Streptococcus+Pneumonia

//   Streptococcus pneumonia // Click below to listen to a cough caused by streptococcus. media type="file" key="cough5.wav"

Until 1936, Pneumonia was the number one cause of death in the USA! Pneumonia is one of the many serious illnesses caused by eubacteria. Pneumonia is a very serious disease because if not treated right away it can be very deadly to the human body. Pneumonia is rated as number five for leading cause of death, without the treatment we have today, many more people would be suffering with pneumonia. Our species belongs to the Eubacteria Kingdom. It belongs to this kingdom because of its characteristics some of the characteristics that make it a Eubacteria is that it is prokaryotic, that means that it has DNA but no nucleus. Another characteristics is that it has a cell wall. A few examples of Eubacteria are pneumonia, salmonella, streptococci and more. The cell is also unicellular this means that the organism is only made up of one cell. Eubacteria also can get nutrients many different ways, It can Photosynthesis like a plant, Decompose like Fungi and can also be a parasite and get nutrients from its host. //Streptococcus Pneumonia// is a eubacteria that can be found in a person’s throat. The common name for //Streptococcus Pneumonia// is just pneumonia. It is a type of bacteria that can cause things like ear infections, blood poisoning, meningitis, and many more. Pneumonia can be found in healthy throats, and when the body’s defenses are weakened, the bacteria multiply. Some symptoms of pneumonia are shaking chills, chattering teeth, cough producing rust-colored or greenish mucus, bluish lips or nail beds, and confused mental state or delirium. If you’re young, or not suffering from another illness, you will most likely live from pneumonia. Also if they catch the infection early, or if the infection has not spread, you will probably live. A medical professional should diagnose this disease physiologically. So, they must take a throat culture. When they look at a culture they look for gram stain of a colony that shows diplococcic and neutrophils. If you have these things on the throat culture then you most likely have pneumonia. For the treatment, it is basically up to the doctor. When the patient’s temperature is normal, drugs must be administered to prevent it from returning. Sensitive organisms usually would take penicillin. If the infection is more serious, the patient is put on an IV, where their blood pressure and heart are being kept track of. To prevent getting pneumonia be sure to get a flu shot every fall. Keith, Jon, Marisa, Abby Pd. 8