Acknowledgment Substantial material from this chapter in the previous edition has been used. The Pathogen Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile ) is an anaerobic spore-forming, Gram-positive bacillus that was first described as part of a study of the intestinal flora…
Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease of humans and other animals caused by the action of a heat-labile neurotoxin produced almost exclusively by Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is categorized by modes of acquisition: (1) infant botulism, which results from intestinal colonization, outgrowth,…
Tetanus is caused by a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani . It is common in warmer climates. Globally, 15,102 cases of tetanus were reported in 2018 and an estimated 76,600 died. Although a major cause of morbidity and mortality in…
Classification Anaerobic bacteria predominate on normal skin and among the bacterial flora of mucous membranes. , Infections caused by anaerobic bacteria are common, arise from the sites where they are normal flora (endogenous), and can be serious or life-threatening. Anaerobic…
Acknowledgments Substantial contributions of Eugene D. Shapiro to this chapter in previous editions are recognized with gratitude. Borrelia Species (Relapsing Fever) Borellia species are generally divided in two major groups: B. burgdorferi sensu lato, which includes the causative agents of…
Pathogenesis and Immunity Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, a cylindrical, fastidious, microaerophilic bacterium that replicates very slowly and requires special medium for in vitro growth. Its cell membrane is covered by flagella and a loosely associated outer…
Acknowledgments Substantial contributions of Eugene D. Shapiro to this chapter in previous editions are recognized with gratitude. Pathogens and Pathogenesis The Leptospira genus consists of a group of motile, finely coiled, catalase-producing spirochetal bacteria that are obligate aerobes . The…
Yaws Yaws ( Treponema pallidum subsp. Pertenue infection) is an infectious disease of childhood. It is seen in warm, humid tropical regions in rural, often inaccessible areas and is associated with poverty, overcrowding, poor hygiene, and lack of access to…
Four diseases are associated with pathogenic treponemes: (1) venereal syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum ; (2) yaws, caused by T. pallidum subsp. pertenue ; (3) endemic syphilis, or bejel, caused by T. pallidum subsp. endemicum ; and (4)…
A large number of gram-negative coccobacilli have been reported to cause infections in humans. This chapter describes three coccobacilli not discussed in other chapters. These organisms are important in specific epidemiologic and clinical settings and present special problems of diagnosis…