Infections

Four types of organisms cause infections: bacteria, viruses, fungi and rickettsiae. They are lumped into one category called germs. Germs are easily transmitted from one person to another through coughing, sneezing, or touching. Germs can also be picked up from contact with various surfaces and they can invade the body through an open wound, a cut, or a scrape.

Once inside the body, germs go through an incubation period during which they increase in number until they are strong enough to mount an offense and produce a disease. The incubation period can be as short as a few days or as long as several months. Once the germs begin their attack the body responds with symptoms of infection such as: fever, inflammation or swollen glands. However, when these germs attack, the body’s immune system goes into action to fight off the invaders.

Sometimes the immune system’s response is so successful that the person has no symptoms and does not even know that they actually had a disease. But even though the person displayed no symptoms and was not aware of ever having the disease, that person is now a carrier and can transmit the disease to someone else.

When bacteria or viruses invade the body of someone who has immunity due to having once had the disease, that person can also be a carrier even though they do not succumb to the invading organisms.

The type of infection that is produced depends upon the type of invader. Harmful bacteria can cause staphylococcal or streptococcal type infections and such diseases as whooping cough, diphtheria, cholera, tetanus and tuberculosis. Bacterial infections can settle in one part of the body or spread over the entire body.

The bacteria operate in two ways. Sometimes they simply interfere with the normal function of healthy cells. Other times the bacteria release toxins and the toxins are responsible for producing the infection within the body.

Fortunately, there are a number of antibiotics which, when used according to directions, can control bacterial infections. However, there are now some bacteria, which are displaying immunity to these antibiotics.

Fungal infections are spread by contact. This contact can be directly with a person who has the infection or indirectly by touching a surface that the infected person has touched. They can also be acquired through contact with water that has been exposed to a carrier. Typical fungal infections are ringworm and yeast.

Since there are so many viruses, viral infections are difficult to fight off. The common cold is a viral infection and there are more than 100 viruses that can cause it. Viral infections are also responsible for such illnesses as mumps, chicken pox, measles, and German measles. Viruses can even hide out in the body for long periods of time and then the infection will re-occur during a period of stress.

Freedom from UTI: The Real Causes Of And Cures For Urinary Tract Infections
by: Marina Miletic
publisher: Successful Well Being Publishing, published: 2010-06-11
ASIN: B003X27SN4
sales rank: 252836

This unique book discusses the underlying causes of Urinary Tract Infections and helps individuals quickly and effectively cure their UTIs *permanently.*

Epidemic of Medical Errors and Hospital-Acquired Infections: Systemic and Social Causes
by: William Charney
publisher: CRC Press, published: 2012-02-22
ASIN: 1420089293
EAN: 9781420089295
sales rank: 10963145
price: $92.80 (new)

This book explores the issues surrounding medical errors and examines the science behind possible solutions. It creates an efficient dialogue that will produce a more systemic targeting of the causes of medical errors and hospital-acquired infections. The author elucidates current challenges, including the complex issues of money and ethics. He uses statistical data to build the case for systemic change and re-confirms the fact that millions of procedures done without error is as an important measuring figure as the numbers of mistakes.

Information on the June 2012 Conference on the Epidemic of Medical Errors & Hospital Acquired Infections in the US and Canada: the Systemic Causes can be found on the CRC Press Issuu page.

Cross Infections: Types, Causes and Prevention (Public Health in the 21st Century)
publisher: Nova Science Pub Inc, published: 2009-12-31
ASIN: 1607414678
EAN: 9781607414674
sales rank: 5488677
price: $86.43 (new), $206.93 (used)

Cross infection is the transmission of an infectious agent from one person to another because of a poor barrier protection as in patients and immunocompromised hosts. The most common are nosocomial cross infections, which are acquired at a hospital or other healthcare facilities such as outpatient clinics. This book analyses infection control for healthcare workers, epidemiologists, administrations and those responsible for infection control programmes at healthcare facilities. Most carriers of infections are unaware of their condition and therefore it is important that prevention of cross-infection routine is adopted for all patients. The prevention of cross transmission of respiratory viral pathogens in paediatric cancer patients with conventional chemotherapy is also explored. Paediatric cancer patients face an increased risk of potentially life-threatening infectious complications due to their underlying malignancy and to the adverse effects of intensive anticancer treatment. This book further delves into the various aspects of catheter-related infections (CRI) such as diagnosis, incidence, aetiology, pathogenesis and recommended preventive measures. Other chapters in this book focus on the newly emerging CA-MRSA strains which have caused serious community-acquired infections in otherwise healthy children, an examination of the pathogenesis and microbial properties that contribute to the persistence of S aureus in dairy cattle herds, a review of the multi-drug resistant pathogens that are common in patients with severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a discussion of the microbes which cause cross infections and are resistant to antimicrobial agents, and thus present a challenge in treatment and prevention.

How does MRSA cause infection, particularly among healthy people? Info for Patients and Family
Presentation of how MRSA causes infection, particularly among healthy people.

Critter – Good Bacteria and Why Hospital Infections are so dangerous
Vaughn from Spirit of Health discusses good bacteria and hospital infections

Infections

This entry was posted on Monday, November 28th, 2011 at 10:51 AM and is filed under Health issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.