Salmonella food poisoning facts Salmonella bacteria cause food-borne illnesses. Salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and are excreted in feces. Poultry, beef, milk, and eggs all can contain Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella infection is a food-borne illness that occurs from consumption of raw meats and eggs, contaminated dairy foods such as...
Whooping cough (pertussis) facts Is Whooping Cough Highly Contagious? Whooping cough (pertussis) is an acute, highly contagious bacterial infection. The bacterium Bordetella pertussis causes this respiratory infection. Whooping cough commonly affects infants and young children, but immunization with the pertussis vaccine can prevent the infection. Young infants are at greatest risk for complications and even...
Thrush in newborns and infants is common and usually not harmful.Source: Getty Images What is thrush? Thrush (oropharyngeal candidiasis) is a medical condition in which a yeast-like fungus called Candida albicans overgrows in the mouth and throat. Thrush may be triggered to occur by a variety of factors, including illness, pregnancy, medications, smoking, or dentures....
Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) facts *Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) facts written by Charles P. Davis, MD, PhD Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a parasite that infects rats with the adult parasitic form found only in rodents. The infected rats pass larvae in their feces to reach slugs and snails. The parasitic life cycle continues in...
Facts you should know about Powassan virus (POW virus) Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story Picture of a map of Powassan virus infections reported by states, 2006-2015; SOURCE: CDC Powassan viruses are members of the genus Flavivirus; there are two types, termed lineage 1 and lineage 2. Powassan virus disease is an infection caused by...
Facts you should know about sick building syndrome Sick building syndrome is believed by some to be an illness caused by unknown agents in buildings. Sick building syndrome is a controversial subject because many experts do not think it is a true syndrome. Sick building syndrome has no known cause, however, known causes of illness...
What is a sore throat? Strep throat is caused by a bacteria. A sore throat is irritation and scratchiness in the throat accompanied by pain that often worsens with swallowing. A sore throat is often the first warning sign of an infection. The most common cause of a sore throat is a viral infection. Rarely,...
Facts you should know about scarlet fever Picture of rash on the arm due to scarlet fever. Source: CDC Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria that results in a rash and fever. Group a beta hemolytic streptococci produce an erythrogenic toxin that causes scarlet fever. The incubation period for...
Peritonitis facts Readers Comments 2 Share Your Story The signs and symptoms of peritonitis may vary depending upon the cause of the inflammation; however, there are relatively common indicators that suggest a person may have peritonitis. The definition of peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneal membranes. The signs and symptoms of peritonitis are mainly...
Group A streptococcal infections (GAS) facts Figure 1: Photo of Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS). SOURCE: CDC Group A streptococci (GAS) are defined gram-positive spherical-shaped bacteria that produce beta-hemolysis (lysis of red blood cells producing clear or transparent areas in special growth media) and appear usually as a chain of two or more bacteria and have molecules...