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Hepatitis A Virus
( hep-uh-tie-tis A vi-rus )
Nickname: Hep A or HAV
Signs & Symptoms: The infection may vary from a mild flu-like illness to serious liver disease. It may take several months to recover from this infection.
Spread: HAV is spread by personal contact with an infected person especially fecal-oral transmission. Fecal contamination of food or water, poor sanitary conditions and poor personal hygiene contribute to the spread of HAV.
Who is at risk: Any person who eats food or drinks water contaminated with the virus
Prevention: A safe and effective vaccine is now available. It is especially recommended for children and for people traveling to under-developed countries. Always practice good hand washing especially after using the toilet.
"I'm spread by poor hygiene, but now there's a vaccine"
Rubeola Virus
( roo-bee-oh-la vi-rus )
Nickname: Seven day measles
Signs & Symptoms: Rubeola is called the "seven day measles" and was once the most common viral infection in children. It causes a red rash and dangerously high fever.
Spread: The measles virus is highly contagious and is spread by breathing infected droplets in the air.
Who is at risk: Anyone who has not been vaccinated or who has not already had the measles
Prevention: Today a vaccine has drastically reduced the occurrence of measles. The vaccination is called MMR, which stands for Measles-Mumps-Rubella.
"When you come down with a case, I put red dots on your face"
Rhinovirus
( rye-no vi-rus )
Nickname: Common cold virus
Signs & Symptoms: Fever, coughing,sneezing, runny nose, respiratory congestion, and overall "sick" feeling
Spread: The virus is contained in the moist droplets that are released into the air or onto objects by an infected person who is coughing and sneezing.80% of Rhinovirus infections are spread by touching contaminated surfaces or items.
Who is at risk: Anyone who is exposed to the virus is at risk. There are many different types of cold viruses with different antigens. It is impossible for the human body to make antibodies to all the different cold virus antigens. That is why we continue to get colds over and over again.
Prevention: Avoid contact with persons who are coughing and sneezing. Don't touch used tissues, handkerchiefs or contaminated objects. Proper cough etiquette can prevent the spread of Rhinovirus.
"We are the reason you are sneezin' and wheezin'"
Enterococcus faecalis
( en-ter-oh-cock-us fee-kay-lis )
Nickname: Group D Strep
Morphology: Gram-positive cocci in short chains
Habitat: Lives in soil, water, plants, and animals and it is normal flora in the intestines of humans.
Disease or illness: Commonly causes urinary tract infections; also causes wound infections, abscesses, and infections of the lining of the heart
Who is at risk: The elderly with another serious disease, persons taking antibiotics, and persons with a weakened immune system, hospitalized patients with a urinary catheter
Avoidance techniques: Good personal hygiene practices. Hand washing, especially after using the toilet. Women and girls should wipe front-to-back or "dab" with toilet paper after using the toilet; good infection prevention techniques by health professionals especially with care of the catheterized patients in the hospital.
"I'm not really all that evil, 'til I pick on the old and the feeble"
Shigella sonnei
( sha-gell-ah sahn-ee-eye )
Nickname: Shigella
Morphology: Gram-negative rod
Habitat: Humans and other large primates are the only carriers of this bacteria.
Disease or illness: Even a small number of these bacteria can make a person very sick. Shigella causes severe diarrhea with blood and pus in the stools.
Who is at risk: Any person who allows the bacteria to enter their body by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.
Avoidance techniques: Wash hands frequently, especially after using the toilet, after changing diapers, and before preparing foods or beverages; persons with diarrhea should not prepare food for others; avoid drinking swimming pool water.
"To the toilet you'll run, when I have my fun"
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
( sue-doe-moan-us ah-roo-jen-oh-sah )
Morphology: Gram-negative rod with a capsule
Habitat: Worldwide distribution in moist environments – lives in water, soil, and on plants, fruits and vegetables
Disease or illness: Causes infections ranging from minor skin infections, like swimmer's ear and "hot tub" folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles) to serious bloodstream infections and pneumonia
Who is at risk: People with weakened immune systems due to other disease or medications; children with cystic fibrosis, and hospitalized patients
Avoidance techniques: Avoid hot tubs with cloudy water.
"Splish, splash, I'm right here in your bath"
Neisseria meningitidis
( nye-sear-ee-ah men-in-jit-ih-dis )
Nickname: Meningococcus
Morphology: Gram-negative cocci in pairs, giving a "coffee bean" appearance
Habitat: Lives in the mouth, nose and throat of 3 - 30% of healthy humans without causing disease
Disease or illness: Causes a very serious infection of the spinal column (meningitis), bloodstream and lungs. These infections are very serious and often fatal.
