Diseases caused by bacteria. Types of bacteria

Diseases caused by bacteria are currently considered the most common of all that can appear in humans. Today, there are many pathologies and microorganisms that provoke them. Next, we consider in detail the diseases caused by bacteria. The table, which will be given at the end of the article, will contain basic information about pathologies and pathogens.

General information

Pathogenic (causing diseases) microorganisms have a cell wall and a unique set of defense and aggression factors. Many people know such pathologies as scarlet fever, acute respiratory infections, pyelonephritis, plague, salmonellosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, tetanus, and tuberculosis. The cause of their development is pathogenic bacteria. Diseases can occur in different ways, have several stages, degrees of severity. Treatment of one or another pathology is carried out on the basis of the results of analyzes.

Bacteria characterization

What is a pathogen? This is a microscopic organism that, unlike prions and viruses, has a cell wall. The following types of bacteria:

• Non-pathogenic.
• Conditionally pathogenic.
• Pathogenic.

Consider the features of bacteria that provoke pathologies. The negative effect of microorganisms is due to the presence of special aggressive devices. Among them, the following factors should be highlighted:

• Adhesion. With it, a microorganism has the ability to attach to various human tissues.
• Exotoxin This factor has a specific effect, causing one or another symptom. For example, damage to the nervous system provokes butulotoxin, gastrointestinal tract - enterotoxin, and so on.
• Endotoxin. This liposaccharide provokes a febrile and intoxication syndrome.
  

These "devices" are fully equipped with pathogenic bacteria. Examples of such microorganisms: salmonella, pale treponema, gonococcus, Luffner's bacillus. Conditionally pathogenic bacteria can be in a person without provoking pathologies normally. However, under certain conditions, they turn into harmful bacteria. Examples of such microorganisms: staphylococcus, streptococcus, proteus and some others. Conditionally pathogenic elements are necessary for the body. Thanks to their presence, balance is maintained. Some intestinal bacteria are considered opportunistic. The last category of microorganisms does not cause any negative conditions under any conditions. At the end of the article there is a table "Human diseases caused by bacteria." It lists pathogenic microorganisms that provoke various infectious pathologies.

In what cases does the development of pathology occur?

In order for a pathogenic bacterium to cause a pathology in a person, it is necessary that several conditions are met. First of all, the number of microorganisms should be quite large. 1-2 bacteria are actually not able to seriously infect a person, since specific and nonspecific defense systems completely cope with such minor threats. Microorganisms must also be complete. This means that they must have all the necessary pathogenic properties. Weak strains are not particularly dangerous for humans. They can only transfer their properties to the immune system, so that the defense system can subsequently adequately respond to the enemy. It is on this principle that the action of various vaccines is based. Penetrate bacteria must penetrate into that part of the body where they could quickly and reliably attach to further growth, reproduction and introduction. For example, if salmonella does not enter the gastrointestinal tract, but onto the skin, then a person will not develop salmonella. Therefore, for prevention, before eating, wash your hands. Human immunity must be prepared to repel any attack. If the protective system is vaccinated artificially or naturally, then in almost all cases, parasitic bacteria cannot break through this barrier. If immunity has never met with microorganisms or is weakened (with AIDS, for example), then the pathogen will not be so difficult to invade the body and multiply there. When these conditions are met, infectious diseases occur. Pathologies caused by bacteria do not immediately begin to be accompanied by certain symptoms.

Incubation period

It exists in every infection. During it, bacteria get used to a new place, multiply, develop. The incubation period can last from several hours (for example, with foodborne toxicosis) to several years (with tick-borne borreliosis, leprosy). From the moment the first symptoms began to appear, it can be said that the pathology is fully developing. The incubation period is completed, the groups of bacteria settled throughout the body. With some pathologies, immunity is able to cope on its own. But in some cases, he needs outside help.

How are diseases caused by bacteria diagnosed?

Identification of pathologies is carried out in several ways:

• Using a microscope (stained microscopy).
• Definition of antigens and antibodies. This category of research includes laboratory tests of ELISA, PCR, RIF and others.
• By sowing. Material with harmful bacteria is placed in a special nutrient medium and left in it for a week. After this period, they look at what has formed, and draw a conclusion.
• Animal contamination. This biological method involves the introduction of material into the body of a mouse, rat, and other experimental subjects. After the autopsy of the animals and the study of the insides under the microscope.
  

Therapeutic measures

Diseases caused by bacteria are treated using various antibiotics. The use of drugs is the main therapeutic method for infectious pathologies. Today, quite a lot of antibiotic drugs are produced. The action of some can be directed against any particular group of bacteria. Other drugs have a wide spectrum of activity. The use of antibiotics must be treated very carefully. It should be remembered that illiterate treatment (usually independent, without consulting a doctor) can lead to serious consequences.

