Vibrio infection facts *Vibrio infection facts medical author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Vibrio bacteria live in coastal waters. Around 12 species of Vibrio can cause a gastrointestinal illness (gastroenteritis) in humans. The illness produced by Vibrio bacteria is known as vibriosis. In most cases, the illness results from eating contaminated food, such as raw or...
What is Lyme disease? The signs and symptoms of Lyme disease depend upon the three stages of the infection, which are localized, disseminated, and persistent. Lyme disease is an infection that is transmitted by ticks and is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by infection with the spiral-shaped bacteria Borrelia...
What is Salmonella? Most people recover from the bacteria without requiring additional Salmonella treatment. Patients should consume extra fluids until their diarrhea clears up. Doctors may also prescribe antibiotics to treat more severe cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella infects around 1.35 million people every year. Over the course...
What is tetanus? Warning signs of tetanus may include headache, increased blood pressure, stiff jaw, difficulty swallowing, and body spasms. Sometimes referred to as lockjaw, tetanus is a severe disease that prompts painful muscle contractions. These can lead to the tightening of the jaw. The disease can also cause several other painful symptoms and, in...
Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) facts Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a disease caused by a fungus, Coccidioides, which lives in the soil of relatively arid regions (southwest U.S.); its incidence is increasing. People are infected by inhaling dust contaminated with Coccidioides; the fungus is not transmitted from person to person. Although most people infected with Coccidioides have...
What is mastoiditis? Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear. Mastoiditis symptoms include pain, fever, redness and hearing loss. Mastoiditis is an infection in the mastoid bone, located just behind the ear. A mastoid infection, also called “mastoiditis,” is usually a complication of a middle ear infection. Most cases of mastoiditis...
What is sepsis? Sepsis, or blood poisoning, is a potentially life-threatening by the body in response to an infection. Warnings signs include high fever, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, breathing difficulties, drastic body temperature change, worsening infection, mental decline, and severe illness. Sepsis, or septicemia, is the body's extreme and life-threatening response to an infection....
What is spleen removal? Spleen removal is indicated if you have certain medical conditions. The spleen is a small organ located on the left side of the abdomen under the rib cage. The spleen is part of the immune system and plays an important role in fighting infections. The spleen also filters damaged and old...
Plague (Black Death) facts There is no commercially available vaccine against plague. Plague is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by the bacteria known as Yersinia pestis. Plague has a high fatality rate, and people have described outbreaks of the bacterial infection for centuries. In the Middle Ages, plague was known as the "Black Death." It...
What are ticks? What are bedbugs? Share Your Story Tick bites can transmit disease. Ticks are arthropods (tick members are mainly hard [Ixodidae] or soft [Argasidae] ticks) that are obligate blood suckers that can, through bites, transmit diseases to humans and many animals. Bedbugs (Cimex genus only) are insects that are blood-sucking parasites of some...