Resistance, Infections, and Defenses of Streptococcus pyogenes Essay

Resistance, Infections, and Defenses of Streptococcus pyogenes Streptococcus pyogenes was the bacteria that used to be the cause of numerous cases of human sicknesses and deaths. As our technology evolved and advanced, our perspective and understanding of this bacteria grew to a point that it is no longer a huge threat. The once blurry details became so clear that it came to the point of which we can identify, locate, and treat the bug accurately. After those many years of dedication and research, we finally saw exactly how the bacteria came about, entered our bodies, infected our cells, and tricked our immune system to attack itself. We also found out specific details on how the bacteria reproduce, survive in the wild, spread from host to host, and what drugs it was and is susceptible to. Streptococcus pyogenes (Todar, 2002) Streptococcus pyogenes is gram positive, facultative anaerobic, nonmotile coccus, typically 0.6-1.0 ÃŽ ¼m in diameter. The bacteria reproduce in chains and pairs. (Todar, 2002). It is also nonsporeforming and catalase-negative. Some older cultures may lose the gram positive identifications and occasionally there are â€Å"obligate anaerobes.† (Patterson, 2001). There are three different groups of streptococci: Beta-hemolysis which would result with clear surroundings on blood agar, Alpha-hemolysis which would result with red blood cells changing to a green appearance due to the reduction of hemoglobin in the red blood cells, and gamma-hemolytic which is not hemolytic. (Todar, 2002). To identify the bacteria, checking for hemolysis is not the best source of identification for streptococci because the age, species, and many other elements could affect the results. (Todar, 2002). Resistance, Infections, and†¦ 2 St... ...once hundred-percent fatal bacteria. There is no vaccine, but there is a cure. Sooner or later, our diagnostics and understanding of this great killer will come to the point that Streptococcus pyogenes is no longer a threat to our world. Bibliography Duckworth, D. Ph.D., Richard Crandall Ph.D. and Richard Rathe M.D. (1999, May). Streptococcal Infection*. University of Florida. July 29, 2005: http://medinfo.ufl.edu/year2/mmid/bms5300/bugs/strpyoge.html#AA2 Patterson, M. (2001, October). Streptococcus. The University of Texas Medical Branch. July 29, 2005: http://gsbs.utmb.edu/microbook/ch013.htm Todar, K. (2002, May). Streptococcus pyogenes. University of Wisconsin. July 29, 2005: http://www.bact.wisc.edu/Bact330/lecturespyo Fischetti Ph.D., V. (1995, June). The Streptococcus. The Rockfeller University. July 28, 2005: http://www.rockefeller.edu/vaf/strep.htm