Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus pneumonia is bacteria found in the throat and nose that can cause severe illness to people and most common in the elderly, those with weak immune systems and children. This is a significant pathogen in human beings that cause diseases such as meningitis and pneumonia, and otitis media. Streptococcus pneumonia was first discovered in France in 1881by Louis Pasteur when the bacterial was identified from the saliva of a patient. Louis found that the bacteria were an extra cellar bacterial pathogen. The most common known diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumonia are Pneumococcal disease, infections of the lungs (pneumonia, meningitis, and ear infections (Isturiz et al. 2017).
Streptococcus pneumonia causes abrupt shaking and fever to people (chills). It may also cause chest pains, headaches, coughing, shortness of breath, and disorientations to people infected by the bacteria. Sometimes, it can cause a stiff neck. Occurrences of these symptoms are associated with Streptococcus pneumonia that creates body weakness to people affected by the bacteria.
Many people carry the bacteria in their throats and nose without getting sick. The bacteria thus can be transmitted from one person to another through inhaling droplets of the bacteria found in the saliva of a person carrying the bacteria. Sneezing and coughing of the infected person cause the droplets that spread to other people. Streptococcus pneumonia depends on the part of the body affected by the bacteria. Thus it is more severe in people with serious medical conditions such as kidney diseases, chronic lungs, and children (Kim et al. 2017).
The bacteria are curable, but due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, the bacteria are developing drug resistance immunity. This is creating problems in the treatment of diseases caused by bacteria. This led to the discovery of preventive vaccines used to prevent the infections of Streptococcus pneumoniae. People are given an invasive type of Streptococcus pneumoniae that acts as a vaccine (Moumne & Duff 2019). The spread of the bacteria can also be prevented by covering mount when sneezing or coughing and frequent washing of hands.
The bacteria produces several virulence factors like the surface proteins, polysaccharide capsule toxin pneumolysin, and enzymes. The major of these factors is the polysaccharide capsule that prevents the mechanical removal of mucus and reduces the exposure to antibiotics. As such, the diagnosis of the bacteria depends on the isolation of the organism from the blood, saliva, or any other part of the body. Testes are also carried out to detect polysaccharide antigen in the body fluids.