infectious disease

What are ticks? What are bedbugs? Share Your Story Tick bites can transmit disease. Ticks are arthropods (tick members are mainly hard [Ixodidae] or soft [Argasidae] ticks) that are obligate blood suckers that can, through bites, transmit diseases to humans and many animals. Bedbugs (Cimex genus only) are insects that are blood-sucking parasites of some …

Tetanus facts Picture of Clostridium tetani, with spore formation (oval forms at end of rods). Source: CDC/Dr. Holdeman Tetanus is frequently a fatal infectious disease. Tetanus is caused by a type of bacteria (Clostridium tetani). The tetanus bacteria often enter the body through a puncture wound, which can be caused by nails, splinters, insect bites, burns, any skin break, and …

Whooping cough (pertussis) facts Is Whooping Cough Highly Contagious? Whooping cough (pertussis) is an acute, highly contagious bacterial infection. The bacterium Bordetella pertussis causes this respiratory infection. Whooping cough commonly affects infants and young children, but immunization with the pertussis vaccine can prevent the infection. Young infants are at greatest risk for complications and even death from this respiratory disease. …

Trichinosis worm infection definition and facts Trichnosis worm parasite. Trichinosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game infected with the larvae of a parasitic worm. The contaminated meat is infected with the larvae of a worm called Trichinella spiralis. The initial symptoms of trichinosis are: Abdominal discomfort Nausea Diarrhea Vomiting Fatigue Fever The severity of symptoms …

What is Cipro? How does it work (mechanism of action)? Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic that is used to treat bacterial infections. It stops the multiplication of bacteria by inhibiting the reproduction and repair of their genetic material (DNA). The FDA approved ciprofloxacin in October 1987. Ciprofloxacin belongs to the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics. Examples of other antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone class …

Leprosy (Hansen's disease) facts The progression of leprosy includes skin ulcers and lesions accompanied by loss of sensation and eventual loss of digits and other extremities. Leprosy is a slowly developing, progressive disease that damages the skin and nervous system. An infection with Mycobacterium leprae or M. lepromatosis bacteria causes leprosy. Early symptoms begin in cooler areas of the body …

What is cefpodoxime proxetil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Cefpodoxime proxetil (Vantin, Banan) is an oral antibiotic prescription drug in the cephalosporin family of antibiotics. The cephalosporin family includes: Cephalexin (Keflex) Cefaclor (Ceclor) Cefuroxime (Zinacef) Cefprozil (Cefzil) Many injectable forms Cefpodoxime proxetil is converted to cefpodoxime, its active form, in the body. Like other cephalosporins, cefpodoxime stops …

Plague (Black Death) facts There is no commercially available vaccine against plague. Plague is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by the bacteria known as Yersinia pestis. Plague has a high fatality rate, and people have described outbreaks of the bacterial infection for centuries. In the Middle Ages, plague was known as the "Black Death." It caused the death of 60% …

What is levofloxacin? How does it work (mechanism of action)? Levofloxacin is an antibiotic that is used for treating bacterial infections. Many common infections in humans are caused by bacteria. Bacteria can grow and multiply, infecting different parts of the body. Drugs that control and eradicate these bacteria are called antibiotics. Levofloxacin is an antibiotic that stops multiplication of bacteria …

What is nitrofurantoin (Macrobid, Macrodantin, Furadantin)? Nitrofurantoin is an antibiotic that is used for treating urinary tract infections caused by several types of bacteria. It is effective against E. Coli, Enterobacter cystitis, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Staphylococcus aureus. Nitrofurantoin interferes with the production of bacterial proteins, DNA, and cell walls. Bacteria cannot survive without a cell wall or multiply without DNA. …