Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is a bacterial infection caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. This disease commonly affects children though there are cases that proved that it could affect adults as well. The bacterium that causes scarlet fever produces exotoxin by which the body of the infected person reacts badly. It could lead to streptococcal … [Read more...]
Can you Get Whooping Cough Twice?
What is whooping cough? Whooping cough, or otherwise known as pertussis, is a type of respiratory infection that is caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis. This type of cough differs from any other usually coughs and colds since it is highly contagious and is characterized by coughing that is always followed or ended with a loud or noticeable whooping … [Read more...]
How the Flu Spreads and Evolves – A Free Course
Influenza is a disease that strikes in two forms. Seasonal influenza returns each winter, killing up to half a million people in bad years and causing much misery. Pandemic influenza, by contrast, is rare - having occurred only a handful of times in the last century - and far worse than seasonal flu, often killing many millions across the world. The worst pandemic of all, the … [Read more...]
Explore Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain
Antibiotics are not only an essential part of modern human medicine, they are also indispensable in veterinary medicine. Historically, low levels of antibiotics were added to the feed of healthy livestock, to promote their growth – a practice now banned in the European Union, but still in use elsewhere – while vets still use antibiotics to treat sick animals. This may have … [Read more...]
Understand Antibiotic Resistance as a Serious Global Health Threat
The misuse of antibiotics worldwide has eroded their efficacy and antibiotic-resistant bacteria rapidly emerge and spread across the globe. At the same time, the pipeline of new antibiotics is now almost dry. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that we have arrived at a point where the pandemic of antibiotic resistance has become a global health crisis. It is a silent … [Read more...]