Antibiotic resistance

It occurs in microorganisms due to their ability to mutate. Sooner or later, the bacterium develops resistance to a particular drug. Medicines cease to act - to neutralize harmful microorganisms. In such cases, experts prescribe more powerful drugs - the means of the next, new generation. Medicine is considered indirectly guilty of the occurrence of infections arising as a result of therapeutic assistance. Previously, such pathologies were called nosocomial (hospital). They differ from ordinary diseases just in that simple (traditional) medicines do not have the necessary effect, and you have to resort to stronger drugs. More recently, for example, multiresistant tuberculosis strains have begun to appear. Today there are not so many medicines against this disease. It mainly applies what was developed in the USSR. These medicines do not work on a new type of infection. Such patients become not only incurable, but also extremely dangerous for others, since they are carriers of pathogenic bacteria.

Reasons for the development of drug resistance

Antibiotic resistance is considered a fairly regular process. This is due to the ability of the microorganism, like all living things, to adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions. However, the inept use of drugs had a significant impact on the rate of development of antibiotic resistance. Relatively recently, antibiotics were sold in pharmacies without a prescription. In this regard, many people went and bought medicines without consulting a doctor. As a rule, self-medication ends in 1-3 days, when the symptoms disappear. This leads to incomplete destruction of pathogenic bacteria. Some of them are eliminated, and the rest mutates, passing into another L-form. They are distributed throughout the body and take a wait and see attitude. When favorable conditions arise for them, they are activated. To prevent such consequences, antibiotics are prescribed in courses from 5 to 14 days. Microorganisms must be completely destroyed, and not adapted to medicines.

The main problem of antibiotic therapy

Along with pathogenic bacteria, the use of medicines destroys beneficial microorganisms that inhabit the digestive tract, for example. Imbalance can lead to conditionally pathogenic elements can turn into malicious ones. One of the most common complications of antibiotic therapy is such a disease as dysbiosis. The elimination of pathology is carried out by stimulating the growth of beneficial microflora.

The clinical picture of infection

The first symptom of a bacterial disease is fever. It is caused by the fact that when the cell wall of a microorganism is destroyed, the LPS complex penetrates the bloodstream and reaches the hypothalamus, and then the thermoregulatory center in it. As a result, the set point is shifted, and the body begins to "think" that it is cold. Therefore, heat production increases and heat transfer decreases. Fever acts as a defensive reaction. Temperature up to 39 degrees. stimulates the activity of immunity. If this indicator is exceeded, antipyretic drugs must be taken. The drug "Paracetamol" can act as such a drug. The temperature can be indirectly reduced with antibiotics. With its decrease during the first 24-28 hours from the start of administration, it can be concluded that the drug is correctly selected. Another manifestation of the infectious process is intoxication syndrome. It manifests itself as a significant deterioration, a decrease in mood, apathy, muscle and joint pain. Likely nausea, vomiting. The relief of the condition will help the intake of a large volume of liquid (at least two liters). Excess water will dilute toxins, reduce their concentration and remove some of them in the urine. These two symptoms described above are considered universal and appear in almost all infections. All other signs are determined by the characteristics of a particular pathogen, exotoxins and other aggressive factors.

Specific infections

These, for example, include tuberculosis, syphilis. These pathologies are somewhat different from others. I must say that these infections have existed for a long time in humans and the body is somewhat "used" to them. As a rule, these pathologies are not accompanied by a vivid clinical picture. However, against the background of infections, specific inflammations develop, which can be examined through a microscope. These pathologies are very difficult to treat. In this case, treatment is aimed only at eliminating the clinical manifestations of the infection. It is not possible today to completely rid the body of specific diseases.

Immunity activity

The protective system of the body includes two branches: the cellular and humoral. The latter is necessary to create specific antibodies to antigens of harmful bacteria. When a pathogenic microorganism penetrates, it is met by immune cells - macrophages. They destroy bacteria by studying their structure in the process. Then they transfer the received information to the central organs of the defense system. They, in turn, give a signal for the production of proteins (antibodies), which will have the ability to attach to bacteria and destroy them. Created antibodies are released into the bloodstream. Cellular defense of the body is built according to a different scheme. White blood cells attack foreign bacteria using proteolytic enzymes. Outwardly, they are pus. Due to the presence of these enzymes, pus has the ability to dissolve surrounding tissues and break out, taking out foreign compounds.

The condition of the body after therapy

The recovery of the body can be of three types: complete, laboratory or clinical. In the latter case, we are talking about the absence of any symptoms that relate to pathology. Laboratory recovery is established when no laboratory signs are noted. A complete cure is considered a condition in which no harmful microbes that provoke pathology are detected in the human body. Of course, not all diseases end in recovery. In practice, a lot of cases and deaths have been reported. Also, the course of pathology can go from acute to chronic.

Finally

The table above is presented. The human diseases caused by bacteria in the presented scheme are briefly highlighted.