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Candida Albicans: a yeast-like fungal organism found in small amounts in the normal human intestinal tract. Normally kept in check by the body's own helpful bacteria, candida can increase in numbers when this balance is disturbed to cause candidiasis of the intestinal tract, or yeast infections of other parts of the body. Candida causes thrush. Also called Monilia albicans.
(www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11072)
Coxsackievirus: part of the enterovirus family of viruses (which also includes polioviruses and hepatitis A virus) that live in the human digestive tract. They can spread from person to person, usually on unwashed hands and surfaces contaminated by feces, where they can live for several days. In cooler climates, outbreaks of coxsackievirus infections most often occur in the summer and fall, though they cause infections year-round in tropical parts of the world. In most cases, coxsackieviruses cause mild flu-like symptoms and go away without treatment. But in some cases, they can lead to more serious infections.
(www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/coxsackie.html)
Enterovirus: a group of small viruses that are made of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein. This group includes the polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, and echoviruses. In addition to the three different polioviruses, there are 61 non-polio enteroviruses that can cause disease in humans: 23 Coxsackie A viruses, 6 Coxsackie B viruses, 28 echoviruses, and 4 other enteroviruses. Non-polio enteroviruses are second only to the "common cold" viruses, the rhinoviruses, as the most common viral infectious agents in humans. The enteroviruses cause an estimated 10-15 million or more symptomatic infections a year in the United States. All three types of polioviruses have been eliminated from the Western Hemisphere by the widespread use of vaccines. Enteroviruses can be found in the respiratory secretions (e.g., saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus) and stool of an infected person. Other persons may become infected by direct contact with secretions from an infected person or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, such as a drinking glass or telephone. Parents, teachers, and child care center workers may also become infected by contamination of the hands with stool from an infected infant or toddler during diaper changes.
(www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/entrvirs.htm)
Herpes Simplex: a virus known as the herpes simplex virus (HSV) which causes blisters and sores around the mouth, nose, genitals, and buttocks, but they may occur almost anywhere on the skin. HSV infections can be very annoying because they may reappear periodically. The sores may be painful and unsightly. For chronically ill people and newborn babies, the viral infection can be serious, but rarely fatal. There are two types of HSV – Type 1 and Type 2.
(www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/HerpesSimplex.htm)
Herpes Zoster: also known as shingles or zoster, is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone who has had chicken pox can develop herpes zoster. The virus remains dormant (inactive), in certain nerve cells of the body, and when it reactivates it causes zoster. About 20 percent of those people who have had chicken pox will get zoster. Most people get zoster only once. It is not clear what makes the virus reactivate or “awaken.” A temporary weakness in immunity (the body’s ability to fight infection) may cause the virus to multiply and move along nerve fibers toward the skin. Although children can get zoster, it is more common in people over the age 50. Illness, trauma, and stress may also trigger zoster.
(www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/HerpesZoster.htm)
Herpes: a very common infection caused by two different but closely related viruses – herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Both are easy to catch. They remain in the body for life, and can produce symptoms that come and go. Both forms of herpes can infect the oral area, the genital area, or both. When the infection is on or near the mouth, it is called oral herpes. Oral herpes is caused most often by HSV-1. When herpes infection is on or near the sex organs, it is called genital herpes. Genital herpes is caused most often by HSV-2.
(www.plannedparenthood.org/sexual-health/std/herpes.htm)
Mycobacterium: a genus of gram positive bacteria, its pathogens are known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy. These organisms are very slow growers; a 5 hour division time is not uncommon.
