Pathogens
By: Kasadi Prater
AIDS
Strep Throat
Strep throat is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria. There are many different types of strep bacteria. Some cause more serious illness than others.
Although some people are quick to think that any painful sore throat is strep, sore throats are caused by a viral infection and not strep bacteria. A sore throat caused by a virus can be just as painful as strep throat. But if you have cold symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a runny or stuffy nose, you probably do not have strep throat.
Tuberculosis
Ring Worms
- Ringworm is a common fungal infection of the skin and is not due to a worm.
- The medical term for ringworm is tinea. The condition is further named for the site of the body where the infection occurs.
- Ringworm causes a scaly, crusted rash that may itch.
- Ringworm can be successfully treated with antifungal medications used either topically or orally.
Vaginal Yeast Infection
Most women have a vaginal yeast infection at some time. Candida albicans is a common type of fungus. It is often found in small amounts in the vagina, mouth, digestive tract, and on the skin. Usually it does not cause disease or symptoms.
Candida and the many other germs that normally live in the vagina keep each other in balance. However, sometimes the number of Candida albicans increases, leading to a yeast infection.
This can happen if you are:
- Taking antibiotics used to treat other types of infections. Antibiotics change the normal balance between germs in the vagina by decreasing the number of protective bacteria.
- Pregnant
- Obese
- Have diabetes
A yeast infection is not a sexually transmitted illness. However, some men will develop symptoms such asitching and a rash on the penis after having sexual contact with an infected partner.
Having many vaginal yeast infections may be a sign of other health problems. Other vaginal infections and discharges can be mistaken for a vaginal yeast infection.
Sleeping Sickness
- Sleeping sickness occurs only in 36 sub-Saharan Africa countries where there are tsetse flies that transmit the disease.
- The people most exposed to the tsetse fly and therefore the disease live in rural areas and depend on agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry or hunting.
- Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (T.b.g.) accounts for more than 98% of reported cases of sleeping sickness.
- Sustained control efforts have lowered the number of new cases reported to 6743 in 2011 and 7197 in 2012 respectively.
- Diagnosis and treatment of the disease is complex and requires specifically skilled staff.