Bacterial Infections

Respiratory Tract Infections

These affect the lungs, throat, and sinuses and are typically spread through droplets from coughing and sneezing.

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI)

Strep Throat – Streptococcus pyogenes
Diphtheria – Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Sinusitis – Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae
Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection) – Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae

Understanding Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Otitis media, commonly known as a middle ear infection, is an infection of the space behind the eardrum. It is...

Understanding Diphtheria: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It primarily affects the throat and upper respiratory tract, but in...

Understanding Sinusitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Sinusitis is a condition that occurs when the sinuses become inflamed or infected. While sinusitis can be caused by viruses,...

Understanding Strep Throat: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

What is Strep throat? Strep throat is a bacterial infection primarily affecting the throat and tonsils. It is caused by...

Pneumonia
- Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) – Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) – Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Tuberculosis (TB) – Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) – Bordetella pertussis
Legionnaires’ Disease – Legionella pneumophila

Understanding Legionnaires’ Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila. It primarily affects the lungs, leading...

Understanding Whooping Cough (Pertussis): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the respiratory tract caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is known...

Understanding Tuberculosis (TB): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to...

Understanding Pneumonia: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs, leading to symptoms such as cough,...

Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

These infections range from mild (like acne) to severe conditions (like necrotizing fasciitis).

Impetigo – Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus
Cellulitis – Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus
Erysipelas – Streptococcus pyogenes
Boils & Abscesses – Staphylococcus aureus
Necrotizing Fasciitis (“Flesh-Eating Disease”) – Streptococcus pyogenes, Clostridium perfringens
Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) – Mycobacterium leprae

Understanding Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the skin,...

Understanding Necrotizing Fasciitis (“Flesh-Eating Disease”): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as “flesh-eating disease,” is a rare but severe bacterial infection that spreads rapidly in the body’s...

Understanding Boils & Abscesses: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Boils and abscesses are localized bacterial skin infections caused primarily by Staphylococcus aureus. These infections result in the formation of...

Understanding Erysipelas: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Erysipelas is a bacterial skin infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. It affects the upper layers of the skin, leading to...

Understanding Cellulitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. It affects the deeper layers of...

Understanding Impetigo: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. It is most common in...

Gastrointestinal (Foodborne & Waterborne) Infections

These infections are usually caused by consuming contaminated food or water.

Cholera – Vibrio cholerae
Typhoid Fever – Salmonella typhi
Salmonellosis – Salmonella enterica
Shigellosis (Bacillary Dysentery) – Shigella spp.
E. coli Infections
- Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) – Traveler’s diarrhea
- Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) – E. coli O157:H7, causes bloody diarrhea
Campylobacteriosis – Campylobacter jejuni
Botulism – Clostridium botulinum

Understanding Botulism: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces a powerful neurotoxin. The toxin...

Understanding Campylobacteriosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial infection caused by Campylobacter jejuni. It is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness...

Understanding E. coli Infections: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

E. coli infections are caused by Escherichia coli, a diverse group of bacteria that can be both harmless and pathogenic....

Understanding Shigellosis (Bacillary Dysentery): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Shigellosis, also known as bacillary dysentery, is a bacterial infection caused by Shigella spp.. It primarily affects the gastrointestinal system,...

Understanding Salmonellosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella enterica. It primarily affects the gastrointestinal system, leading to diarrhea, abdominal cramps,...

Understanding Typhoid Fever: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi. It primarily affects the gastrointestinal system but can spread throughout...

Understanding Cholera: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium that infects the small intestine. It spreads through...

Urinary Tract & Reproductive Infections

These affect the urinary and reproductive systems.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Cystitis (Bladder Infection) – Escherichia coli
Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infection) – E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Gonorrhea – Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Syphilis – Treponema pallidum
Chancroid – Haemophilus ducreyi
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) – Gardnerella vaginalis

Understanding Bacterial Vaginosis (BV): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal infection caused by an imbalance of bacteria, with Gardnerella vaginalis being the most...

Understanding Chancroid: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Haemophilus ducreyi. It leads to the development of painful genital ulcers...

Understanding Syphilis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Treponema pallidum. It progresses through distinct stages and can lead to...

Understanding Gonorrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It primarily affects the genital tract, rectum, and throat...

