Some of the risks of bacteria for humans is that they can develop diseases such as botulism, tuberculosis, salmonella or cholera. Bacteria are a type of unicellular micro organism, one of the simplest, smallest and oldest known to science.
They are prokaryotic cells lacking a nucleus, a vital part of many natural cycles (such as the nitrogen cycle), thanks to their ability to convert inorganic elements into organic elements, and vice versa.
Bacteria Source: NIAID
A high number of bacteria are beneficial for the body, many of them are present in the body and are responsible for certain elemental processes such as synthesizing the food we eat.
There is, however, a small percentage of bacteria that fall into a group called pathogenic bacteria.
A pathogenic bacterium is an agent of the infectious type capable of causing disease in humans. These bacteria are responsible for millions of deaths each year worldwide.
The harmful effects that a pathogenic bacteria can cause in the human organism vary depending on the bacteria itself, in certain cases they can become fatal without proper treatment.
Main risks of bacteria
The risks of bacteria are mainly contracting different diseases, the best known are:
Botulism
Clostridium botulinum
This disease, caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, can be contracted by eating poorly talked about or poorly canned foods, usually vegetables and pork and fish.
It can also occur due to the direct penetration of the bacteria into the human body (for example, through an open wound).
The clinical picture of botulism includes difficulty in vision (double or blurred vision), vomiting, weakness and sometimes paralysis of the body.
Tuberculosis
Scanning electron micrograph of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Taken and edited from: NIAID.
It is a bacterial disease caused by the germ Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mainly affects the lungs, although on some occasions it can develop in other areas, such as the digestive system.
It is spread through the air and causes the appearance of nodules in the affected area. If treatment is not received, tuberculosis causes death in patients.
The most common symptoms of this disease are a slight fever, cough for a long period of time (more than 3 weeks), blood in the sputum, and night sweats.
Tuberculosis is one of the ten diseases that causes the most deaths in the world each year.
Salmonella
Biological contamination by Salmonella. Source:
It is a diarrheal disease that is caused by the Salmonella bacteria.
It is caused by the contact or ingestion of feces, or spoiled food such as beef, poultry and especially eggs and their derivatives (cream, yogurt, mayonnaise).
Also handling animals such as reptiles and birds can cause contagion because the bacteria is present on their skins. It causes fevers, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches.
Anger
Vibrio cholerae
Cholera, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, is an infection that attacks the small intestine causing watery diarrhea and vomiting.
In the most extreme cases, the speed and frequency of the evacuations is capable of causing dehydration so suddenly, that it can lead to the death of the infected person if this is not treated quickly.
Its contagion occurs through the ingestion of water contaminated with fecal waste or through the consumption of decomposed fish and shellfish.
References
- World Health Organization. (2017). Cholera. 2017, from World Health Organization Website: Cholera.
- Ann Pietrangelo. (2014). The Top 10 Deadliest Diseases. 2017, from Healthline Media Website: The Top 10 Deadliest Diseases.
- Martin Dworkin, Stanley Falkow, Eugene Rosenberg, Karl-Heinz Schleifer, Erko Stackebrandt. (2006). The Prokaryotes. New York: Springer New York.
- The Guardian. (2017). WHO names 12 bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. 2017, from The Guardian Website: WHO names 12 bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health.
- Arthur Trautwein Henrici, Erling Josef Ordal. (1948). The biology of bacteria: an introduction to general microbiology. California: DC Heath.