Atypical Bacteria

HIV or the Human Deficiency virus is like other viruses including the flu, but the one thing that makes this virus so different than any other is that the body is unable to clear this one out completely. Once someone is infected, there is no cure. Over time, HIV can also hide or mask itself in the body's cells. The cells within a person's body that fight off infection are called CD4 cells or T cells. HIV attacks these cells and copies or replicates itself inside these cells, then destroys them. HIV over time will destroy so many of these cells that the body is unable to fight off infection anymore. When this starts happening, AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome happens which is the final stage

The purpose of this lab was to identify two unknown bacteria from a mixed culture. The reason for identification of unknown bacteria was to help students recognize different bacteria through different biochemical tests and characteristics. This is important in the medical field because identification of unknown bacteria can help treat a patient by knowing the contributing source of a disease. Also knowledge of different bacteria helped others make antibiotics used today. This lab was completed by using the methods learned thus far in identification of bacteria.

The first result of importance was the result of the Gram stain. The observations of the unknown bacteria from the slant culture after Gram staining showed that the unknown bacteria were Gram negative bacilli (Image 1). After determining the unknown bacteria was Gram negative, an oxidase test was conducted on a sample from the slant culture. The cotton swap with the sample of bacteria did not change color when the oxidase reagent was applied, thus providing a negative result. With a negative oxidase test, further tests were conducted to determine various characteristics of the unknown bacteria. A MR-VP broth was inoculated with a sample from a slant culture of unknown bacteria. After incubation, the methyl red reagent was added to the broth, and the broth turned red, providing a positive result (Image 2). An EMB agar streak plate was inoculated with a sample from a slant culture of the unknown bacteria, and after incubation, growth was found on the plate, providing a positive result (Image 3). A Citrate agar slant was inoculated, and after incubation, growth was found on the media, providing a positive result (Image 4). A Urea agar slant was inoculated, and after incubation, the agar had changed from a peach color to a bright pink color, providing a positive result (Image 5). Using the flowchart (Figure 1) developed from the Table of Expected Results, the lab partners started at the oxidase test. Given the negative result of the oxidase test, the flowchart is

Bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis a complex granulomatous disease which is a global health concern. It is a very slow growing bacteria, thus is extremely time consuming to culture in laboratory. It can survive the attack of the immune arsenal of our body; can successfully hide inside the macrophage. This makes long periods of uninterrupted antibiotic treatment necessary for the patients with tuberculosis and contributes to drug resistance very quickly [WHO 2014]. All this poses an extreme challenge to the scientists and the medical community to develop effective drug, monitor and treat this disease across globe. Before the discovery of anti-tubercular drugs, this disease was one of the most dreaded diseases. In absence of any drugs the only form of treatment recommended was healthy diet, rest and fresh air. Patients were sent to Tuberculosis sanatorium hoping that they might survive. The origin of this pathogen is traced back to Africa around 70,000 years ago and they successfully coevolved with humans as they migrated out of Africa and settled across the globe. Nearly 10,000 years ago there was a sudden change in human demography and the human population density increased suddenly, this is termed as Neolithic Demographic Transition. Genomic data of Mycobacterium across

Many people take breathing for granted, some never give it a second thought until a problem presents itself. Respiratory diseases affect millions of Americans as well as people from all over the world. Anyone can suffer from these disorders to include men, women, and children, with conditions ranging from mild, moderate, to chronic in nature. This paper will focus on one of the many respiratory disease called mycobacterium tuberculosis; more commonly referred to as TB.

Often scientists work with bacteria that do not come in a labeled test tube— for example, bacterial samples taken from infected human tissue or from the soil—and the scientist must then identify the unknown microorganism in order to understand what behavior to expect from the organism, for example, a certain type of infection or antibiotic resistance. However, because of the relatively few forms of bacteria compared to animals and because of the lack of bacterial fossil records due to their asexually reproductive nature, the taxonomy used to classify animals cannot be applied to bacteria (Brown 275). In order to classify unknown bacteria, a variety of physiological and metabolic tests are available to narrow a sample down from the fathomless number of possibilities into a more manageable range. Once these tests have been performed, the researcher can consult Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, a systematically arranged and continually updated collection of all known bacteria based on their structure, metabolism, and other attributes.

The objective of the investigation was to perform multiple experiments that would lead to the identification of an unknown bacteria. This bacteria was causing a urinary tract infection on a patient. A sample of the bacteria causing the infection was received and analyzed. The first step was to isolate the bacteria to insure that sample was free of contamination. A MAC plate, a PEA plate, along with a Nutrient agar plate where used to produce pure colonies by using the quadrant streak method on each plate. After a 24 hour incubation period the colonies where isolated. The bacteria collected was inoculated into slants, nutrient broth for cultivation. A sample from the MAC plate and the PEA plate were collected and gram

As the flowchart shows, a series of tests were conducted to identify the unknown bacterium #65. Microscopic observation of the gram stain indicated a gram-positive coccus bacterium. S. epidermidis was used as the gram-positive control while E. coli was used as the gram-negative control. This observation led to the elimination of all gram negative and rod-shaped genera: Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Escherichia, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Alcaligenes, Neisseria, Proteus, Salmonella, Shigella, Erwinia, Veillonella, Flavobacterium, Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Lactobacillus, Listeria and Kurthia (2). By performing the catalase test, it was determined that the bacterium was catalase negative and it did not produce bubbles. M. luteus and E. faecalis were used as positive and negative controls, respectively.

