Protozoan and Bacterial Diseases

Leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania donovani and is transmitted by sand flies. Leishmaniasis has a wide distribution that extends from the Mediterranean to Middle Asia, to southern Russia and China. It is also known as Kala-azar (black fever) or Assam fever.

Balantidaisis is a form of dysentry. It is caused by the only ciliated protozoan parasite of humans (Balantidium coli). This parasite is found worldwide. There is a slight correlation between the incidence of the disease and the presence of hogs. The balantidaisis organisms feed on epithelium and red blood cells in the colon and can cause ulcers.

Trich is a sexually transmitted disease, and is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis, producing mechanical stress on host cells and then ingesting cell fragments after cell death. It is primarily an infection of the urogenital tract. The most common site of infection is the urethra and the vagina in women.

Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoa, causes (the usually sexually transmitted) trichomoniasis. Although asymptomatic most of the times, it needs attention as it is known to facilitate HIV transmission. Symptoms include vaginitis leading to white discharge in women and urethritis leading to burning micturition in men.

Babesiosis is caused by the Babesia parasite, which is carried by ticks. This disease can also be spread through blood transfusions if a donor has a Babesia infection that has not been diagnosed.

Amoeboids are single-celled life-forms characterized by an irregular shape. Amoeboids move using pseudopodia, which are bulges of cytoplasm.

Pertussis or whooping cough is a respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The illness frequently begins with cold-like symptoms but evolves into a severe cough in roughly seven to 14 days. Pneumonia and infection of the brain may develop as complications of whooping cough.

Haemogregarina is a genus of hemoprotozoans, parasitic mainly in cold-blooded vertebrates. They are unicellular organisms which are parasitic in the red blood cells.

Cyclosporiasis is an infection with the protozoan Cyclospora cayetanensis, a pathogen transmitted by feces or feces-contaminated fresh produce and water. It is not spread from person to person. It can be a cause of diarrhea for travelers.

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly. Most forms of the disease are transmissible only from animals (zoonosis), but some can be spread between humans.

Plasmodium ovale is a species of parasitic protozoa that causes tertian malaria in humans. It is closely related to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, which are responsible for most malaria. It is rare compared to these two parasites, and substantially less dangerous than P. falciparum.

Haemoproteus is a genus of protozoa that are parasitic in birds, reptiles and amphibians. The protozoa are intracellular parasites that infect the erythrocytes. They are transmitted by blood sucking insects including mosquitoes.

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a serious but preventable disease that affects the body's muscles and nerves. It typically arises from a skin wound that becomes contaminated by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani, which is often found in soil.

Leptospirosis is also known as Weil's syndrome, .It is a disease caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Leptospira that affects humans as well as other mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (WFS) or hemorrhagic adrenalitis is a disease of the adrenal glands most commonly caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. The infection leads to massive hemorrhage into one or (usually) both adrenal glands.

Shigella is a genus of Gram-negative, nonspore forming, rod-shaped bacteria closely related to Escherichia coli and Salmonella. It is only naturally found in humans and apes. During infection, it typically causes dysentery.

Bronchitis is inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, the airways that carry airflow from the trachea into the lungs. Bronchitis can be divided into two categories, acute and chronic, each of which has unique etiologies, pathologies, and therapies.

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge.

This disease, caused by the protozoa trypanosoma brucei, is transmitted by the tsetse fly. Symptoms begin with fever, headache and joint pain. If not treated early, it can involve multiple organs, including the heart and the kidney. Finally, the organism crosses the blood brain barrier, causing the typical symptoms of confusion, day time somnambulism and night time insomnia.

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a pathogenic bacterium that causes diphtheria. It is also known as the Klebs-Lِffler bacillus, because it was discovered in 1884 by German bacteriologists Edwin Klebs (1834 - 1912) and Friedrich Lِffler (1852 - 1915).

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a medical condition primarily seen in premature infants, where portions of the bowel undergo necrosis (tissue death).

Tularemia is also known as rabbit fever. It is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. A Gram-negative, nonmotile coccobacillus, the bacterium has several subspecies with varying degrees of virulence.

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected animals or close contact with their secretions.