Who is at risk: Infants and children younger than 5 years of age; young adults, especially those living in close contact with other people like in college dormitories or military barracks
Avoidance techniques: Don't let others cough or sneeze in your face; wash hands; discard and do not touch used tissues. A vaccine is available for those traveling to areas where the disease is common and for teenagers entering college or the military.
"Don't mess with me, or deceased you could be"
Tinea pedis
( tin-ee-ah ped-is )
Nickname: Athlete's foot fungus
Signs & Symptoms: Athlete's foot is a common infection that affects the toe webs or toenails causing redness,itching, and dry scaling of the skin.
Spread: Athlete's foot is spread by contact with soil, showers or objects contaminated with the fungus.
Who is at risk: Anyone, but especially men and persons who have warm, sweaty feet
Prevention: Avoid public showers or wear shower shoes into the shower. Do not wear another person's shoes or stockings. Keep feet dry and expose bare feet and shoes to the sun. Air out shoes and wash sneakers regularly.
"I'm the fungus that grows between your toes"
Streptococcus pyogenes
( strep-toe-cock-us pie-ah-jen eez )
Nickname: Group A strep
Morphology: Gram-positivecocci in chains
Habitat: Generally lives on humans and animals as a parasite, without causing disease
Disease or illness: It can cause serious infections in humans, the most common is "strep throat" and tonsillitis. This microbe is also called "the flesh-eating bacteria" when it infects human tissue and quickly destroys the cells.
Who is at risk: Strep throat is most common in persons 5-15 years of age but people of all ages can be infected.
Avoidance techniques: Hand washing;avoid contact with persons who are coughing and sneezing; so not share tissues,drinking cups, soda cans, lipstick or silverware with others, especially someone with a sore throat; do not put an open cut or wound in your mouth.
"You won't sing a note with me in your throat!"
Staphylococcus aureus
( staf-ih-low-cock-us aw-ree-us )
Nickname: Staph aureus
Morphology: Gram-positive cocci in grape-like clusters
Habitat: Lives on the human body, especially on the skin and in the nose; it also lives on animals.
Disease or illness: Can cause a variety of infections like pimples, boils, impetigo, food poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, blood infections (septicemia) and bone infections (osteomyelitis)
Who is at risk: Even healthy people with cuts, wounds or breaks in the skin; more serious risk to persons with a weak immune system
Avoidance techniques: Keep skin clean with regular bathing; wash cuts and wounds before bandaging; practice good hand washing and good personal hygiene especially after playing with pets, and before handling food; refrigerate food and avoid contamination.
"I'm OK on your skin, but don't let me get in"
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
( meth-ih-sil-in ree-sist-ant staf-ih-low-cock-us aw-ree-us )
Nickname: MRSA
Morphology: Gram-positive cocci in grape-like clusters
Habitat: Commonly carried in the lining of the nose of healthy humans (especially healthcare workers), without causing infection
Disease or illness: MRSA, like other Staph aureus, causes a variety of mild to severe infections; most commonly causes little lesions that look like "spider bites" MRSA causes a variety of mild to severe infections, especially in hospitalized patients.
Who is at risk: Even healthy people (children and adults) who have cuts or abrasions of the skin; Athletes with cuts or abrasions to the skin. Hospitalized patients and especially people with a weak immune system who are not able to fight infection.
Avoidance techniques: Focus should be on personal hygiene and hand hygiene (rather than the environment); avoid sharing towels, gym clothes, uniforms or personal athletic equipment; wounds that don't heal or drain pus should be checked by a health professional. Hand washing; Healthcare workers should practice good infection prevention techniques.
Warning: Most antibiotics are not effective for this bacteria!
"Bring on your drugs, we're the Super Bugs!"
Streptococcus mutans
( strep-toe-cock-us mew-tanz )
Nickname: Strep mutans
Morphology: Gram-positive cocci in chains
Habitat: Strep mutans can stick to tooth surfaces and live in tiny cracks in teeth. It lives and grows in acid conditions where other bacteria cannot. It interacts with sugars in foods to create an acid environment which causes teeth to decay.
Disease or illness: Causes tooth decay and cavities
Who is at risk: Everyone with real teeth (not false teeth)
Avoidance techniques: Brush teeth at least two times a day – morning and bedtime; floss between teeth every day; eat healthy snacks that are low in sugar.
