Overview
Normally bacteria are present in the body, and are not harmful. Sometimes, however, a certain harmful strain of bacteria may enter the body and start replicating. These harmful bacteria then release toxins and other substances that lead to inflammation of the involved organ. These are bacterial infections.
Causes
The causes of bacterial infections are entry of harmful bacteria into the human body. There are many bacteria that cause infection, below are listed some of the more prominent ones:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Neisseria gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Rickettsia
- Neisseria meningitides
Symptoms
The symptoms that accompany bacterial infections can vary with the strain of bacteria causing it, and the involved organ. Below are listed some of the general, as well as specific symptoms of bacterial infections:
- Fever
- Chills and rigors
- Sore throat
- Joint pains
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea, vomiting, in case of gastrointestinal infection
- Skin inflammation
- Cough with sputum, sinusitis, rhinitis, in case of respiratory tract infection
- Urinary symptoms like urgency, frequency, retention, etc. in case of urinary tract infection
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of bacterial infection usually requires culture of the bacteria on some sort of culture media, by extracting it from the body in any bodily fluid that may contain the bacteria.
- Blood culture
- Sputum culture
- Urine culture
Treatment
The treatment of bacterial infections is pretty simple. It requires the completion of a course of antibiotics which kill the bacteria, and return the patient to a healthy state. These are the following common antibiotics used:
- Penicillin
- Tetracyclines
- Aminoglycosides
- Cephalosporins
