MedlinePlus: Bacterial Infections

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- Services and providers for Bacterial Infections in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Bacterial Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Bacterial Infections

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 makes 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. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

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Understanding Microbes: In Sickness and Health(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - Large PDF file

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Latest News Diagnosis/Symptoms Treatment Prevention/Screening	Specific Conditions Related Issues	Pictures & Photographs
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Clinical Trials Journal Articles	Organizations	Children Teenagers

Overviews
- Germs: Understand and Protect against Bacteria, Viruses and Infection(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Latest News
- Bacterial Infections May Be Overlooked in SIDS Cases(09/11/2008, HealthDay)
- Eradicating Gut Bacteria Improves Stomach Cancer Outcomes(07/31/2008, HealthDay)
- Stomach Germ May Protect Against Asthma(07/15/2008, HealthDay)
- FDA Requests Boxed Warnings on Fluoroquinolone Antimicrobial Drugs(07/08/2008, Food and Drug Administration)
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- AFB Smear and Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Bacterial Wound Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Blood Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Susceptibility Testing(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Treatment
- MedlinePlus: Antibiotics(National Library of Medicine)
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Prevention/Screening
- MedlinePlus: Germs and Hygiene(National Library of Medicine)
  Also available in Spanish
- MedlinePlus: Infection Control(National Library of Medicine)
  Also available in Spanish
- Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV23)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF
  Also available in Spanish
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Specific Conditions
- About Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)(National Jewish Health)
- Antimicrobial (Antibiotic) Resistance: Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- Brucellosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Campylobacter(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Also available in Spanish
- Cholera(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Also available in Spanish
- Glanders (Burkholderia Mallei)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Hot Tub Lung: Am I at Risk?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- JAMA Patient Page: Pneumococcal Diseases(American Medical Association)
  Also available in Spanish
- Leprosy (Hansen's Disease)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- Leptospirosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Melioidosis (Burkholderia Pseudomallei)(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)
  Also available in Spanish
- Yersinia Enterocolitica(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Related Issues
- Bacteria(American Society for Microbiology)
- Bacterial Infection vs. Viral Infection: What's the Difference?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Getting to Know "Friendly Bacteria": What Are Probiotics?(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- Stronger Warnings Requested for Fluoroquinolones(Food and Drug Administration)
- Virus or Bacterium?(American Society for Microbiology)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Hot Tub Rash (Pseudomonas Folliculitis)(Logical Images)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Bacterial Infections(National Institutes of Health)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
- National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Children
- Blood Culture(Nemours Foundation)
- Campylobacter Infections(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Helicobacter pylori(Nemours Foundation)
- Shigella Infections(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- What Are Germs?(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Yersiniosis(Nemours Foundation)
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Teenagers
- Shigellosis(Nemours Foundation)
- Why Should I Care about Germs?(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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