Enterococcus faecalis is a genus of gram positive cocci and form short chains or are arranged in pairs. They are nonmotile, facultative anaerobic organisms and can survive in harsh conditions in nature. There are over 15 species of the Enterococcus genus but about 90% of clinical isolates are E. faecalis. E. faecalis is a nosocomial pathogen because it is commonly found in the hospital environment and can cause life-threatening infections in humans. It is a bacterium that normally inhabits the intestinal tract in humans and animals but when found in other body locations it can cause serious infections. The most common sites for E. faecalis infections are the heart, bloodstream, urinary tract, and skin wounds. Due to vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, many antibiotics have been shown ineffective in the treatment. In this paper, I will describe the ecology and pathology of E. faecalis; the antibacterial resistance; treatment; and, what you can do to prevent Enterococcus infection.
Enterococci are normally found inhabiting the large bowls of humans but are also a part of the intestinal micro flora in mammals and birds. Enterococci are also found in soil, plants, and water. Normally, you do not find E. faecalis in water but there are other species of Enterococci that have been found in water due to contamination. Often from feces. E. faecalis is considered an assorted species because it mingles with many different organisms and has an effect on the environment. Some of the ways that E. faecalis can be transmitted in the environment are by various insects and animals. House flies are a good example of how the bacterium is transmitted because where they live there are live microbial communities present. Normally they are found around...
... middle of paper ...
...d rectal thermometers and transmission by hands after touching IV or urinary catheters. Enterococci can be intrinsic and can tolerate or resist beta-lactam antibiotics due to containing penicillin-binding proteins. That means they are still able to combine cell wall components. There can be acquired resistance of Enterococci that comprises of resistance to penicillin by beta-lactamases, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines, rifampin, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and vancomycin. There is a potential for cell-wall synthesis because the genes that encrypt intrinsic or acquired vancomycin resistance produce in a peptide to which vancomycin cannot connect. Unfortunately, due to the resistance of penicillin, Enterococci can be inhibited but cannot be killed. Health care professionals are left with limited therapeutic therapy that can be effective in the treatment of VRE.
F tularensis as a bacterium has a large array of sources from which it can be transmitted. As mentioned these include water, mud and decaying animal carcasses(Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, 2013). Additional sources include small mammals such as; rabbits, hares, muskrats and other such creatures(##). Small mammals such as
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has presented many problems in our society, including an increased chance of fatality due to infections that could have otherwise been treated with success. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, but overexposure to these drugs give the bacteria more opportunities to mutate, forming resistant strains. Through natural selection, those few mutated bacteria are able to survive treatments of antibiotics and then pass on their genes to other bacterial cells through lateral gene transfer (Zhaxybayeva, 2011). Once resistance builds in one patient, it is possible for the strain to be transmitted to others through improper hygiene and failure to isolate patients in hospitals.
Ever since the discovery of antibiotics in the 1920’s, treating bacterial infections in humans, and animals alike, has emerged as a revolutionary possibility. Antibiotics are drugs that are naturally produced by bacteria or fungus to defend against other bacteria via death or inhibiting reproduction (1). Since their detection, antibiotics have been diversified into many different forms and classes which are arranged by mode of action. Glycopeptides are a class of antibiotics which are composed of glycolsylated cyclic or polycyclic nonribosomal peptides that inhibit cell wall synthesis in susceptible bacteria (2). However, it was soon discovered that the use of these antibiotic drugs would lead to antibiotic resistance. This paper will discuss the history, function, and resistance associated with vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic.
Is fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) effective treatment for patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). UC is a chronic inflammation of the large intestine. FMT is used to describe the delivery of a healthy donors stool into a patient via enema, colonoscope, or nasogastric tube. In the past several years FMT has been used for an alternative treatment with patients diagnosed with Clostridium difficile (CD). The purpose of this paper is to discuss if FMT is just as effective in treating UC over just medication. The articles below will give insight if this theory is true or not.
The main factors that affect the composition of gut microbial are age, diet, antibiotic use and genetics. These factors change the gut microbiota by changing the selective environment of the gut. Although we can gain new gut microbes during our life, most of the changes that occur are changes in the relative abundance of the microbes already in our guts. We start with a sterile gut and gain microbes during and after birth. At birth, infants show a low diversity of microbes which are experimentally shown to be associated with their mode of delivery. The intestinal microbiota of infants delivered through the vagina contain microbes present in the mother’s vagina and feces. These microbes are usually of the Lactobacillus and
This report thoroughly details the present and future uses and management of The Spit and how these developments may affect the Gold Coast community, culturally, economically, politically, environmentally and socially. Throughout the report, primary and secondary evidence will be provided justifying if the Queensland Government made the right decision of rejecting the ASF Integrated Resort proposal. This report will discuss existing countermeasures used to preserve the Spit, natural and man-made.
Passing of poop, stool or faeces is regarded as a normal phenomenon in the human physiology. Poop is regarded as the solid waste matter discharged from the intestine after digestion of food has taken place through the anus.
