Historical Past of the Bacterium Salmonella Bacilli Essay -- History B

The Life of Salmonella Abstract: The following paper discusses the historical past of the bacterium Salmonella Bacilli and its repercussions within infected human victims over time. There are two types of salmonella: nontyphoidal and typhoidal. Both are borne through direct contact with an infected host’s feces bacterium which in turn, is ingested orally. Their way of life exists within the digestive tract of its host, reproducing rapidly into thousands of serotypes. Cultured, strengthened, and afflicted upon people over the centuries, salmonella has become the number one danger in food poisoning, carrying doom, death, and destruction wherever it goes. Every bacterium has its humble beginnings as did salmonella. Reported to cause 42 percent of all food poisoning cases in the world, salmonella bacteria infect a variety of hosts from humans to animals to reptiles. Because chicken and cows come in contact with feces almost daily, these animals are the main carriers of salmonella bacteria. Furthermore, the intestinal tracts of many different reptiles contain the same bacteria to serve survival purposes; however, it can easily be released and transmitted to other hosts. Humans are very susceptible to the Salmonella Typhi bacterium as it only lives and cultures within warm-blooded mammals. To transmit from human to human, it must travel through the fecal and oral pathway. Drinking water also provides another means for vast infection. The ensuing disease is perhaps the most widely known in history, typhoid fever. This disease has an extensive history, riddled with pain, suffering, and unwanted death. Such a history it has that even the ancient Greeks knew about â€Å"a dreadful disease,† now known as typhoid. â€Å"Hippocrates described it... ...e in making history. As one can see, salmonella has quite an extensive past in affecting the humans in general. From its beginning roots in the civilization of Athens to its effects on life today on Earth, salmonella has contributed much to our very own existence, testing our limits to ensure the most successful way to survive. Bibliography http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol4no3/mcdade.htm Bioterrorism. 25 July 2008 . http://www.bacteriamuseum.org/niches/features/bioterror.shtml By: Dr. T.M. Wassenaar http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Commentary/cunnion2.htm By: Stephen O. Cunnion Elsevier. "Typhoid Fever Led To The Fall Of Athens." ScienceDaily 23 January 2006. 23 July 2008 http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2006/01/060123163827.htm. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4639840.stm