The most deadly bacterial disease contracted by human beings is mycobacterium tuberculosis, the world's leading infectious disease with more than 1,700,000 deaths per year. As much as 13% of cases are resistant to most antibiotics, and about 6% are resistant or unresponsive to essentially all treatment.
Cellulitis, impetigo, and folliculitis are the most common bacterial skin infections seen by the family physician.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
This type of bacteria is resistant to many antibiotics, including methicillin. Most methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, infections contracted outside of a hospital are skin infections.
Untreated bacterial infections can sometimes lead to serious, life-threatening conditions. Septicaemia is a serious blood infection. It is when bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. Sepsis is a condition that happens when the body damages its own tissues in response to a bad infection.
Symptoms in case of acute Bacterial Infections may get resolved spontaneously in a duration of approx. two weeks, without undergoing treatment. However, in chronic cases when the symptoms persist for a longer duration, such as for 10 or more days, there is a need for the consultation with a doctor.
Viruses are germs different from bacteria. They cause infections, such as colds and flu. However, antibiotics do not treat infections caused by viruses.
Some diseases, like HIV and hepatitis B, can't be cured, but medications can help prevent serious complications. Sexually transmitted infections can cause infertility or even lead to cancer, so it's important to take steps to protect yourself and others. Prion diseases are very serious and can't be cured.
But your doctor may be able to determine the cause by listening to your medical history and doing a physical exam. If necessary, they also can order a blood or urine test to help confirm a diagnosis, or a "culture test" of tissue to identify bacteria or viruses.
Antibiotics are medicines that help stop infections caused by bacteria. They do this by killing the bacteria or by keeping them from copying themselves or reproducing. The word antibiotic means “against life.” Any drug that kills germs in your body is technically an antibiotic.
Urinary tract infections (UTI)
UTIs are mainly caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) and are the most common infection in humans worldwide. Symptoms include a burning sensation when urinating, blood in the urine, and strong-smelling urine.
Some repeat infections, like pneumonia and bladder infections, may happen because of a genetic predisposition. That's an inherited tendency to get more infections than most people do. Structural issues. Repeat infections can also happen as a result of how your body is put together.
The following are signs you have a serious infection: Severe headache. Constant vomiting. Bloodstained vomit, stool, or urine.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a rare, but serious bacterial infection. STSS can develop very quickly into low blood pressure, multiple organ failure, and even death.
Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of sepsis. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die.
According to reports, fluoroquinolones—a broad spectrum antibiotic that includes Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, and others—have been associated with a host of devastating side effects, including joint and muscle pain, tendon rupture, aortic aneurysm, nerve damage, delirium, and even death.
In contrast, bad bacteria have adverse effects on the body. Representative examples include Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus, and Escherichia coli (E. coli; toxic strain). They inhibit health by triggering disease and promoting aging.
Vancomycin, long considered a "drug of last resort," kills by preventing bacteria from building cell walls. It binds to wall-building protein fragments called peptides, in particular those that end with two copies of the amino acid D-alanine (D-ala).
Sepsis Diagnosis
Signs of infection on an X-ray, CT scan, or ultrasound. A high or low white blood cell count. A low number of platelets in your blood. Low blood pressure.
Resistance to even one antibiotic can mean serious problems. For example: Antimicrobial-resistant infections that require the use of second- and third-line treatments can harm patients by causing serious side effects, such as organ failure, and prolong care and recovery, sometimes for months.