Bacterial Infections Summary Bacteria are living things that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They are so small that a line of 1,000 could fit across a pencil eraser. Most bacteria won’t hurt you – less than 1 percent of the different types make people sick. Many are helpful. Some bacteria help to digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, and give the body needed vitamins. Bacteria are also used in making healthy foods like yogurt and cheese. But infectious bacteria can make you ill. They reproduce quickly in your body. Many give off chemicals called toxins, which can damage tissue and make you sick. Examples of bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli. Antibiotics are the usual treatment. When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will learn to resist them causing antibiotic resistance. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure. NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Array Actinomycosis Bacterial vaginosis — aftercare Blood culture Gram stain Gram stain of skin lesion Necrotizing soft tissue infection Diagnosis and Tests AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) Smear and Culture American Association for Clinical Chemistry Bacterial Wound Culture American Association for Clinical Chemistry Blood Culture Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Gram Stain American Association for Clinical Chemistry Procalcitonin Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Protein Electrophoresis/Immunofixation Electrophoresis American Association for Clinical Chemistry Specifics Anaerobic Infections American Academy of Pediatrics Brucellosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Elizabethkingia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Glanders (Burkholderia Mallei) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Leptospirosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Melioidosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Rare Disease, Especially for the Healthy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Necrotizing Skin Infections Merck & Co., Inc. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Healthcare Settings Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q Fever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Shigellosis National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Trench Fever Logical Images Tularemia National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vibrio parahaemolyticus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vibrio vulnificus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Yaws World Health Organization Teenagers Arcanobacterium Haemolyticum Infections American Academy of Pediatrics Shigellosis Nemours Foundation Why Should I Care about Germs? Nemours Foundation Encyclopedia Arterial stick Brucellosis Complement fixation test to C. burnetii Culture – duodenal tissue Erysipeloid Gram stain of tissue biopsy Hot tub folliculitis Lepromin skin test Leptospirosis Lymph node culture Lymphangitis Meningococcemia Nocardia infection Noma Pleural fluid gram stain Psittacosis Pulmonary actinomycosis Pulmonary nocardiosis Q fever Q fever – early Rat-bite fever Rickettsial pox Serology for brucellosis Serology for tularemia Shigellosis Stool Gram stain Swimming pool granuloma Tularemia Typhus Yaws Related Issues Bacterial vs. Viral Infections: How Do They Differ? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research MedlinePlus: Antibiotic Resistance National Library of Medicine Oral Probiotics National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Sepsis National Institute of General Medical Sciences Statistics and Research Bleach vs. Bacteria National Institute of General Medical Sciences Oh What a Tangled Biofilm Web Bacteria Weave National Institute of General Medical Sciences Children Blood Culture (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Moraxella Catarrhalis: A Common Cause of Childhood Illnesses American Academy of Pediatrics Shigella Infections Nemours Foundation What Are Germs? Nemours Foundation Yersiniosis (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Find an Expert Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Foundation for Infectious Diseases National Foundation for Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Bacterial Infections National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Fasciitis, Necrotizing National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Q Fever National Institutes of Health Start Here Germs: Learn How Germs Work and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Understanding Microbes in Sickness and in Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Images Hot Tub Rash (Pseudomonas Folliculitis) Logical Images Treatments and Therapies MedlinePlus: Antibiotics National Library of Medicine Prevention and Risk Factors MedlinePlus: Germs and Hygiene National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus: Infection Control National Library of Medicine Journal Articles Bacterial Infections Women Vibrio and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Latest News Scientists Create Bacteria in Lab with ‘Minimal’ Genes Needed for Life HealthDay A Pill to Ward Off Cavities? Scientists Say It Could Happen HealthDay