For the first day, I received my unknown bacteria number 110 and I stared to observe that tube. The tube has normal color, creamy, and little bit cloudy. First, I made two new slants to get the strong and alive bacteria for further text. One tube was incubated at 250C and other at 370C. Next, I started to do my Gram Stain. After I finished the smear, heat fix, and cover the slide with all chemical, I saw the pink color stick onto the slide. I knew that this bacterium is gram negative. Then, I looked up the slide though the microscope form 10X -> 40X ->oil ->100X. I saw the bacteria which have rod shape with chains and pairs. I want make sure one more time that bacteria are gram negative or positive, so I stared to set up EMB and PEA plates to get the result for the next class.

Tuberculosis is one of the major causes of death from many infectious diseases (3). Out of 9 million people who are infected with mycobacteria, about 2 million deaths occur from tuberculosis every year (3). Unfortunately, the prevalence of tuberculosis is in a continuous increase due to increased number of Human immunodeificnecy virus (HIV) patients, bacterial resistance to anti-tuberculous drugs, and growing number of recreational drug users (3). The pathogen responsible for bacterial infection, potentially causing tuberculosis, is mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) (2). Persons with adequate immune system can control the bacterial infection so mycobacteria remain dormant for a long time (11). In a typical tuberculous granuloma, mature

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic bacterial infection that affects millions of people globally. It is a contagious disease that is spread through the air, and it usually affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person through droplets from the respiratory tract of those who are already infected with the disease. Some who are infected with the bacteria that causes TB often exhibit no symptoms, because their immune systems stop the bacteria from growing and multiplying. Those with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to developing the full blown disease which can cause symptoms that include coughing, spitting blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, and fever. Tuberculosis can be treated with a six to nine month course of a combination of antibiotics. If left untreated, TB will spread and can be fatal.

TB is caused by a bacterial infection known as mycobacterium tuberculosis. If a patient is sick with TB is considered a disease. The infection is prevalent in the HIV population because approximately 13 million Americans are effected by the TB bacteria. It typically involves the lungs but can also affect the brain and other organ systems. The TB germ is airborne and can live in the air for several hours. Once an affected person coughs or sneezes another person breathes in the germ and becomes infected. A patient with TB and HIV/AIDS will have to take an antibiotics long term to battle the infection. They will have to go through two phases of medication. The initial phase consists of utilizing drugs such as isoniazid, pyrazinamide, rifamycin, and ethambutol for the first couple of months. Then the patient will enter into the continuation phase, during this phase the patient will take the isoniazid and rifamycin for approximately four months. HIV patient’s that are taking antiretroviral for the HIV will have to take the antibiotics longer. A person taking treatment for TB has to be careful because the antibiotic can cause liver damage. According to the CDC, roughly 6% of all TB cases are from patients with HIV or AIDS. In 1992 the United States had a dramatic increase in TB cases but has decreased ever since. Recently a group of researchers at John Hopkins

Drug resistance has been increasing among patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Previous miracle drugs that were used in the 1950s have now been proven useless in many cases simply because the bacteria are not susceptible to antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, etc. when they are taken. This pathogen is easily transmitted through air and has the capability of attacking the respiratory system and creating fatal consequences if not treated properly. A lot of people who contribute to the antibiotic resistant statistics are those that do not take medication accordingly. Even though the bacterium may not be resistant at first, it can

Consequently, the sudden halt in the translational process results in shortened amino acid chains and therefore malformed proteins. The malformed proteins result in the antibiotic resistance, hence the treatment of M. tuberculosis with macrolide antibiotics can cripple the natural processes of the bacteria and result in unwanted complications (-- removed HTML --) >[KC7] . The same can be said for non-tuberculosis mycobacterium. For instance, the Mycobacterium abscessus strains are often treated with macrolides and become resistant to the antibiotic treatment (-- removed HTML --) >. M. abscessus is a crucial cause of pulmonary infections brought on by other underlying causes such as bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis among many other chronic lung diseases (-- removed HTML --) >. In another study performed by scientists, it was noted that the same treatment of macrolides are effective in treating other strain of mycobacterium such as Mycobacterium abscessus subsp massiliense, and Mycobacterium abscessus subsp bolletii, with M. abscessus being the most common (-- removed HTML --) >. In addition, the study pointed out that contrary to previous studies, there is not enough evidence to support that chronic lung diseases are brought out from macrolide-resistant M. abscessus (-- removed HTML --) >. The strain’s mechanism of resistance is similar to that as of M.

For years now drug resistance is increasing and not just in one or two strands of bacteria, it is in all of them. This resistance makes treating a patient with the infection more difficult to the point where some strands require surgery. Tuberculosis is not a bacterium that you can easily remove from the body though. It takes time and medication for the tuberculosis to be eradicated from the body. The problem is with the advancements of medicine bacterium, like tuberculosis, are starting to produce resistance to not just one or two drugs here or there, but the bacteria is producing resistance for multiple drugs at one time.