Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection spread from bird to bird. Currently, a particularly deadly strain of bird flu -- H5N1 -- continues to spread among poultry in Egypt and in certain parts of Asia. Technically, H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. It's deadly to most birds.
Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab over.
You also have higher odds of getting C. diff if you’re dealing with a condition such as colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or a weakened immune system caused by cancer treatment or another health problem.
Although many types of viruses can cause a common cold, rhinoviruses are the most common culprit. A cold virus enters your body through your mouth, eyes or nose. The virus can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks.
But if you're pregnant or have a weakened immune system, CMV is cause for concern. A woman who develops an active CMV infection during pregnancy can pass the virus to her baby, who might then experience signs and symptoms. For people with compromised immunity, especially due to organ transplantation, CMV infection can be fatal.
Dengue (pronounced DENgee) fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.
In 1993, an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome occurred in the Four Corners region in the southwestern United States. The viral cause of the disease was found only weeks later and was called the Sin Nombre virus (SNV), or in Spanish, "virus sin nombre", meaning "nameless virus".
The disease Marburg virus causes is termed Marburg virus disease. The most recent outbreaks of Marburg virus disease have occurred in Uganda. In 2012, 15 individuals were diagnosed and four people died (27% fatality rate).
While many of us associate E. coli with food poisoning, you can also get pneumonia, breathing problems, and urinary tract infections from different types of the bacteria. In fact, 75% to 95% of urinary tract infections are caused by E. coli. Some versions of E. coli make you sick by making a toxin called Shiga.
The most common cause of gastroenteritis is a virus. Gastroenteritis flu can be caused by many different kinds of viruses. The main types are rotavirus and norovirus. Rotavirus is the world's most common cause of diarrhea in infants and young children. Norovirus is the most common cause of serious gastroenteritis and also foodborne disease outbreaks in the U.S.
Hepatitis B is an infection of your liver. It can cause scarring of the organ, liver failure, and cancer. It can be fatal if it isn’t treated. It’s spread when people come in contact with the blood, open sores, or body fluids of someone who has the hep B virus. The good news is that most cases of the disease don’t last a long time.
In contrast to canker sores, which are noninfectious sores that occur on the inside of the mouth, these unsightly red blisters form on the outside of the mouth and are caused by a common and contagious virus. Microbe Name. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1); most cold sores are caused by HSV-1, whereas sexually transmitted herpes infections are mostly caused by HSV-2.
Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by the germ Listeria monocytogenes. People usually become ill with listeriosis after eating contaminated food. The disease primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
Mumps can lead to deafness, swelling of the brain and/or spinal cord covering (encephalitis or meningitis), painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and, very rarely, death. Rubella (also known as German Measles) Rubella virus causes fever, sore throat, rash, headache, and eye irritation.
Most importantly, bacterial and viral infections, can cause mild, moderate, and severe diseases. Throughout history, millions of people have died of diseases such as bubonic plague or the Black Death, which is caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, and smallpox, which is caused by the variola virus.
Pseudomonas infections are diseases caused by a bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas. The bacteria are found widely in the environment, such as in soil, water, and plants. They usually do not cause infections in healthy people.
As rabies is a fatal disease, it is often best to start the series of shots until further information is available. A series of injections is given. The first is a rabies immune globulin that helps to prevent the virus from infecting the individual.
Thousands of years ago, variola virus (smallpox virus) emerged and began causing illness and deaths in human populations, with smallpox outbreaks occurring from time to time. Thanks to the success of vaccination, the last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and other drugs in this class. Staph infections are treated with topical, oral, or intravenous antibiotics, depending upon the type of infection.
Group A Streptococcus (group A strep) is a type of bacterium that can cause many different infections that range from minor illnesses to very serious and deadly diseases. Learn more about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors for these infections, as well as how they are treated and prevented, below.
For some viral diseases, such as herpes simplex virus infections, HIV/AIDS, and influenza, antiviral medications have become available. But the use of antiviral medications has been associated with the development of drug-resistant microbes.