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Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that features a skin rash, swollen joints and
flu-like symptoms. You get the disease from the bite of an infected tick.
Sometimes it is hard to know if you have Lyme disease because you may not
have noticed a tick bite. Also, many of its symptoms are like those of other
diseases. Symptoms may include
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A skin rash, often resembling a bulls-eye
Fever
Headache
Muscle pain
Stiff neck
Swelling of knees and other large joints
In the early stages, doctors look at your symptoms and medical history to figure
out whether you have Lyme disease. In the later stages of the disease, lab tests
can confirm whether you have it.
Antibiotics usually cure early stage Lyme disease. If not treated, the disease can
cause problems with the joints, heart and nervous system.
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Lyme Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Lyme Disease
(Patient Education Institute)
Lyme Disease
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Anthrax
Anthrax is a disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a microbe that lives in soil.
Many people know about it from the 2001 bioterror attacks. In the attacks,
someone purposely spread anthrax through the U.S. mail. This killed five people
and made 22 sick.
Anthrax affects farm animals more often than people. But it can cause three
forms of disease in people. They are:
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Cutaneous, which affects the skin. People with cuts or open sores can get
it if they touch the bacteria.
Inhalation, which affects the lungs. You can get this if you breathe in
spores of the bacteria.
Gastrointestinal, which affects the digestive system. You can get it by
eating infected meat.
Antibiotics often cure anthrax if it is diagnosed early. But many people don't know
they have anthrax until it is too late to treat. A vaccine to prevent anthrax is
available for people in the military and others at high risk.
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Anthrax
(Patient Education Institute)
Anthrax
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Questions and Answers about Anthrax(Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Tetanus
Tetanus is a serious illness caused by tetanus bacteria. The bacteria live in soil,
saliva, dust and manure. The bacteria usually enter the body through a deep cut,
like those you might get from cutting yourself with a knife or stepping on a nail.
The infection causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body.
It can lead to "locking" of the jaw, which makes it impossible to open your mouth
or swallow. If this happens, you could die of suffocation.
If you get tetanus, there is usually a long course of treatment. The tetanus
vaccine can prevent tetanus but its protection does not last forever. Adults should
get a tetanus shot, or booster, every 10 years. If you get a bad cut or burn, see
your doctor--you may need a booster.
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Facts about Tetanus for Adults(National Foundation for Infectious
Diseases)
Tetanus(Nemours Foundation)
Legionnaires' Disease
Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria. You usually
get it by breathing in mist from water that contains the bacteria. The mist may
come from hot tubs, showers or air-conditioning units for large buildings. The
bacteria don't spread from person to person.
Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include fever, chills, a cough and sometimes
muscle aches and headaches. Other types of pneumonia have similar
symptoms. You will probably need a chest x-ray to diagnose the pneumonia. Lab
tests can detect the specific bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease.
The bacteria are more likely to make you sick if you
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Are older than 65
Smoke
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Have a lung disease
Have a weak immune system
Legionnaires' disease is serious and can be life-threatening. However, most
people recover with antibiotic treatment.
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Patient Facts: Learn More about Legionnaires' Disease(Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention)
Meningitis
Also called: Meningococcal disease, Spinal meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal
cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most
common is viral meningitis, which you get when a virus enters the body through
the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare, but can
be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can
block blood vessels in the brain and lead to stroke and brain damage. It can also
harm other organs.
Anyone can get meningitis, but it is more common in people whose bodies have
trouble fighting infections. Meningitis can progress rapidly. You should seek
medical care quickly if you have
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A sudden fever
A severe headache
A stiff neck
Early treatment can help prevent serious problems, including death. Vaccines
can prevent some of the bacterial infections that cause meningitis. Parents of
adolescents and students living in college dorms should talk to a doctor about the
vaccination.
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Meningitis
(Patient Education Institute) Meningitis and
Encephalitis
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Meningitis Questions & Answers(Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention)
Tuberculosis
Also called: TB
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by a germ called Mycobacterium
tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage
other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the
lungs or throat coughs, sneezes or talks. If you have been exposed, you should
go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak
immune system.
Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include
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A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
Weight loss
Coughing up blood or mucus
Weakness or fatigue
Fever and chills
Night sweats
If not treated properly, TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by
taking several medicines for a long period of time. People with latent TB can take
medicine so that they do not develop active TB.
