Question

Choose a single microorganism that inhabits more than one body system. It should be considered a pathogen in at least one of the areas of the body. Attempt to choose an organism that is unique among your classmates’ selections.

One example includes Bacillus anthracis and its ability to infect the skin, muscles, respiratory system, and digestive tract. Another example are virulent strains of Escherichia coli and their link to gastroenteritis, neonatal meningitis, and urinary tract infections.

Indicate the microorganism you have chosen and provide a summary of the body systems it may infect or inhabit.

Describe the ways it interacts with those systems to live harmoniously with humans or cause disease. Rank the individual conditions in order of severity and the impact it may have on a human’s health.

What are the differences in the severity of the infections between the body systems and what factors affect severity? Is the severity linked to a characteristic of the body system? Does the particular serotype or other characteristic of the organism play a role?

Resources to get you started

Anthrax
http://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/

E.coli (Escherichia coli)
http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/

Answer 1

Organism’s interaction with organs system

Anthrax is spread by contact with the bacterium spores, which often appears in infectious animal products. Contact by breathing, eating, or through the area of the broken skin

Bacillus anthraces is rod shaped gram positive, aerobic bacterium it was shown to cause disease by Robert Koch in 1876 when he took blood sample from cow.

Systematic infection of Anthrax

1. Skin: cutaneous anthrax is also known as Hider porters disease, cutaneous anthrax presents as boil like skin bubble shape that eventfully forms an ulcer with black type Escher, the black shape ulcer further became painless and form necrosis, in general, cutaneous infection form with in the spores and cuts of the skin or spore penetration between two and five days of exposure

2.Lungs: Bacillus anthracis infects the lymph nodes in the chest first, rather than lungs themselves spreading to lungs directly a condition called hemorrhagic mediastinitis causing bloody fluid to accumulate in the chest cavity, the

first stage: in this stage cause cold and flu like symptoms include fever, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue and chills

Second stage: pneumonia may develop in this stage occurs when infection spreads from the lymph nodes to the lungs. symptom of the second stage develop suddenly after hours or days of 1st stage

Gastrointestinal: GI infection is most often caused by consuming anthrax infected meat and its characterized by diarrhea vomiting, abdominal pain, acute inflammation of intestine tract.

Prevention of anthrax:

• Precaution should be taken to avoid skin contact with potentially contaminated body and fluids
• Full isolation of the body is important to prevent possible contamination of others
• Decontamination can be achieved by autoclaving
• disposable personal protective equipment
• hand washing

E-Coli

E coli are large and diverse group of bacteria. Although most strains of E coli are harmless. E coli can cause diarrhea. While other cause UTI  

E coli bacteria are a common cause of urine infection.