"When I visit someday, your teeth will decay"
Streptococcus pneumoniae
( strep-toe-cock-us new-moan-ee-ay )
Nickname: Strep pneumo
Morphology: Lancet-shaped gram-positive cocci in pairs, usually surrounded by a capsule
Habitat: Normal flora in the mouth, nose and throat of humans
Disease or illness: Ear infections and sinus infections; very serious infections of the lung (pneumonia),bloodstream (bacteremia), spinal column (meningitis), and the lining of the heart (endocarditis)
Who is at risk: Children under 3 years of age, the elderly, and persons with heart or lung disease
Avoidance techniques: A vaccine is available for persons at high risk of infection (the pneumonia vaccine)
"I'm snotty and naughty"
Hepatitis B Virus
( hep-uh-tie-tis B vi-rus )
Nickname: Hep B or HBV
Signs & Symptoms: HBV causes a viral infection of the liver that ranges from a flu-like illness to chronic hepatitis with jaundice where the skin turns yellow due to a back-up of bile from the liver. Infection with HBV can lead to serious diseases like cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Approximately 350 million people worldwide carry HBV in their blood without having illness.
Spread: HBV is transmitted by personal contact with the blood and body fluids of people infected with the virus. (Also can be sexually transmitted)
Who is at risk: Healthcare workers who have not received the vaccine and drug users who share needles; someone who has sex with an infected person
Prevention: Hepatitis B vaccine is given in 3 doses over a six-month period. Children should receive this vaccine with childhood immunizations.
"I will make you shiver when I get into your liver"
Herpes Simplex 1 Virus
( her-peez sim-plex 1 vi-rus )
Nickname: HSV
Signs & Symptoms: HSV causes oral lesions or "cold sores". These heal in 2 – 3 weeks but the virus does not leave the body and may reoccur at a later time producing a milder infection with another cold sore. This may happen again and again during the infectedperson's lifetime.
Spread: HSV infections usually occur early in childhood or adolescence by kissing someone who has a cold sore. Reoccurrence usually happens when the person is under stress or when immunity is low.
Who is at risk:Anyone who comes in contact with the virus is at risk, especially children and people with lowered immunity.
Prevention: Don't kiss anyone who has an obvious cold sore. Don't touch cold sores or pick at them when they are healing. Wash hands after touching a cold sore.
"I'll make you a sore loser"
Rubella Virus
( roo-bell-ah vi-rus )
Nickname: German measles
Signs & Symptoms: Rubella is commonly known as the "German" or "three day" measles. It is a mild viral infection with a red rash starting on the face and spreading to the trunk and then to the arms and legs. The rash does not appear on the palms or soles.
Spread: Rubella is spread by contact with an infected person.
Who is at risk: Anyone who has not been vaccinated or who has not already had rubella is at risk. The rubella virus can cross the placenta in a pregnant woman and cause birth defects in the baby.
Prevention: A vaccine is available for immunization of children. The vaccination is called MMR because it protects against Measles-Mumps-Rubella.
"I can be really mean unless you've had the vaccine"
Mumps Virus
( mumps vi-rus )
Signs & Symptoms: A high fever and painful swelling of the salivary glands in the face/neck
Spread: Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva containing the virus. Humans are the only natural host of this virus. When a person is infected with the mumps virus, the body produces antibodies which will make the person immune to the virus. They will not get the mumps again.
Who is at risk: Anyone who has not been vaccinated against mumps, especially children between the ages of five and nine or anyone who has not already had the mumps
Prevention: Mumps vaccine should be given with childhood immunizations. The vaccination is called MMR,which stands for Measles-Mumps-Rubella. Mumps infections have decreased by95% since the mumps vaccine became available in 1967.
"Those lumps and bumps – that's me, the mumps"
Poliovirus (Enterovirus)
( poh-lee-oh vi-rus ) ( en-ter-oh vi-rus )
Old-fashioned name: Infantile Paralysis
Signs & Symptoms: Poliovirus enters the human body through the mouth and grows in the lymph tissue of the throat and intestines until it spreads to the spinal cord. There it causes death of the nerves and results in permanent muscle paralysis. If paralysis occurs in the muscles used for breathing or swallowing, the infection can be life-threatening.
Spread: As a result of effective immunization programs, cases of polio are rare except in areas or countries with poverty, overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions. It is spread by droplets from an infected person coughing or sneezing or by the fecal-oral route.
Who is at risk: Anyone who is not vaccinated for the virus, especially infants and young children
Prevention: Polio vaccination should be given in early childhood.