Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms. Although there are thousands of different types of bacteria throughout the world, only a few kinds actually cause disease. Some bacteria are present in the environment; others live on the skin, in the airways, mouth, or digestive tract of people and animals. Certain bacteria give off toxins (poisons) that invade and multiply in your tissues, causing infection. A bacterial disease occurs when the affected cells or molecules in a person's body stop working properly due to an infection.
Bacterial endocarditis is a bacterial disease in which microbes infect the endothelial surface (layer of flat cells) of the heart. Since the signs and symptoms of bacterial endocarditis vary, doctors must have a high degree of suspicion to make an early, accurate diagnosis. Risk factors for bacterial endocarditis are classified as those associated with high-risk conditions such as congenital heart disease, intraveneous (IV) drug use, and valve disease, and high-risk procedures such as dental surgery, respiratory tract surgeries, and gastrointestinal surgeries.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Erythromycin
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Azithromycin, Clarithromycin
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection in the intestine with the bacterium known as Vibrio cholerae. Oftentimes, cholera is mild or without symptoms, but it can be severe. It is estimated that one in 20 infected people experience severe disease characterized by watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. Rapid loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration, shock, and possibly death. You can contract cholera by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with cholera bacteria.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Cholera Vaccine, Doxycycline, Furazolidone, Tetracycline
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Erythromycin, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
Food poisoning is an acute illness caused by ingestion of food contaminated with bacteria, bacterial toxins (poisons), or harmful chemical substances. Nearly 76 million people suffer from food poisoning in the United States each year. Symptoms of food poisoning vary in severity and can include stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and may result in life-threatening neurologic, liver, and kidney syndromes. Bacteria are responsible for the following five foodborne diseases: botulism, campylobacteriosis, e. coli, salmonellosis, and shigellosis.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Ampicillin, Methotrexate
Lyme disease is a disease caused by the bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Within one to two weeks of being infected, you may have a “bull’s-eye” rash accompanied with fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. However, some people do not have any early symptoms. Other people may experience fever and other flu-like symptoms without a rash. After several days or weeks, the bacteria may spread throughout the body. If the disease is not treated, swelling and pain in major joints or mental changes can occur months after initial infection.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Cefuroxime, Lyme Disease Vaccine
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Minocycline, Penicillin
An infection of the meninges (the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) is called meningitis. It is generally caused by bacterial or viral infection; bacterial meningitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease, and can be caused by several different forms of bacteria that may initially cause an upper respiratory tract infection and then travel through the blood to the brain. Bacterial meningitis can also happen when certain bacteria invade the meninges directly. The disease can block blood vessels in the brain causing stroke and permanent brain damage. Symptoms of meningitis include sudden fever, severe headache, and stiff neck.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Minocycline, Penicillin G
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Ceftriaxone, Ciprofloxacin
Mycobacterium Avium Complex, or MAC, is a serious illness caused by common bacteria found in water, soil, dust, and food. MAC infection can be limited to one part of the body or spread throughout the entire body. Oftentimes, MAC infection occurs in the lungs, intestines, bone marrow, liver, and spleen. A person with a healthy immune system can control MAC, but people with weakened immune systems can develop MAC disease. In persons with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) up to 50 percent may develop MAC, particularly if their white blood cell count (T-cells) is below 50. Symptoms of MAC may include night sweats, fever, unintentional weight loss, diarrhea, and low level red and white blood cell counts. A doctor can diagnoses MAC through blood or bone marrow testing.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Rifabutin
Off-Label Prescription Drug Breakthrough Option: Ethambutol
Nocardiosis, or nocardia infection, is a rare disorder caused by the Nocardia bacteria. It often affects individual with weakened immune systems. The infection generally starts in the lungs and has a tendency to spread to other organ systems; nocardiosis can also involve the kidneys, the joints, the ear, the eyes, and the bones. Norcardia bacteria are found in soil all over the world, therefore the infection can be contracted by breathing in contaminated dust or through direct contact with contaminated soil such as through an open wound.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Sulfadiazine, Sulfamethoxazole
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Amikacin, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate, Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone, Imipenem-cilastatin, Meropenem, Minocycline, Trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole
Tetanus is a disease that affects the nervous system and is caused by a bacteria known as Clostridium tetani. Tetanus is contracted through a cut or wound that becomes contaminated with tetanus bacteria; these bacteria, which are most often found in soil, dust, and manure, can get in through a tiny pinprick or scratch. Deep puncture wounds or cuts are especially susceptible to tetanus infection. Symptoms of tetanus infection include headache, muscular stiffness in the jaw, neck stiffness, difficulty swallowing, rigid stomach muscles, spasms, and fever. Approximately 11% of cases are fatal, with most deaths occurring in those 60 years or older.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Diphtheria/Tetanus Toxoids, Tetanus Immune Globulin, Tetanus Toxoids
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Diazepam, Metronidazole
Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, fatal bacterial infection most commonly associated with the use of superabsorbent tampons and occasionally with the use of contraceptive sponges. Symptoms occur suddenly and this disease can result in death. Other risk factors for toxic shock syndrome include the presence of skin wounds or surgical procedures. Toxins produced by the Staphylococcus aureas bacteria are primarily responsible for toxic shock syndrome. Even though this infection most often occurs in women, toxic shock syndrome can also affect children, men, as well as women who do not menstruate.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drug Breakthrough Option: Reteplase
In persons with AIDS, infections like toxoplasmosis can cause significant sickness and result in death. Toxoplasmic encephalitis caused by the bacteria Toxoplasma gondii is the most common cause of central nervous system infection in persons with AIDS. Persons with white blood cell counts less than 50 cells/mcg are at greatest risk for this disease. Primary infection can occur after eating undercooked meat containing cysts or ingestion of unfertilized eggs found in cat feces that have been spread through the environment. The most common symptoms of this bacterial disease include headache, confusion, motor weakness, and fever.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Pyrimethamine, Sulfadiazine, Sulfisoxazole
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Clindamycin
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