Bacterial Diseases – Old Year Questions

• E. coli – Certain strains can cause food poisoning, but it’s not the most common cause.
• Salmonella bacilli – The most common cause of food poisoning worldwide. Found in undercooked meat, eggs, and contaminated water.
• Pseudomonas – Usually associated with hospital infections.
• Candida – A fungus that causes yeast infections.

• Botulism is a rare but serious form of food poisoning caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, a type of anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium.
• It is often linked to improperly canned or preserved foods.

• Botulism is caused by the toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
• Since the illness is caused by a toxin, not by active infection from the bacteria, it is classified as a food-borne intoxication, not an infection.
• This toxin can attack your body’s nerves, making it hard to breathe, causing muscle paralysis, and even death.
• There are three main types of botulism which are foodborne botulism, wound botulism, and infant botulism.

• The Triple Antigen DPT Vaccine is a group of vaccines put together to protect against three different illnesses caused by bacteria: Diphtheria, Pertussis (another name for Whooping Cough), and Tetanus.
• TB is prevented by the  BCG vaccine, and Polio by OPV/IPV.
• Leprosy is not preventable by a vaccine.

• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PVC) is a vaccine is to protects from illnesses caused by the streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
• By preventing bacterial infections, PCVs reduce the need for antibiotics, including those that might be ineffective against resistant strains, thereby helping in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
• While PCVs are generally safe, no vaccine is entirely free of side effects.

• Measles, Rabies, and Polio are illnesses caused by viruses.
• Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis and usually affects the lungs.

• Rifampicin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is effective against both Tuberculosis (TB) and Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease).
• Isoniazid – Used for tuberculosis only, not effective for leprosy.
• p-Amino salicylic acid – An older anti-TB drug, not used for leprosy.
• Streptomycin – Used for tuberculosis, especially resistant cases, but not for leprosy.

• Tuberculosis is an infection caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• Malaria – Caused by Plasmodium, a protozoan parasite.

• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks joint tissues.
• Tuberculosis is not a genetic disease. It is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• Scabies is caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which burrows into the skin.
• Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, and behavior.

• Montoux Test: Also known as the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). It is used to detect tuberculosis infection.
• Procedure: A small amount of tuberculin (PPD) is injected under the skin. If the person has been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a raised, hard area will develop at the site within 48–72 hours.

• BCG stands for Bacillus Calmette–Guérin.
• It is a live attenuated vaccine derived from Mycobacterium bovis.
• Used specifically for the prevention of tuberculosis (TB), especially severe forms like TB meningitis in children.

• It is best to give a baby the BCG vaccine as soon as they are born to help protect them from tuberculosis. Although the vaccine can be given up to 12 months old, it works best when given right away.
• In the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of India, BCG is administered at birth.

• Tetanus is an infection triggered by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. When these bacteria enter the body through a cut or wound, they make a poison that makes the muscles really stiff and painful.
• This mainly happens in the neck and stomach. It is sometimes referred to as ‘lock jaw’ because it can make it hard to open your mouth or swallow.

• Plague is a sickness caused by a type of bacteria called Yersinia pestis.
• It is usually spread to people from wild rodents by fleas.
• If someone is bitten by an infected flea, they will likely get bubonic plague, which causes a bump at the bite site. If the bacteria get into the lungs, the person will have pneumonic plague.
• With bubonic plague, antibiotics can help, but if someone gets pneumonic plague, they can die within a day.

• Tooth decay is when the teeth start to break down, usually because of bacteria in the mouth mixing with sugary food. You need four things for this to happen: teeth, bacteria that causes cavities, sugary food, and time.

• If bacteria from the mouth mix with sugary food, it can cause the teeth to break down, which is called tooth decay.
• This requires four elements: teeth, cavity-causing bacteria, sugary food, and time.

• If people get their drinking water from a shallow pump, they could get sick with cholera, typhoid, and jaundice, since bacteria can get into the water and cause diseases.
• Having too much fluoride in the water can also result in fluorosis, which is an issue that affects the teeth and makes them look bad.

• Cholera is a sudden illness that causes diarrhea and is caused by a germ called Vibrio cholerae.
• People can get cholera if they consume water or food that has been polluted with this germ.
• The disease can quickly spread in places that have bad sanitation and bad drinking water.

• Typhoid and cholera are illnesses that spread through water, and can be prevented by making sure drinking water is safe.
• Unfortunately, every year 4 million people die due to water-related illnesses.

• Leprosy, sometimes called Hansen’s disease, is a type of infection that lasts a long time.
• It is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae

• Typhoid is caused by a type of bacteria called Salmonella typhi.
• The other three diseases are caused by viruses.

• Chloramphenicol is a medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
• Sulphaguanidine is an antibiotic that helps to stop bacteria from growing.

• A broad-spectrum antibiotic is a type of medicine that works against a lot of different kinds of bacteria.
• This is different from a narrow-spectrum antibiotic which only works on a specific group or one type of bacteria.
• Chloramphenicol, also called chloronitromycin, is an example of a broad-spectrum antibiotic and is used to treat serious illnesses like typhoid fever.

• Sulfa drugs are medicines made from substances like sulfanilamide and para-amino benzene sulfonamide. They used to be used to fight bacterial infections, but now antibiotics are usually used instead.
• Some sulfa drugs are also used to treat diabetes.
• Prontosil was the first sulfa drug that was discovered in 1932, and other kinds of sulfa drugs include sulfonamide antibiotics, sulfadiazine, sulfasalazine, sulf soxazole, and sulfacetamide etc

• Cibazole is a type of anti-bacterial medication that used to be widely used until safer options became available.
• It works on both types of bacteria, and is still used, sometimes combined with other drugs, but usually just for animals. Penicillin and streptomycin are antibiotics, while aspirin is used to reduce fever.

1. Eating a lot of antibiotics that can treat many different types of infections.
2. Using antibiotics in the wrong way.
3. Using medicine without a doctor’s prescription, getting antibiotics without a prescription, and taking the wrong amount of antibiotics to try and get better.
4. Doing cultural activities such as taking a bath in a river with a lot of people.
5. The large amount of antibiotics used in raising farm animals.
6. Pollution caused by the pharmaceutical industry.
7. Not having good toilets and not treating sewage properly before putting it into lakes, rivers, or oceans.
8. Not following good hygiene rules in medical places, etc.

Thus reasons given in statements 2 and 3 are correct.