Bacterial infections: Types and pathophysiology

Microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining human health and involve in different infections and diseases. The infections caused by various microbes including bacteria, fungi, and viruses are the greatest challenge to the world. Among all infections, bacteria can be eliminated and treated easily but with the advent of antibiotic resistance, management of bacterial infections is very difficult. The process of bacterial infections starts with the initial colonization of bacteria to the host system, adhesion, invasion, and replication inside the host leading to the damage of host system. The major modes of transmission are contact, air, water, food, living vectors, fomites, and soil. The virulence factors of pathogens including their toxins, polysaccharide capsules, and surface proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of bacteria to the host. The different bacterial infections of host include infections of the skin, eye, meninges, middle ear, respiratory tract, abdomen, gastric glands, reproductive organs, and implant-associated infections. The pathogenesis and associated symptoms of infections are provided in this chapter along with the preventive measures.