Instructor’s Copy Summary Worksheet: Don’t Bug Me

Common name/ scientific name / Helpful / Harmful / Virus / Bacteria / Transmission or vector (including incubation time) / Symptoms if harmful/benefits if helpful / Cure/Treat-ment? (only if harmful) / Parts and other unique characteristics
Soil bacteria/Bacillus thuringiensis / X / X / It is a natural pesticide against moth and other insect larvae. It is being used commercially to protect crops. Kills larvae of flies that cause River Blindness in Africa. / Have been genetically engineered into some plants so that they produce the toxin on their own as a natural pest protection.
Intestinal bacteria/Escheria coli
From the Enterobacteriaceae family / X / X / X / Naturally occurring in the intestines of mammals.
One dangerous strain (0157:H7) is found in cattle and several others. / Infant diarrhea and gastroenteritis. 157 has also been found in unpasteurized products and water. Can also be transmitted person-to-person. Causes inflammation of intestinal wall. Severe cramps, diarrhea, and bloody stool. (3-9 days) / None really. Treatment consists of care that patient remains hydrated. / Lives in mutualistic relationship with huans where it makes vitamin K and sodium. One by-product of E. coli is flatulence. Inhibits pathogenic bacteria
Hepatitis/none
5 different forms (A,B, C, delta, E) / X / X / Polluted water, uncooked food, needles, thorns, breast milk. / Depending on type: brown urine, fever, loss of appetite, jaundice, weakness, inflammation of liver, cancer (HBV) / HAV – none
HBV - vaccine / Single-stranded RNA in icosahedral shell.
Herpes/none
Herpes simplex (genital and oral – cold sores) / X / X / Incubation – about 2 weeks. Transmitted by sexual contact with an infected partner. / Blister-like sores that break. May also have flu-like symptoms, including fever and swollen glands. / No real cure. Antiviral creams can help decrease length of symptoms. Even condoms may not help. / Can cause fatal problems for baby during birth. Easily transmitted when sores are present. May make host more susceptible to HIV.
Common name/ scientific name / Helpful / Harmful / Virus / Bacteria / Transmission or vector (including incubation time) / Symptoms if harmful/benefits if helpful / Cure/Treat-ment? (only if harmful) / Parts and other unique characteristics
HIV/none – but belongs to the retrovirus (lentivirus) family / X / X / Blood or other body fluids like semen, blood in needles, transfusions, etc. / Does not have symptoms of its own, it just breaks down the immune system to leave the host open to other types of infections. / None current, but experimental vaccines are being tried.
Influenza/none / X / X / Mucous fluids from coughing or sneezing. / Colds, cough, fever, fatigue, and aches. / Vaccines to prevent / Genetic material encapsulated in a fat & protein layer. Virus mutates easily so each flu is a different strain. Has caused several massive epidemics.
Intestinal Bacteria/Lactobacillus acidophilus / X / X / Found in upper small intestines / Reduces levels of harmful bacteria and yeasts. Produces lactase, an enzyme which is important in the digestion of milk. Is used in the production of yogurt and produces B vitamins during digestion. / Regarded as a health food to be taken to solve intestinal problems like diarrhea and urinary tract infections.
Soil bacteria/Pseudomonas putida / X / X / Is being looked at as a way of purifying fuel and getting rid of dangerous organic chemicals. May be used to help clean water a waste and water treatment plants.
Common name/ scientific name / Helpful / Harmful / Virus / Bacteria / Transmission or vector (including incubation time) / Symptoms if harmful/benefits if helpful / Cure/Treat-ment? (only if harmful) / Parts and other unique characteristics
Rabies / X / X / Being bitten by a rabid animal (mammal) when mucous comes into contact with an open wound. (1-3 months) / Virus spreads to spinal cord and brain. First sign is behavior changes. Aversion to food and drink, aggression or signs of paralysis. Usually death within 4-5 days of symptoms. / Best is prevention and avoidance of contact with infected animals. Series of shots given afterward.
Smallpox / X / X / Person-to-person and through infected blankets, etc. (12 days) / Flu-like, fever, nausea, vomiting, headache and backache. Then, severe abdominal pain a disorientation with small, round sores erupting all over skin. May cause scarring and death. / Only treatment is prevention with a vaccination against the disease. / Considered weapon of choice for bioterrorist attack. Is 30% fatal. “Eradicated” so we no longer vaccinate. Would take at least 3 years for enough to use to prevent an epidemic.
Staph infection/staphylococcus aureus / X / X / May be inhaled but usually enters through an open wound. / May infect hair follicles causing boils and sties. Causes impetigo (blisters and red scabby skin) and abscesses of skin and other organs. Pneumonia if inhaled. , toxic shock syndrome and blood poisoning or heart infection. / Treatment is an antibiotic specific to the strain of bacteria. Sterile conditions in surgery help prevent. / Before WWII, more than half of all fatalities in wars were caused by staph infections. Is now “swapping genes” with other bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics.
Strep throat/streptococcus / X / X / Red, painful sore throat with white patches on tonsils. May have swollen lymph nodes, fever, vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain. (3 days, can be transmitted for 2-3 weeks) / Penicillin for adults and amoxicillin for children. / Group A strep can result in rheumatic fever which can cause heart disease. Can lead to Sydenham’s chorea, which causes jerky move-ments and inflammation of the kidneys
Common name/ scientific name / Helpful / Harmful / Virus / Bacteria / Transmission or vector (including incubation time) / Symptoms if harmful/benefits if helpful / Cure/Treat-ment? (only if harmful) / Parts and other unique characteristics
Soil bacteria/Streptomyces / X / X / X / Found in soil where they break down organic matter. / Streptomyces coelicolor has been used to manufacture over 50 different antibuitics.
Streptomyces scabies attcks root vegetables such as potatoes, beets, etc. / Commercial sources of streptomycin, an antibiotic. Chromosome contains more genes than other soil bacteria. DNA does not finish at both ends.
Tetanus/Clostridium tetani / X / X / Enters puncture wounds from soil, dust and manure. / Starts with headache, stiffness of jaw, sweating and fever. Severe muscle spasms leading to “locking” of the jaw so patient cannot open his mouth or swallow. Death results from suffocation. / Vaccination is best protection. / Used to be called “lockjaw”. Not transmitted from person to person. Getting this may not lead to immunity. Toxins are produced by the spores that can survive as inactive for a long time.
Warts / X / X / Passed from person-to-person, sometimes indirectly. Don’t usually show up for several month. / Are benign tumors in skin tissue. Can occur in genital regions. They are usually skin colored and feel rough to the touch, but they can be dark and smooth. / Salicylic gel for children. Cryotherapy (freezing), lasar surgery, cutting or bleomycin (anti-cancer drug) for adults. / Double-stranded DNA virus called papillomaviruses. Are classified by their clinical features and morphology.
Yellow Fever / X / X / Mosquitoes in tropics / 3-6 weeks after being bit, fever, headache, vomiting, backache, slow pulse, anemia, bleeding gums and bloody urine. / Preventable by immunization. / Can lead to shock, bleeding and kidney and liver failure (shows as jaundice). Was responsible for many deaths during the building of the Panama Canal.