(www.cehs.siu.edu/fix/medmicro/mycob.htm)
Pseudomonas: a genus of gamma proteobacteria, belonging to the larger family of pseudomonads. Most Pseudomonas are naturally resistant to penicillin and the majority of related beta-lactam antibiotics, but a number are sensitive to piperacillin, imipenem, tobramycin, or ciprofloxacin. This ability to thrive in harsh conditions is a result of their hardy cell wall that contains porins. Their resistance to most antibiotics is attributed to efflux pumps called ABC transporters, which pump out some antibiotics before they are able to act. Being Gram-negative bacteria, most Pseudomonas spp. are naturally resistant to penicillin and the majority of related beta-lactam antibiotics, but a number are sensitive to piperacillin, imipenem, tobramycin, or ciprofloxacin. This ability to thrive in harsh conditions is a result of their hardy cell wall that contains porins. Their resistance to most antibiotics is attributed to efflux pumps called ABC transporters, which pump out some antibiotics before they are able to act.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonas)
Rhinovirus: one of the viruses that causes the common cold. Cold symptoms associated with a rhinovirus infection include coughing, fever, sore throat, and a runny nose. There are no treatments that can kill a rhinovirus; treatment involves relieving symptoms as the body fights the rhinovirus infection. A lot is known about the rhinovirus, thanks to common cold research scientists.
(http://virus.emedtv.com/rhinovirus/rhinovirus.html)
Salmonella: a range of very closely related bacteria, many of which cause disease in humans and animals. After Salmonella is eaten it passes through the stomach to the intestine. Here, it binds to the wall of the intestine, and through some special proteins that it makes in response to the particular conditions in the intestine it actually penetrates the barrier between us and the outside. Once it has gained access to our insides, it is taken to the liver or spleen. For most other bacteria, this journey would kill them, however Salmonella has evolved mechanisms to prevent our immune system from doing its job efficiently. In the liver, the Salmonella can grow again, and be released back into the intestine. Of course, not all of the Salmonella pass through the intestinal wall, and many of them are expelled from the intestine in the diarrhea. In regions with poor sanitation, these bacteria can than survive in the soil or in rivers and infect the next person, cow, chicken or mouse that comes along.
(www.salmonella.org/info.html)
Staphylococcus Aureus: a perfectly spherical bacteria that causes a variety of suppurative (pus-forming) infections and toxinoses in humans. It causes superficial skin lesions such as boils, styes and furunculosis; more serious infections such as pneumonia, mastitis, phlebitis, meningitis, and urinary tract infections; and deep-seated infections, such as osteomyelitis and endocarditis. S. aureus is a major cause of hospital acquired (nosocomial) infection of surgical wounds and infections associated with indwelling medical devices. S. aureus causes food poisoning by releasing enterotoxins into food, and toxic shock syndrome by release of superantigens into the blood stream.
(www.textbookofbacteriology.net/staph.html)
Streptococcus: streptococcus pyogenes owes its major success as a pathogen to its ability to colonize and rapidly multiply and spread in its host while evading phagocytosis and confusing the immune system. Acute diseases associated with Streptococcus pyogenes occur chiefly in the respiratory tract, bloodstream, or the skin. Streptococcal disease is most often a respiratory infection (pharyngitis or tonsillitis) or a skin infection (pyoderma). Some strains of streptococci show a predilection for the respiratory tract; others, for the skin. Generally, streptococcal isolates from the pharynx and respiratory tract do not cause skin infections. Figure 3 describes the pathogenesis of S. pyogenes infections. S. pyogenes is the leading cause of uncomplicated bacterial pharyngitis and tonsillitis commonly referred to a strep throat. Other respiratory infections include sinusitis, otitis, and pneumonia . Infections of the skin can be superficial (impetigo) or deep (cellulitis). Invasive streptococci cause joint or bone infections, destructive wound infections (necrotizing fasciitis) and myositis, meningitis and endocarditis. Two post streptococcal sequelae, rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis, may follow streptococcal disease, and occur in 1-3% of untreated infections. These conditions and their pathology are not attributable to dissemination of bacteria, but to aberrent immunological reactions to Group A streptococcal antigens. Scarlet fever and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome are systemic responses to circulating bacterial toxins.
(www.textbookofbacteriology.net/streptococcus.html)
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