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Tuberculosis
(Patient Education Institute)
Tuberculosis (TB)
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Tuberculosis: Getting Healthy, Staying Healthy
(National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - PDF
Salmonella Infections
Salmonella is the name of a group of bacteria. In the United States, it is the most
common cause of foodborne illness. Salmonella occurs in raw poultry, eggs,
beef, and sometimes on unwashed fruit and vegetables.
Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and headache. Symptoms
usually last 4 - 7 days. Most people get better without treatment. It can be more
serious in the elderly, infants and people with chronic conditions. If Salmonella
gets into the bloodstream, it can be serious, or even life-threatening. The usual
treatment is antibiotics.
You also can get a salmonella infection after handling pets, particularly reptiles
like snakes, turtles and lizards. Typhoid fever, a more serious disease caused by
Salmonella, frequently occurs in developing countries.
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Salmonellosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Salmonellosis
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Whooping Cough
Also called: Pertussis
Whooping cough is an infectious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable
coughing. The name comes from the noise you make when you take a breath
after you cough. You may have choking spells or may cough so hard that you
vomit.
Anyone can get whooping cough, but it is more common in infants and children.
It's especially dangerous in infants. The coughing spells can be so bad that it is
hard for infants to eat, drink or breathe.
Before there was a vaccine, whooping cough was one of the most common
childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood deaths in the U.S. There are
fewer cases today because there are both pertussis-only vaccines and
combination vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. If you have whooping
cough, treatment with antibiotics may help if given early.
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Whooping Cough(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Whooping Cough (Pertussis)(Nemours Foundation)
Staphylococcal Infections
Also called: Staph
Staph is short for Staphylococcus, a type of bacteria. There are over 30 types,
but Staphylococcus aureus causes most staph infections (pronounced “staff
infections”), including
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Skin infections
Pneumonia
Food poisoning
Toxic shock syndrome
Blood poisoning (bacteremia)
Skin infections are the most common. They can look like pimples or boils. They
may be red, swollen and painful, and sometimes have pus or other drainage.
They can turn into impetigo, which turns into a crust on the skin, or cellulitis, a
swollen, red area of skin that feels hot.
Anyone can get a staph skin infection. You are more likely to get one if you have
a cut or scratch, or have contact with a person or surface that has staph bacteria.
The best way to prevent staph is to keep hands and wounds clean. Most staph
skin infections are easily treated with antibiotics or by draining the infection.
Some staph bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics, making infections harder
to treat.
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Staph Infections: Staphylococcus aureus(Nemours Foundation
Streptococcal Infections
Also called: Strep
Streptococcal infections (strep for short) cause a variety of health problems.
There are two types: group A and group B. Antibiotics are used to treat both.
Group A strep causes
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Strep throat - a sore, red throat, sometimes with white spots on the tonsils
Scarlet fever - red rash on the body
Impetigo - a skin infection
Toxic shock syndrome
Cellulitis and necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease)
Group B strep can cause blood infections, pneumonia and meningitis in
newborns. A screening test during pregnancy can tell if you have it. If you do, I.V.
antibiotics during labor can save your baby's life. Adults can also get group B
strep infections, especially if they are elderly or already have health problems.
Strep B can cause urinary tract infections, blood infections, skin infections and
pneumonia in adults.
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Group A Streptococcal Infections
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases)
Group B Strep Prevention: Frequently Asked Questions(Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention)
Strep Throat(Nemours Foundation)
Diarrhea
Also called: Dysentery, The runs, The trots
Diarrhea means that you have loose, watery stools more than three times in one
day. You may also have cramps, bloating, nausea and an urgent need to have a
bowel movement.
Causes of diarrhea include bacteria, viruses or parasites, certain medicines, food
intolerances and diseases that affect the stomach, small intestine or colon. In
many cases, no cause can be found.
Although usually not harmful, diarrhea can become dangerous or signal a more
serious problem. You should talk to your doctor if you have a strong pain in your
abdomen or rectum, a fever, blood in your stools, severe diarrhea for more than
three days or symptoms of dehydration. If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate
to call the doctor for advice. Diarrhea can be dangerous in children.
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What I Need to Know about Diarrhea
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
(National Institute of