Understanding Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infection): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Pyelonephritis, commonly known as a kidney infection, is a serious urinary tract infection (UTI) that occurs when bacteria travel from...

Understanding Cystitis (Bladder Infection): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Cystitis is a common urinary tract infection (UTI) primarily caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli). It affects the bladder, leading...

Neurological Infections

These involve the brain and nervous system.

Bacterial Meningitis
- Neisseria meningitidis (Meningococcal Meningitis)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pneumococcal Meningitis)
- Haemophilus influenzae
Tetanus – Clostridium tetani
Botulism (Neurotoxic Paralysis) – Clostridium botulinum

Understanding Botulism (Neurotoxic Paralysis): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Botulism is a rare but serious neurological condition caused by Clostridium botulinum. The bacteria produce a powerful botulinum toxin, which...

Understanding Tetanus: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a serious bacterial infection caused by Clostridium tetani. The bacteria produce a powerful neurotoxin...

Understanding Haemophilus Influenzae Meningitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Haemophilus influenzae meningitis is a serious bacterial infection of the protective membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It...

Understanding Pneumococcal Meningitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Pneumococcal meningitis is a serious bacterial infection of the protective membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is...

Understanding Bacterial Meningitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection of the protective membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is most...

Bloodborne & Systemic Infections

These bacterial infections can spread through the bloodstream, leading to widespread effects.

Septicemia (Blood Poisoning) – Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, E. coli
Endocarditis (Heart Infection) – Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridans
Brucellosis (“Undulant Fever”) – Brucella spp.
Q Fever – Coxiella burnetii

Understanding Q Fever: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Q Fever is a zoonotic bacterial infection caused by Coxiella burnetii. It primarily spreads from animals to humans through inhalation...

Understanding Brucellosis (“Undulant Fever”): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Brucellosis, also known as “Undulant Fever”, is a bacterial infection caused by Brucella species. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning...

Understanding Endocarditis (Heart Infection): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Endocarditis is a serious infection of the heart’s inner lining (endocardium) and valves, primarily caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus...

Understanding Septicemia (Blood Poisoning): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Septicemia, commonly known as blood poisoning, is a serious bloodstream infection caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae,...

Vector-Borne Bacterial Infections

These infections are transmitted through insect or animal bites.

Lyme Disease – Borrelia burgdorferi (transmitted by ticks)
Plague (Bubonic, Septicemic, Pneumonic) – Yersinia pestis (transmitted by fleas)
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – Rickettsia rickettsii (transmitted by ticks)
Ehrlichiosis & Anaplasmosis – Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Dengue Fever: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention Explained

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes high fever, severe body aches, rash, and in some cases, life-threatening...

Understanding Ehrlichiosis & Anaplasmosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis are tick-borne bacterial infections caused by Ehrlichia species and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, respectively. These infections are transmitted through...

Understanding Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a serious tick-borne bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. It is transmitted to humans...

Understanding Plague (Bubonic, Septicemic, Pneumonic): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Plague is a severe bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis and is primarily transmitted by fleas that feed on infected...

Understanding Lyme Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Lyme disease is a tick-borne bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of...

Zoonotic Bacterial Infections (Animal to Human Transmission)

These are bacterial infections acquired from animals.

Anthrax – Bacillus anthracis
Leptospirosis – Leptospira spp. (transmitted through contaminated water from animal urine)
Tularemia (Rabbit Fever) – Francisella tularensis

Avian Influenza: Could the Next Pandemic Come from Birds?

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects birds but can occasionally jump to...

Understanding Tularemia (Rabbit Fever): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Tularemia, also known as “Rabbit Fever”, is a highly infectious bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis. It is primarily transmitted...

Understanding Leptospirosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by Leptospira species. It is primarily transmitted through contaminated water, soil, or food that...

Understanding Anthrax: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Anthrax is a serious bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis. This bacteria forms spores that can survive in the environment...

Hospital-Acquired (Nosocomial) Infections

These infections are often antibiotic-resistant and acquired in healthcare settings.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) – Staphylococcus aureus
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) – Enterococcus spp.
Clostridioides difficile Infection (C. diff) – Clostridioides difficile (causes antibiotic-associated diarrhea)
Pseudomonas Infections – Pseudomonas aeruginosa (common in ICU patients)