results correctly and did not introduce a contaminant that has the ability you were testing while your true unknown did not.arrow_forwardCompare and contrast some of the artificial sweeteners:aspartame,saccharin, sucralose, erythrolarrow_forward
- A patient presents with a large infected abscess, and is prescribed a 100.0 mg IV treatment of Micafungin, given daily for 2 weeks. The Micafungin is available in 50.0 mg vials. How many vials are necessary for this course of treatment?arrow_forwardBased on the following data, which bacteria is most likely a human pathogen? Bacteria E.coli S. marcescens B. Stearothermophilus S. marcescens E. coli B. Stearothermophilus None are human pathogens Absorbance Val 0.01 0.04 0.01 4 Carrow_forwardA Photo credit: BSP3D- Group 5 Pharm. Bio. Sci 3 Laboratory (S.Y. 2016-2017) Sample is Bacillus subtilis; A-Ciprofloxacin; B-Ampicillin; C-Tetracycline; D- Vancomycin Refer to the image above and answer the following questions: 1. By just looking at the example above, which do you think is the most effective antibiotic for Bacillus subtilis? which is the least effective? and why? 2. How will you measure the zone of inhibition of vancomycin (letter D)? 3. What is the importance of evenly distributing the microbe onto the plate? 3. Subtilisarrow_forward
- Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Co...BiologyISBN:9781305251052Author:Michael CummingsPublisher:Cengage Learning