Tinea Corporis, Haemophilus Influenza and Clostridium Difficile Paper Example

Tinea corporis

Tinea corporis has various names such as Tinea glabrosa, Tinea circiata or as ringworm which is the most common name. Ringworm is a superficial fungal infection that is caused by dermatophyte fungi which include Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum Canis, and Trichophyton interdigitale (Sahoo, et al. 2 ). The organism mostly affects the legs, arms, head, face but it may still occur on other body parts. The organism infects; human being, cats, dogs, horses, goats, ferrets and pigs.

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The transmission of this disease can be direct that is through human -to- human or indirect, from animal- to -human. The most common way for the transmission of this organism is through human -to - human that happens through direct skin contact with a person already infected or indirectly through the use of items of an infected individual like; combs, clothing, beddings or even shower stalls (Sahoo, et al. 4). The other common way of infection is through animal - to - human beings that occurs when one gets into direct contact with an animal with the infection. Mostly dogs and cats spread the infection since we use them as pets. However, the organism has no vector.

Tinea corporis a fungal infection and a dermatophytosis cause a skin infection that is characterized by rough, reddish annular plaques and patches (El-Gohary et al. 5). The patch has raised rough borders that tend to expand peripherally as the center becomes clear making it appear healthy. The patch resembles a ring and it is very itchy. When the infections are very severe then the rings multiply and merge to be one big patch that may later even develop to a blister with sores filled with pus.

Tinea corporis thrives well in the moist environment. Therefore, in the prevention of ringworms is through always drying the skin after contact with water or after sweating. One should also avoid contact with infected people or with infectious material. One should also wash their hands after handling materials like plants, animals, and soil that can lead to the spread of the infection. Additionally, one should also wear loose clothing and maintain good hygiene while in contact with others or in sports. The treatment of ringworms is through applying of antifungal cream on the infection lesion (El-Gohary et al. 6). If the infection becomes persistent then oral medication is used or over the counter drugs like tolnaftate. Medication is applied for three weeks, twice a day but therapy goes on for another week until the fungus dies completely. The most common antifungal medicated are terbinafine and itraconazole (El-Gohary et al. 6). Oral medication is taken daily once for one week. The fungi have resistance to antimicrobials like the azole. That is happening because of increased administration of the antimicrobials over the counter recently.

Haemophilus influenza

Haemophilus influenza in the past was known as Bacillus influenza or as Pfeiffer's bacillus (Simpson et al. 1). The bacteria is a small well-known Gram-negative coccobacillus that originally was extracted from the respiratory tract of human beings. The bacteria is a short and relatively small with round ends. The size of the bacteria ranges from 0.2 to 0.8 micrometers but for those encapsulated appear longer and thread-like (Wahl et al. 2). The bacteria has no pili or flagella thus is non-motile. The capsules are present and are regarded as important in the pathogenicity. In the respiratory tract, the flora in it harbors the unencapsulated strain but a few healthy people harbor H. influenza type B which is an encapsulated strain (Wahl et al. 4).

The bacteria does not cause diseases on a normal condition in a host it waits until in an environment with some factors like; reduced immunity, highly inflamed tissues and viral infection of an organism. The bacteria causes disease like; pneumonia, epiglottitis, and acute meningitis. Occasionally, the bacteria causes osteomyelitis, cellulitis, and arthritis .moreover the bacteria is causing neonatal infection and it is one of its major causes (Simpson et al. 7). The unencapsulated H. influenza strains resist he vaccines thus causes conjunctivitis, otitis media, and sinusitis mostly in children. The bacteria H.influenzae is transmitted through direct contact with people suffering from the diseases it causes. The people that are at a high risk of getting infected are the children and infants. The bacteria can also be transmitted through human -to - human that is within families or from children. The bacteria are also found in healthy people in their noses and throat in large numbers that are 80% but they may also cause infections (Wahl et al. 9).

The bacteria can be prevented through the administration of vaccines that will also prevent the HiB infection especially in children (Simpson et al. 7). Also, a vaccine is recently developed for chronic bronchitis patients although its effectiveness has not been seen. If one is already infected with the bacteria and has contacted disease from it then there is treatment especially in the severe case through cefotaxime and ceftriaxone that is injected into the bloodstream. Those drugs are said to be elected antibiotics.in less serious conditions other drugs like ampicillin, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones. For a patient with a history of the bacteria or a disease associated with the bacteria is treated using clarithromycin. The bacteria in its treatment and vaccination is resistant and the most common resistance mechanism is on penicillins as the bacteria produces Beta-lactamase (Simpson et al. 6). Another resistance mechanism for this bacteria is when alteration occurs in the protein binding penicillin.

Clostridium difficile

C. difficile in full Clostridium difficile is an infection that results from a bacterium that are spore forming. Clostridium difficile infection comes because of feces being contaminated with bacterial spores (Lessa et al. 5). The infection leads to nausea, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pains. The Clostridium difficile being a pathogenic bacterium is said to be a gram-positive bacteria and is shaped like a rod. The bacteria form spore that leads to the spread of the disease and it lives in absence of oxygen thus said to be anaerobic. The Clostridium difficile is found in the humans' microflora of the intestines. The number of healthy human beings with this bacteria is 70 % of babies and 3 % of adults (Lessa et al. 5).

The C. difficile is transmitted through touching contaminated places, materials, or devices. The spores of Clostridium difficile are transmitted through hands that are by touching places that have the spores. The spores are first found in feces and then they are spread to other surfaces where one can touch them (Youngster et al. 2).

There are several preventive measures of Clostridium difficile first by stopping often intake. However, the prescription of antimicrobial which is highly recommended. Also, probiotics are also necessary for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infections and recurring infections. Saccharomyces boulardii is also used in preventive measures. Additionally, measures like wearing gloves or the use of medical devices that are noncritical for a person infected with the bacteria is a good way of prevention (Youngster et al. 18). Treatment of already infected people is done through medications. Since the infection is characterized by diarrhea rehydration therapy that is taken orally is used in treating diarrhea. Drugs that are used in treatment include fidaxomicin and vancomycin that are used from mild to severe infections. Metronidazole is also used for mild infection caused by Clostridium difficile. Probiotics and surgery are also used in the treatment of severe infection of C. difficile. C. difficile is resistant to antimicrobials that is because they have become exposed to specific antibiotic drug thus making it develop an antibiotic-resistant strain Lessa et al. 9).

Works Cited

El-Gohary, Magdy, et al. "Topical antifungal treatments for tinea cruris and tinea corporis." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 8.CD009992 (2014): 1-426.

Lessa, Fernanda C., et al. "Burden of Clostridium difficile infection in the United States." New England Journal of Medicine 372.9 (2015): 825-834.

Sahoo, Alok Kumar, and Rahul Mahajan. "Management of tinea corporis, tinea cruris, and tinea pedis: A comprehensive review." Indian Dermatology online journal 7.2 (2016): 77.

Simpson, Jodie L., et al. "Airway dysbiosis: Haemophilus influenzae and Tropheryma in poorly controlled asthma." European Respiratory Journal 47.3 (2016): 792-800.

Wahl, B., et al. "Global, regional, and national burden of Streptococcus pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae type b in children in the era of conjugate vaccines: updated estimates from 2000-2015." Lancet Global Health (2018).

The youngster, Ilan, et al. "Oral, capsulized, frozen fecal microbiota transplantation for relapsing Clostridium difficile infection." Jama 312.17 (2014): 1772-1778.