Yersinia Pestis (Pathogenesis)

This is a curated page. Report corrections to Microbewiki.

University of Oklahoma Study Abroad Microbiology in Arezzo, Italy[1]

This student page has not been curated.

Scanning electron microscope image of Clostridium difficile. From: Bioquell.com [2]

Etiology/Bacteriology

Taxonomy

| Domain = Bacteria | Phylum = Firmicutes | Class = Clostridia | Order = Clostridiales | Family = Clostridiaceae | Genus = Clostridium | species = C. difficile

Clinical features

Symptoms

The symptoms of Yersinia Pestis presents in different ways, but the three most common are bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. [1] Bubonic Plague This type of plague usually results from the bite of an infected flea. Once infection sets, the patient has sudden onset of fever, headache, chills, weakness, and the development of swollen nodes known as buboes, where isolated bacteria multiply and grow. If not treated the bacteria can spread to other areas [1] . Septicemic Plague This type of plague can either develop primarily or as a result from untreated bubonic plague. Symptoms from this include bleeding into the skin and other organs ranging to tissue blackening and death, especially in the fingers, toes, and the nose. [1] Pneumonic Plague This type of plague either develops from inhaling infectious droplets or from untreated bubonic/septicemic plague and bacteria spreading to the lungs. At this point the plague is infectious and can be spread from person to person by infectious droplets. Symptoms from this type of plague include fever, headache, weakness, and a developing pneumonia that heightens symptoms of cough, chest pain and shortness of breath. [1] ===Morbidity and Mortality

References

1. "Plague Symptoms." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 July 2012. Web. 16 July 2014. 1[3]

Created by {Krishna Manohar, Michael Grassi, Christina Cheng, Johnson Ong}, students of Tyrrell Conway at the University of Oklahoma.