|
Human Ewingii Ehrlichiosis
''Ehrlichiosis ewingii'' infection is an infectious disease caused by an intracellular bacteria, ''Ehrlichia ewingii''. The infection is transmitted to humans by the tick, ''Amblyomma americanum''. This tick can also transmit ''Ehrlichia chaffeensis'', the bacteria that causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME). Symptoms and signs Patients can present with fever, headache, myalgias, and malaise. Laboratory tests may reveal thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and evidence of liver damage. Mechanism Humans contract the disease after a bite by an infected tick of the species ''Amblyomma americanum''. Those with an underlying immunodeficiency (such as HIV) appear to be at greater risk of contracting the disease. Compared to HME, ewingii ehrlichiosis has a decreased incidence of complications. Like ''Anaplasma phagocytophilum'', the causative agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, ''Ehrlichia ewingii'' infects neutrophils. Infection with ''E. ewingii'' may delay neutrophil apoptosis. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infectious Disease
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable disease, is an illness resulting from an infection. Infections can be caused by a wide range of pathogens, most prominently bacteria and viruses. Hosts can fight infections using their immune system. Mammalian hosts react to infections with an innate response, often involving inflammation, followed by an adaptive response. Specific medications used to treat infections include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antiprotozoals, and antihelminthics. Infectious diseases resulted in 9.2 million deaths in 2013 (about 17% of all deaths). The branch of medicine that focuses on infections is referred to as infectious disease. Types Infections are caused by infectious agents (pathogens) including: * Bacteria (e.g. '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neutrophils
Neutrophils (also known as neutrocytes or heterophils) are the most abundant type of granulocytes and make up 40% to 70% of all white blood cells in humans. They form an essential part of the innate immune system, with their functions varying in different animals. They are formed from stem cells in the bone marrow and differentiated into subpopulations of neutrophil-killers and neutrophil-cagers. They are short-lived and highly mobile, as they can enter parts of tissue where other cells/molecules cannot. Neutrophils may be subdivided into segmented neutrophils and banded neutrophils (or bands). They form part of the polymorphonuclear cells family (PMNs) together with basophils and eosinophils. The name ''neutrophil'' derives from staining characteristics on hematoxylin and eosin ( H&E) histological or cytological preparations. Whereas basophilic white blood cells stain dark blue and eosinophilic white blood cells stain bright red, neutrophils stain a neutral pink. Normally, n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ehrlichiosis (canine)
Ehrlichiosis (; also known as canine rickettsiosis, canine hemorrhagic fever, canine typhus, tracker dog disease, and tropical canine pancytopenia) is a tick-borne disease of dogs usually caused by the rickettsial agent '' Ehrlichia canis''. ''Ehrlichia canis'' is the pathogen of animals. Humans can become infected by ''E. canis'' and other species after tick exposure. German Shepherd Dogs are thought to be susceptible to a particularly severe form of the disease; other breeds generally have milder clinical signs. Cats can also be infected. ''Ehrlichia'' '' Ehrlichia'' is a rickettsial genus of bacteria belonging to the family Ehrlichiaceae. There are several species of ''Ehrlichia'', but the one that most commonly affects dogs and causes the most severe clinical signs is ''Ehrlichia canis''. This species infects monocytes in the peripheral blood. The brown dog tick, or ''Rhipicephalus sanguineous'', which passes the organism to the dog, is prevalent throughout most of the United ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is a tick-borne, infectious disease caused by ''Anaplasma phagocytophilum'', an obligate intracellular bacterium that is typically transmitted to humans by ticks of the ''Ixodes ricinus'' species complex, including ''Ixodes scapularis'' and ''Ixodes pacificus'' in North America. These ticks also transmit Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The bacteria infect white blood cells called neutrophils, causing changes in gene expression that prolong the life of these otherwise short-lived cells. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms may include: * fever * severe headache * muscle aches (myalgia) * chills and shaking, similar to the symptoms of influenza * nausea * vomiting * loss of appetite * unintentional weight loss * abdominal pain * cough * diarrhea, * aching joints * sensitivity to light * weakness * fatigue * change in mental status (extreme confusion, memory loss, inability to comprehend environment- interaction, reading, etc.) * te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis
Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis is a form of ehrlichiosis associated with ''Ehrlichia chaffeensis''. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular pathogen affecting monocytes and macrophages. Symptom and signs The most common symptoms are fever, headache, malaise, and muscle aches ( myalgia). Compared to human granulocytic anaplasmosis, rash is more common. Laboratory abnormalities include thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and elevated liver tests. The severity of the illness can range from minor or asymptomatic to life-threatening. CNS involvement may occur. A serious septic or toxic shock-like picture can also develop, especially in patients with impaired immunity. Cause This disease is known to be caused by tick bites. Diagnosis Tick exposure is often overlooked. For patients living in high-prevalence areas who spend time outdoors, a high degree of clinical suspicion should be employed. Ehrlichia serologies can be negative in the acute period. Polymerase chain reaction i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doxycycline
Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum tetracycline class antibiotic used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and certain parasites. It is used to treat bacterial pneumonia, acne, chlamydia infections, Lyme disease, cholera, typhus, and syphilis. It is also used to prevent malaria in combination with quinine. Doxycycline may be taken by mouth or by injection into a vein. Common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an increased risk of sunburn. Use during pregnancy is not recommended. Like other agents of the tetracycline class, it either slows or kills bacteria by inhibiting protein production. It kills malaria by targeting a plastid organelle, the apicoplast. Doxycycline was patented in 1957 and came into commercial use in 1967. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Doxycycline is available as a generic medicine. In 2020, it was the 79th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymerase Chain Reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete or partial) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) to a large enough amount to study in detail. PCR was invented in 1983 by the American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation; Mullis and biochemist Michael Smith (chemist), Michael Smith, who had developed other essential ways of manipulating DNA, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. PCR is fundamental to many of the procedures used in genetic testing and research, including analysis of Ancient DNA, ancient samples of DNA and identification of infectious agents. Using PCR, copies of very small amounts of DNA sequences are exponentially amplified in a series of cycles of temperature changes. PCR is now a common and often indispensable technique used in medical laboratory research for a broad variety of applications ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apoptosis
Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and mRNA decay. The average adult human loses between 50 and 70 billion cells each day due to apoptosis. For an average human child between eight and fourteen years old, approximately twenty to thirty billion cells die per day. In contrast to necrosis, which is a form of traumatic cell death that results from acute cellular injury, apoptosis is a highly regulated and controlled process that confers advantages during an organism's life cycle. For example, the separation of fingers and toes in a developing human embryo occurs because cells between the digits undergo apoptosis. Unlike necrosis, apoptosis produces cell fragments called apoptotic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is a tick-borne, infectious disease caused by ''Anaplasma phagocytophilum'', an obligate intracellular bacterium that is typically transmitted to humans by ticks of the ''Ixodes ricinus'' species complex, including ''Ixodes scapularis'' and ''Ixodes pacificus'' in North America. These ticks also transmit Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The bacteria infect white blood cells called neutrophils, causing changes in gene expression that prolong the life of these otherwise short-lived cells. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms may include: * fever * severe headache * muscle aches (myalgia) * chills and shaking, similar to the symptoms of influenza * nausea * vomiting * loss of appetite * unintentional weight loss * abdominal pain * cough * diarrhea, * aching joints * sensitivity to light * weakness * fatigue * change in mental status (extreme confusion, memory loss, inability to comprehend environment- interaction, reading, etc.) * te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacteria inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust. Bacteria are vital in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients such as the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere. The nutrient cycle includes the decomposition of dead bodies; bacteria are responsible for the putrefaction stage in this process. In the biological communities surrounding hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, extremophile bacteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane, to energy. Bacteria also live in symbiotic and parasitic relationsh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anaplasma Phagocytophilum
''Anaplasma phagocytophilum'' (formerly ''Ehrlichia phagocytophilum'') is a Gram-negative bacterium that is unusual in its tropism to neutrophils. It causes anaplasmosis in sheep and cattle, also known as tick-borne fever and pasture fever, and also causes the zoonotic disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis.Tick-Borne Fever reviewed and published by , accessed 12 October 2011. ''A. phagocytophilum'' is a , obligate bacterium of neutrophils. It causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, which is a tick-borne rickettsial disease. Because this bacterium invades neutrophils, it has a unique ada ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leukopenia
Leukopenia () is a decrease in the number of leukocytes (WBC). Found in the blood, they are the white blood cells, and are the body's primary defense against an infection. Thus the condition of leukopenia places individuals at increased risk of infection. Signs and symptoms Symptoms may include: * skin or mouth ulcers * sore throat * cough * difficulty in breathing * light-headedness * fever * chills * body aches. Leukopenia vs. neutropenia Neutropenia, a subtype of leukopenia, refers to a decrease in the number of circulating neutrophil granulocytes, the most abundant white blood cells. The terms ''leukopenia'' and ''neutropenia'' may occasionally be used interchangeably, as the neutrophil count is the most important indicator of infection risk. Agranulocytosis is an acute form of neutropenia. Causes Medical conditions Low white cell count may be due to acute viral infections, such as a cold or influenza. It has been associated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, myelofibr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
