DISEASES THEY CAUSE
Bacterial Diseases, Diseases caused by bacteria. The most common infectious diseases, they range from minor skin infections to bubonic plague and tuberculosis. Until the mid-20th century, bacterial pneumonia was probably the leading cause of death among the elderly. Improved sanitation, vaccines, and antibiotics have all decreased the mortality rates from bacterial infections, though antibiotic-resistant strains have caused a resurgence in some illnesses. Bacteria cause disease by secreting or excreting toxins (as in botulism), by producing toxins internally, which are released when the bacteria disintegrate (as in typhoid), or by inducing sensitivity to their antigenic properties (as in tuberculosis). Other serious bacterial diseases include cholera, diphtheria, bacterial meningitis, and syphilis.
Pathogenic bacteria cause infectious diseases like leprosy, cholera, anthrax, and bubonic plague. They are also responsible for the spread of respiratory infections like tuberculosis. The bacterium legionella causes Legionnaires' disease, a lung infection which is a severe form of pneumonia. The disease spreads by inhaling the bacteria or through contact with a person suffering from the disease. Legionella also cause a flu-like illness called Pontiac fever. Yaws disease is a relatively lesser known disease caused by the bacteria Treponema pertenue. It affects the skin, bones, and cartilage, and spreads through skin contact. Lack of cleanliness and hygiene is the main reason behind this illness. Mostly, children contract the Yaws disease and it commonly occurs in poor communities inhabiting regions that have a tropical, humid climate.
