PUNZALAN, NICOLE D.

Microbial Diseases of the Digestive System

Complete the following table:

Disease Pathogen Portal of Entry Symptoms Method of Transmission Treatment

A. Bacterial diseases

1. Staphylococcal Staphylococcus Mouth Nausea, vomiting, and stomach
Food poisoning aereus cramps. Most people also
have diarrhea. Symptoms usually
develop within 30 minutes to 8
hours after eating or drinking an
item containing Staph toxin, and
last no longer than 1 day.
Transmitted through The most important treatment is
products. drinking plenty of fluids. Your
healthcare provider may give you
medicine to
decrease vomiting and nausea.
People with severe illness may require
intravenous fluids.

2. Typhoid Fever Salmonella typhi Mouth High fever and malaise after 2- Human feces Quinolones, cephalosporins
week incubation, lasts 2 – 3
weeks.

3. Cholera Vibrio cholerae Mouth vomiting and diarrhea - The bacteria are transmitted Rehydration, doxycycline
dehydration between humans through
the fecal-oral route; a bite of
contaminated food or a sip
of contaminated water can
cause infection. More
specifically, a toxin secreted
by the bacteria.

4. Yersinia enterocolitis Gastrointestinal Common symptoms in children Often transmitted by Care in patients with Y enterocolitica
gastroenteritis tract are fever, abdominal pain, and consumption of infection is primarily supportive, with
diarrhea, which is often bloody. contaminated food (most good nutrition and hydration being
Symptoms typically develop 4 to commonly raw or mainstays of treatment
7 days after exposure and may undercooked pork),
last 1 to 3 weeks or longer. unpasteurized milk or
inadequately pasteurized
milk, untreated water, or by
direct or indirect contact with
animals.
 B. Fungal disease

1. Ergot poisoning claviceps purpurea Mouth Restricted blood flow to limbs, None None
hallucination

2. Aflatoxin Aspergillus flavus Mouth • Nausea. None Oxidizing agents readily

poisoning • Yellowing of skin and destroy aflatoxin, and treatment with
sclera (icterus) hydrogen peroxide may be
useful. Treatment of defatted oilseed
• Itching.
meals with ammonia can
• Vomiting. reduce aflatoxin content to very low or
• Bleeding. undetectable levels with only moderate
• Abdominal pain. damage to protein quality.

C. Protozoan disease

1. Giardiasis Giardia lamblia Mouth Malaise, nausea, flatulence, Ingestion of contaminated Metronidazole
weakness, weight loss, & water
abdominal cramps, char. Odor of
H2S in the breath & stools

2. Amebic Entamoeba histolytica Fecal-oral route, • Lysing of epithelial cells Person-to-person contact Metronidazole
dysentery including • abscesses such as diaper-changing and
ingestion of fecal oral-anal sex.
contaminated
food or water.

D. Helminthic diseases

1. Tapeworms Taenia saginata from Mouth • Nausea. Tapeworm eggs normally Praziquantel Neurocysticercosis (pork
beef, Taenia • Weakness. enter the human host from tapeworm larvae) may require surgery
solium from pork, animals via food, especially
• Diarrhea.
and Diphyllobothrium raw or undercooked
latum from fish. • Abdominal pain. meat. Humans can also
• Hunger or loss of become infected if there is
appetite. contact with animal feces or
• Fatigue. contaminated water. When
• Weight loss.
an infection is passed from
an animal to a human, it is
• Vitamin and mineral called zoonosis
deficiencies.
2. Ascariasis Ascaris lumbricoides Mouth Vague abdominal By ingesting Ascaris eggs Mebendazole
pain. Nausea and vomiting.
Diarrhea or bloody stools.