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 in Health
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - Large PDF file - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/microbes/PDF/microbesbook.htm
- Germs: Understand and Protect against Bacteria, Viruses and Infection(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/germs/ID00002/METHOD=print
- Scientists Hot on Trail of New Antibiotics(10/17/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70584.html
- "Good" Bacteria Unlikely to Curb Eczema(10/13/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70340.html
- Bacterial Infections May Be Overlooked in SIDS Cases(09/11/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69140.html
- AFB Smear and Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/afb_culture/test.html
- Bacterial Wound Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/wound_culture/test.html
- Blood Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/blood_culture/test.html
- Gram Stain(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/gram_stain/test.html
- Susceptibility Testing(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/susceptibility/glance.html
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MedlinePlus: Antibiotics(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antibiotics.html
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MedlinePlus: Germs and Hygiene(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/germsandhygiene.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/germsandhygiene.html
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MedlinePlus: Infection Control(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infectioncontrol.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/infectioncontrol.html
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Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV23)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-ppv.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.immunize.org/vis/sppne97.pdf
- About Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/nts-mycobac/about/index.aspx
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Antimicrobial (Antibiotic) Resistance: Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialResistance/Examples/vre/default.htm
- Brucellosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/brucellosis_g.htm
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Campylobacter(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/campylobacter_gi.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/campylobacter_g_sp.htm
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Cholera(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/cholera_g.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/cholera_g_span.htm
- Glanders (Burkholderia Mallei)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/glanders_g.htm
- Hot Tub Lung: Am I at Risk?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/hot-tub-lung/AN00660/METHOD=print
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JAMA Patient Page: Pneumococcal Diseases(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/295/14/1730.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/295/14/1730/DC1/1
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Leprosy (Hansen's Disease)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/leprosy/Understanding/whatis.htm
- Leptospirosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g.htm
- Melioidosis (Burkholderia Pseudomallei)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/melioidosis_g.htm
- Q Fever(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/qfever/index.htm
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Shigellosis(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/shigellosis/
- Trench Fever(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/atlas/trenchFever.htm
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Tularemia(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tularemia/
- Vibrio Parahaemolyticus(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/vibriop_gi.html
- Vibrio Vulnificus(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/vibriov_gi.html
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Yaws(World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs316/en/
Also available in Spanish http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs316/es/index.html
- Yersinia Enterocolitica(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/yersinia_g.htm
- Bacteria(American Society for Microbiology) - http://www.microbeworld.org/microbes/bacteria/
- Bacterial Infection vs. Viral Infection: What's the Difference?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/infectious-disease/AN00652/METHOD=print
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Getting to Know "Friendly Bacteria": What Are Probiotics?(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2006_summer/bacteria.htm
- Stronger Warnings Requested for Fluoroquinolones(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/fluoroquinolone070908.html
- Virus or Bacterium?(American Society for Microbiology) - http://www.microbeworld.org/microbes/virus_bacterium.aspx
- Hot Tub Rash (Pseudomonas Folliculitis)(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/pseudomonasFolliculitisHotTubFolliculitis.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bacterial Infections(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Bacterial+Infections%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Management of travellers' diarrhoea. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18838421&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor plays a role in the regulation... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18832726&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: CCR2 mediates homeostatic and inflammatory release of Gr1(high) monocytes from... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18832716&tool=MedlinePlus
- Bacterial Infections -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=bacterial+infections[majr:noexp]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases - http://www.nfid.org/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- Blood Culture(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest3.html
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Campylobacter Infections(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/stomach/campylobacter.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/campylobacter_esp.html
- Helicobacter pylori(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/stomach/h_pylori.html
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Shigella Infections(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/shigella.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/shigella_esp.html
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What Are Germs?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/germs.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/preguntas/germs_esp.html
- Yersiniosis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/yersinia.html
- Shigellosis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/shigellosis.html
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Why Should I Care about Germs?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/health_basics/care_about_germs.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/care_about_germs_esp.html
- Antibiotics - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antibiotics.html
- Cellulitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cellulitis.html
- Chlamydia Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/chlamydiainfections.html
- E. Coli Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ecoliinfections.html
- Immunization - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunization.html
- Infection Control - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infectioncontrol.html
- Lyme Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lymedisease.html
- Salmonella Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/salmonellainfections.html
- Staphylococcal Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/staphylococcalinfections.html
- Streptococcal Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/streptococcalinfections.html
- Tetanus - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tetanus.html
- Tick Bites - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tickbites.html
- Traveler's Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/travelershealth.html
- Tuberculosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberculosis.html
- Whooping Cough - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/whoopingcough.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Bacterial Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/
Bacterial Infections - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/bacterialinfections.html