Not all humungous animals are dangerous and not all minute things are harmless. There is plethora of such life threatening minute living things that can be a nightmare to you. A lot of such fatal bacteria cause fatal diseases like infections, pneumonia, and more. Above this, as people’s intake of more antibiotics has increased, the antibiotic resistance of human body has also increased which has become a substantial issue today. Many bacteria have evolved to be resistant to such antibiotics and hence developing new antibiotics has become the need of the hour. Below is a list of top ten most harmful bacteria :
- Streptococcus pyogenes
Streptococcus pyogenes are aerotolerant bacteria belonging to the genus streptococcus. They have a round or ovoid shape ranging from 0.6-1.0 micro meter in diameter. They are gram positive, nonmotile and nonsporulating. The bacteria are spread by direct contact of infected people with the highest risk when someone is ill. Someone who comes in contact with the discharges from nose and throat of such ill people gets affected easily. It causes diseases like pharyngitis, skin infections, acute rheumatic fever, scarlet fever and necrotizing fasciitis.
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
As the name suggests, Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a bacterial pathogen that causes gonorrhea, the disease that continues to infected people across the world. The pathogen is transmitted sexually and is a major factor that contributes in HIV1 infection. It is found in the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes in women. Also found in urethra in men and women, it can grow in the mouth, eyes, throat and anus. The pathogen is a non-motile, gram negative bacteria and looks like kidney bean when observed under the miscroscope. Other diseases that it causes are septic arthritis and gonococcal opthalmia neonatorum.
- Treponema palladium
Treponema palladium is one of the most dangerous bacterium that causes syphilis which is transmitted through sexual intercourse. It can also attack the body by entering through cuts or abrasions in the skin. The pathogen is helically coiled with a length ranging from 6-15 μm and width around 0.1-0.2 μm. Treponema palladium can be treated by penicillin as it effectively inhibits the growth of the cell resulting in its death.
- Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
The pathogen Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is responsible for causing the disease tuberculosis. It attacks the lungs generally but can attack other organs too. The bacterium is aerobic, non-spore forming and is non-motile. It is shaped as curved intracellular rods that measure 0.2-0.5 μm by 2-3 μm. The bacteria spreads like cold as people breathe in droplets of affected person and forms small tissue masses called tubercles.
- Enterococcus
Enterococcus bacteria are found in the gut and bowel and can also be found in the mouth and vaginal tract. The bacteria can cause fatal scenarios in humans if are spread to some particular parts else when present in normal amounts it doesn’t cause any problem. People with weak immune system, previously persisting diseases, on dialysis etc are at a greater threat. It can cause fatique, painful urinations, stomach cramping and vomiting while the symptoms depend on the place of infection. The species of this bacteria found in humans are E. faecalis and E. faecium, though there are more than 17 species present.
- Vibrio cholera
The life threatening disease, cholera is a result of some strains of Vibrio Cholera as they are pathogenic to humans. The bacteria can be contracted through undercooked or raw marine life species or contaminated water. Vibrio cholera usually lives in saltwater or brackish water and attaches itself easily to chitin containing shells of various water animals through which it enters the human body while humans feed on the marine food. It’s a comma like shaped bacteria belonging to the class Gammaproteobacteria. It is highly motile and gram negative and measures 0.3 μm in diameter and 1.3 μm in length.
- Tetanus
Tetanus which is caused by the tetanus bacterium, though not generally fatal but can be life threatening at times. Tetanus bacterium creates a toxin that enters the human body through open wounds, cuts etc. The biological name of the bacterium that causes tetanus is clostridium tetani and it is found in manure or soil or can also be found in the human intestine. Tetanus bacterium survives best in warm climate and measures around 2.5 μm in length.
- Klebsiella
Belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, Klebsiella species are all gram-negative. It’s generally non motile and rod like in shape. Its size measures 0.3 to 1.5 µm wide by 0.5 to 5.0 µm long. Its rounder and thicker among others in the family Enterobacteriaceae. The bacteria is found generally in human nose, mouth and gastrointestinal tract and can be found in various animals too. It causes diseases like urinary tract infection, sepsis, meningitis, diarrhea, pneumonia and more.
- E. coli
E. coli or Escherichia coli is a gram-negative bacteria of the genus Escherichia and family Enterobacteriaceae. It is found generally in the lower intestine or warm blooded animals. The bacteria is usually harmless but some serotypes can cause serious issues of food poisoning. E. coli is rod shaped typically and measures 2.0 μm long and 0.25–1.0 μm in diameter. The cell cycle of the bacteria is divided into three stages namely the B period, C period and D period.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
The bacteria can be contracted by unhygienic conditions like unclean hands or non-sterilized equipment at the hospitals. Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes various infections like bloodstream infection, urinary tract infection, surgical wound infection etc. it also causes pneumonia. The bacteria have a tortilla-like or grape like odour and have an ability to grow at 42°C that differentiates it from other pseudomonas.
