Infectious Diseases Affecting the Respiratory System Discussion

Chapter 21 Summary

The chapter evaluates in a big manner the infectious disease affecting the respiratory system. This includes the causative agents and the pathogenic actions toward the hosts. From some perspectives, it is strange to note that patients fail to display any causative agents during testing. For instance, in a study where 2300 hospitalized patients’ were involved an estimated 62% of them had no pathogens detected. In this chapter important sections will discuss the bacterium streptococcus pneumonia and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infectious Diseases Affecting the Respiratory System Discussion

Streptococcus Pneumoniae

Pneumococcus bacteria is a minute, flattened cocus, gram-positive that presents in pairs and lined up from end to end. The bacteria is present in the normal biota freely existing in the upper respiratory systems of about 50 percent of healthy persons. However, infection from this normal biota of bacteria can take place in situations the bacterium is breathed down into the lungs or when people acquire the bacterium through respiratory droplets. It is important to note that streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria is a delicate pathogen that cannot thrive in places far from its habitat. There are factors that favor the virulence of this bacteria into causing illnesses such as seasons when infection rates are high such as in winter. Also, old age, chronic abuse of narcotics, and alcohol, and underlying cases of diabetes and viral respiratory diseases have a bigger impact in causing this infection. People who have good health mostly inhale this bacterium into the respiratory system with adverse effects due to the presence of host defense mechanisms. The infection develops in situations where mucus loaded with bacteria cells goes through the bronchi and alveoli. This causes the pneumococci to drastically multiply and enhance critical inflammatory response. This bacteria is equipped with a polysaccharide capsule that protects it from phagocytosis action. This works through the pathogen’s ability to block the attachment of the complement such that the inflammation fluids are always secreted to the lungs. The combination of this bacteria, cells, and exudates into the airspaces causes the development of consolidation.

ORDER  HERE A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

Pneumonia presents with critical complications including endocarditis and pleuritis but it is meningitis and pneumococcal bacteremia that poses the greatest danger to the patient. Most mortalities arising from influenza are a result of its original virus or from other secondary infections. Older persons and children should be vaccinated using a 23-valent PPSV23 or 13-valent PCV 13 vaccine for protection against this pathogen. Also, persons between 6 to 64 years suffering from certain medical conditions and daily smokers should be vaccinated against the disease. Patients with active illnesses should be treated using antibiotics even though it is becoming hard to identify the ideal antibiotics to use in specific patients. This is because, most of the S.Pneumoniae pathogens have become resistant to penicillin and other medications such as tetracycline, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides. Infectious Diseases Affecting the Respiratory System Discussion

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae

This form of pneumonia is known as atypical pneumonia because its symptoms fail to resemble those of severe pneumonia or pneumococcal. This strain appears like a common cold only that there is an accumulation of mucus in the lungs. Mycoplasma represent some of the smallest existing self-replicating microorganisms. These bacteria do not have a cell wall hence they are irregular in shape. In most cases, they appear like fragments, cocci, helices, clubs, or doughnuts. They exist freely and are fastidious and require some complex medium in order to grow in the lab. The infection is transmitted among persons confined in closed spaces such as military, students, and families through aerosol droplets. The disease is not acute among most patients’ hence its name ‘walking pneumonia’. The infection is diagnosed using PCR or serological tests. This bacteria fails to stain using Gram staining hence not directly visible using sputum smears. Genotypic testing is conducted in evaluating the outbreaks and presence of macrolide resistance to this pathogen. Infectious Diseases Affecting the Respiratory System Discussion