How Bacterial Diseases Make Us Ill
Definition
Toxin
A poison produced by some bacteria that damages tissues and makes you feel ill.
- Once inside the body, bacteria reproduce rapidly.
- Many bacteria release toxins that damage tissues and cause the symptoms of illness.
- Salmonella and gonorrhoea are two bacterial diseases to know.
Key Idea
Bacterial diseases can often be treated with antibiotics, which kill bacteria, unlike viral diseases.
Salmonella Food Poisoning
Definition
Salmonella
A type of bacterium that causes food poisoning when taken in with food, producing toxins that cause fever, cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Salmonella are bacteria that cause food poisoning.
- They are spread by eating food that contains the bacteria, such as undercooked food or food prepared in unhygienic conditions.
- The bacteria and the toxins they secrete cause fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- In the UK, poultry are vaccinated against Salmonella to control its spread.
- Cooking food thoroughly and keeping raw meat away from other food help prevent it.
Note
The symptoms usually appear within a day or two of eating the infected food.
Gonorrhoea
Definition
Gonorrhoea
A sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium, giving a thick yellow or green discharge and pain on urinating.
- Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease, spread by sexual contact.
- Its symptoms are a thick yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis and pain on urinating.
- It is caused by a bacterium.
- It was easily treated with the antibiotic penicillin until many resistant strains appeared.
- Its spread is controlled by treatment with antibiotics and by using a barrier method of contraception, such as a condom.
Self review
- How is Salmonella food poisoning spread?
- What causes the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning?
- How is Salmonella controlled in the UK?
- What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea, and how is it spread?
- Why is gonorrhoea now harder to treat than it once was?
