Microorganism Responsible for the Disease of Jake - Essay Example

Microorganism Responsible for the Disease of Jake Clostridium tetani is a Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium. It flourishes in anaerobic conditions and in shape looks like drumsticks through microscope. It can survive as spores for a long period of time at very high temperatures. Spores are hardy and environments such as iodine and hydrogen peroxide can render it harmless. It was Shibasburo Kitasato who first isolated C.tetani and established its association with tetanus. Kitasato discovered that C. tetani spores were much more heat resistant and he used this understanding to isolate the tetanus spores. He also observed that C. tetani can be grown only in the absence of oxygen. He could also ascertain that bacteria do not spread to other organs and tissues rather remain at the place where they are injected into the body. C. tetani releases two toxins namely tetanospasmin and tetanolysin. The role of tetanolysin is not very clear; however, it has been found that the toxin called tetaospasmin is the main culprit behind the disease. (Guilfoile 2008) In 1890, Danish scientist, Knud Faber, was successful in isolating tetanus toxin from C. tetani and noticed that toxins developed similar disease symptoms as found to be caused by infection with C. tetani. (Guilfoile 2008) Symptoms and Identification of Disease As per the case details, the blood test report from the lab mentions about the gram-positive rods in Jake's blood. Moreover, stiffness in the abdominal muscles and difficulty in swallowing are the two major symptoms that have surfaced. Jake reported that he was hurt and scratched his leg on scrap metal a week ago while skateboarding. Average period of incubation for tetanus spores is usually found to be 8 days though it could vary from 3 days to 3 weeks. Jake got a wound only a week back when he hurt his leg at the construction site and this incident is a potential cause for him getting infected with the tetanus that is how most of the tetanus patients usually get infected. His eating at the local Mexican restaurant does not seem to be a cause for the current symptoms because none of his family members got affected or had any complaint so far of any kind. Jake is a healthy young man with no previous history of muscle stiffness or any nerve disease. Rabies too has somewhat similar symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing but it is ruled out because it is caused by virus and blood report clearly shows presence of Gram-positive rods. Bacterial Meningitis is also ruled out because it is a disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria. It is quite likely that Jack was infected with C. tetani bacterial spores when he hurt his leg with scrap metal. Spores got activated and developed into gram-positive bacteria. (Gram Positive Bacteria 2011), The bacteria produce a powerful toxin called tetanospasmin that affects muscles. These spores are found in soil, faces, dust widely in the environment. Puncture wounds provide spores an easy entry into the human body. That is what seems to have happened in the case of Jake. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person but acquired from the environment and Jake’s current history suggests so. Epidemiology and Risk Factors Tetanus is found to inflict people worldwide but damp and hot climates offer a fertile ground for the C. tetani to flourish. Its spores are widely found in the faces of animals such as dogs, rats, sheep and other cattle. Usually, spores get entry into the body through wounds and puncture. Widespread immunization in U.S has made this disease a rarity with 50 or less number of cases every year. Drug addicts are at high risk for tetanus. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt16-tetanus.pdf Between the period 2001 and 2008, out of the 233 cases of tetanus patients only 26 deaths were reported in U.S including one case of neonatal death. Seventy one persons belonged to the age 65 or older and the risk of dying was found to be five times greater in patients of this age group. Diabetic and drug addicts carry high risk from getting infected by tetanus. Tetanus deaths among diabetics were found to be three times higher than that of non-diabetics. A seroprevalence survey (Tetanus 2011) conducted between 1988 and 1994 revealed that 20 percent of adolescents between the age 12 and 19 lacked sufficient levels of antibodies to protect them from tetanus compared to 69 percent of the adults of age 70 and above. Thus, serological studies concerning US population correlate well with the incidence of higher deaths amongst people with age 65 and above. In 2002, according to World Health Organization, there were almost 180,000 neonatal death cases from tetanus world over. Certain population in the developing countries of Africa and Asia where newborns are not provided with tetanus vaccine are most prone to get infected from the disease in the future. (Tetanus 2011) Treatment and Complications Doctor's diagnosis of tetanus is on the basic of physical examination, and immunization history. Medications are given to ease symptoms and to provide a supportive care. It is necessary to check and clean the affected wound so that further growth of spores could be avoided. All dead tissues are to be removed thoroughly from the wound. Physician will provide antitoxin injection so that it could neutralize the remaining toxin in the body to negate its impact on the muscles. Doctor would also prescribe oral antibiotics or through injection to fight with tetanus bacteria. Permanent immunity from the disease is not acquired after getting infected with the tetanus disease and periodic vaccination is necessary to prevent future recurrence. Doctor may also prescribe powerful sedatives to control severe spasmodic reactions and muscle contractions. Complications of the disease are severe and if timely action is not taken; it could be fatal. Mechanism of tetanus toxin is such that once it has bonded to the nerve endings it is not possible to remove. Complete recovery for a patient is possible when his or her body grows new nerve endings and the body system takes several months to do that. Permanent disability could be one of the complications from the disease. Doctors use sedatives to control muscle spasms and the extended immobility due to the use of these sedatives may cause a permanent disability in the patient. Infants are more prone and the disease could cause the damage in brain leading to cerebral palsy. (Tetanus 2010) Tetanus vaccines are safe and effective and risk associated with tetanus disease is much higher compared to its vaccination. Except soreness or swelling at the injection site, no other side effects have been noticed (Facts about Tetanus for Adults 2008). References 1. Guilfoile, Patrick (2008), Deadly Diseases and Epidemics--Tetanus, Infobase Publishing, New York 2. Tetanus (2011), Retrieved October 24, 2011 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, online http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt16-tetanus.pdf 3. Facts about Tetanus for Adults (2008), Retrieved October 24, 2011 from National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, online http://www.nfid.org/pdf/factsheets/tetanusadult.pdf 4. Tetanus (2010), Retrieved October 24, 2011 from Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, online http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/tetanus/DS00227/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print 5. Gram Positive Bacteria (2011), Retrieved October 24, 2011 from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/GramPositive-Bacteria.topicArticleId-8524,articleId-8443.html Read More