HELICOBACTER pylori & ACUTE GASTRITIS (Micro made easy 63)

Formerly known as Campylobacter pylori. This organism is the number 1 cause of duodenal ulcers + gastritis. Transmission by faecal-oral route. Diagnosis by endoscopic biopsy, culture, serology etc. Treatment: combination therapy of: bismuth salts, metronidazole, tetracycline, amoxicillin.

Few general points about diarrhea: Most causative agents are gram negative/positive rods, most are motile except Shigella, most are transmitted faecal-oral route (eating faecally contaminated water, food + unpasteruised milk), cause abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, bloody diarrhea/watery diarrhea, children are worst affected, if spores are involved ≫ they always germinate and release the toxins, if no spores are involved ≫ bacteria produces the toxins which cause direct damage. Staph aureus & Clostridium difficile are pretty much the only ones which produces toxins directly. All of this falls into the idea that diarrhea can be caused via a toxigenic or invasive process.

Category: Microbiology Notes