MICROBIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY (Part-III)

E. coli is a bacteria with various strains, some dangerous and some beneficial. For example, E. coli bacteria are important in creating a healthy intestinal tract.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that causes infection in the stomach. It is the main cause of peptic ulcers and can also cause gastritis and stomach cancer.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).

Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella; Salmonella lives in the intestinal tracts of animals, including birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal faeces.

Itai-itai disease was the name given to the mass cadmium poisoning of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, starting around 1912. Cadmium poisoning can also cause softening of the bones and kidney failure. The cadmium was released into rivers by mining companies in the mountains, which were successfully sued for the damage. Itai-itai disease is known as one of the Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan.

A person with colour-blindness has trouble seeing red, green, blue, or mixtures of these colours. The most common type is red-green colour-blindness, where red and green are seen as the same colour.

Uveitis is a form of eye inflammation. It affects the middle layer of tissue in the eye wall (uvea). Uveitis warning signs often come on suddenly and get worse quickly. They include eye redness, pain and blurred vision. The condition can affect one or both eyes, and it can affect people of all ages, even children.

Ringworm is a common infection of the skin and nails that is caused by fungus. The infection is called "ringworm" because it can cause an itchy, red, circular rash.

Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eye caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a preventable disease. This disease affects vision and there is a risk of blindness due to it; antibiotics are given to prevent its active infection.

Hay fever is the common name for allergic rhinitis. Hay fever is caused by the nose and/or eyes coming into contact with environmental allergens, such as pollens (grasses, weeds or trees), dust mite, moulds, and animal dander. Most people associate hay fever with spring, when airborne grass pollens are at their peak.