E. coli is a bacteria that normally lives inside the intestines of humans. There are many different strains some of which, cause human infections. E. coli infections are normally started through cross contamination with feces or stool of human or animals. E. coli is able to case Urinary Tract Infection because it resides around the anus. Since the anus and the urethra are so closely connected in women, this allows for direct transmission of E. coli. The virulence factor of E. coli is extremely unique because it helps the microorganism over power the body natural defense mechanism, taking over the host (Result filters).
enterocolitica causes illness mainly in children under the age of seven and most common in the wintertime (Adams and Moss 2010). Once contaminated food is ingested, the bacteria travels to the stomach where is can survive in stomach acids and adheres to mucosal cells in the gut associated lymphoid tissues (Adams and Moss 2010). By endocytosis, the adhered cell is taken up by the epithelial cells where it survives and can release cytotoxic chemicals (Adams and Moss 2010). It than invades phagocytic cells and produces a local inflammatory response (Adams and Moss
Giardiasis is a disease of the lower digestive system caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia which is transmitted via a faecal-oral route. The infection is acquired when a person ingests a dormant cyst of the parasite, usually by drinking contaminated water. The disease affects around 200 million people worldwide and is especially prevalent in third world countries, where there are larger populations of people in areas with poorer sanitation and therefore a greater risk of the parasite being passed on from person to person through direct contact. However, the parasite is also zoonotic and may spread between animals and humans. After an incubation period of one to two weeks, symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, vomiting and weight loss may arise but some infected people remain asymptomatic and a carrier of the parasite. There are two assemblages of the causative agent Giardia lamblia which infects humans and other animals, except rodents. This parasite has a distinctive morphology. It is a single-celled, pear-shaped protozoan with two nuclei, four pairs of flagella and median bodies in the cytoskeleton. . It does not contain peroxisomes or mitochondria but does have a mitosome. A specialized feature of Giardia lamblia, known as an adhesive disc, ensures the attachment of the parasite to the intestinal mucosa in the infected host.
The cause of acute, persistent, or relapsing clinical infections is often due to multidrug resistance and/or antibiotic tolerance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widespread, opportunistic, gram-negative, bacterial pathogen that readily develops multidrug resistance and is responsible for causing acute and persistent infections (Starkey et al, 2014). P. aeruginosa thrives in moist environments, primarily as waterborne and soil-borne organisms (Chen, 2015). It is found on medical equipment including catheters, which can cause cross-infections in hospitals and lead to nosocomial infections. If P. aeruginosa is found in the lungs, the urinary tract, or the kidneys, the results can be fatal (Chen, 2015). In addition to causing life-threatening diseases,
Patients known to acquire these infections are of advanced age, immunosuppressed, had an invasive procedure or multiple of these problems. These infections are associated with serious complications or could even lead to death in some cases. The most frequent types of these infections are: urinary-tract infections due to the use of indwelling catheters, surgical wounds due to the break in the skin barrier, nosocomial pneumonia due to endotracheal intubation and nosocomial bloodstream from having an indwelling central catheter. Hospitals have implemented ongoing education for staff where they provide advice and guidance along with new strategies to help decrease these infections; three strategies: standard safety precautions, transmission based and special precautions. Understanding what patients are at risk will help prevent these infections from occurring. This information is valuable for research as it has valuable insight into how antibiotic administration should be administered for these types of infections. These antibiotics being tailored to the individual could stop many nosocomial infections due to the fact that prolonged use of antibiotics could lead to antibiotic resistant organisms. Therefore, we can conclude from Booth and Garrett that handwashing is one of the main preventions of these infections whereas prescribing to a patient’s
This enriched yeast bread hails from Germany and it's their version of a fruitcake. It consists of a filling made from dried fruits, nuts and marzipan folded into the dough. Additionally, after baking it's finished with melted butter and covered in powdered sugar. Although, it’s more than just a fruitcake. In Dresden, Germany a festival was held to celebrate Stollen, it was called Stollenfest, it was Germany's historic tradition, but unfortunately, due to the fall of the monarchy in 1918, it was abolished. However, in 1994 they were able to bring it back.
There are over 500 strains of E. coli, and many can cause urinary tract infections, gastroentinitis, neonatal meningitis and some strains produce enterotoxins that cause traveler’s diarrhea (1,2,3). Insidious E.coli strands can be obtained from society in an abundance of ways. To begin with, improper food handling can cause contamination. Simple steps such as not washing hands, unsanitary cooking utensils, foods left out too long, and foods that are not cooked at the right temperature or are left out too long are all ways that one can obtain E.coli, not just in a restaurant, but in one’s own home (2). Also, someone can get E.coli through person to person. If someone had just had a recent bowel movement, the bacteria spreads as they touch their surroundings (2). Finally, animals have a high risk for infection and can pass on diseases when touched (1). Normally, E. coli is treated through healthy practices such as hydration, rest, and proper hand hygiene (2,3). Needless to say, E.coli is a prevalent microbe that continues to evolve and change to the medication it is exposed to. There are plenty of benfits to E. coli and there are some strains that can be detrimental to our
Diarrhoea is the process of passing watery faeces, accompanied by symptoms such as stomach pains, nausea and vomiting (betterheath). It is very widespread, being experienced by lots of people several times a year and is usually easily treatable (webmd). However, not all cases of diarrhoea are as simple. In fact, some diarrhoeal cases are life-threatening, killing approximately 760 000 children under the age of five each year (WHO1).