Tuberculosis remains a major killer in the world, killing over 1 million yearly and infecting at least one-third of the entire world population. TB is especially prevalent in developing nations, but it also remains an active disease in the United States as well, with almost 10,000 reported infections in 2013 alone. While tuberculosis infections are on the decline, it remains a disease worth preventing.
Adenoviruses, of which there are over 50, can cause a variety of illnesses ranging from mild respiratory disease, to very painful eye infections, diarrheal illnesses, rashes, and even life-threatening infections in those who are immune compromised. The number of cases of Adenovirus infection are not regularly tracked since many cases will go undiagnosed, but these infections are considered to be very common throughout the life span, although they may be more common in younger people as they would be less likely to have prior exposure and any level of immunity. Adenovirus infections cause significant lost days of work and school and are certainly an infection worth preventing.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Cytomegalovirus, commonly known by its initials as CMV, is a very common viral infection that can occur in anyone of any gender, race, or socioeconomic class. It is often a disease of childhood with the majority of people being infected when they are children age 6 or under. Most people who have CMV …
The respiratory syncytial virus, more easily known as RSV, is a very common virus that infects and sickens people, usually the very young and, as is increasingly recognized, also the elderly. Most infected people will not be able to distinguish RSV infection from the common cold, but in some cases, especially among premature infants, RSV …
Coronavirus refers to a relatively small group of viruses that were first identified in the 1960s from the respiratory tracts of humans. Over the course of time, it was recognized that coronavirus infection is quite common in humans, as well as in some other animals, although those viruses do not always have the ability to …
“Influenza” is a generic term that describes a large host of variant viruses that are closely related. These viruses are not differentiated, as bacteria are, by genus and species but rather through a complex naming process that first distinguishes between the three major types of influenza viruses, either A, B, or C, and then the …
Serratia is the genus name of a group of relatively common bacteria, the most common of which is Serratia marcescens. There are other species within the genus, a few of which have on rare occasion caused disease in humans, but the vast majority of infections with the Serratia occur with Serratia marcescens, and from this …
Pseudomonas is the genus name of a large group of bacteria, some of which can infect and sicken humans. The number of bacteria assigned to Pseudomonas has declined in recent years as the advent and widespread adoption of genetic testing of bacteria has caused many former members of Pseudomonas to be moved to existing, or …
Klebsiella pneumoniae is the specific name of a bacterium that is capable of causing serious illness, especially pneumonia, as the name suggests, in susceptible people. Klebsiella bacteria are found in several areas of the human body, especially in the intestinal tract, where they do not cause disease, but when circumstances allow, they can be very …
Escherichia Basics Escherichia is the genus name of a group of bacteria that contains at least 7 different species, although by far the most well-known and well-studied is clearly Escherichia coli (E. coli). Because E. coli is so common in the environment and in humans, as well as in other animals and because it is …