Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and/or urethra. Not
everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to
urinate and a painful, burning when urinating.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is the most common type of infection acquired by patients while hospitalized. Patients at risk for VRE are those who are already ill, and hospitalized, including individuals with diabetes, elderly, ICU patients, kidney failure patients, or patients requiring catheters. Enterococci can survive for months in the digestive tract and female genital tract. Other risk factors for acquiring VRE include those how have been previously treated with vancomycin and combinations of other antibiotics. Treatment of VRE is generally with other antibiotics other than vancomycin. Prevention of VRE can be achieved by proper hand hygiene.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which is primarily found in rodents the fleas that feed off of them. The bacteria are passed to humans through flea or rodent bites. There are three forms of plague: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. The symptoms and method of transmission vary with each form of plague. Plague can be treated with antibiotics.
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the Brucella bacteria. Symptoms and signs include sweating, fever, fatigue, dizziness, headache, cough, chest, joint, and abdominal pain, and enlarged liver and/or spleen. Brucellosis is treated with antibiotics.
Endocarditis, a serious infection of one of the four heart valves is caused by growth of bacteria on one of the heart valves; leading to an infected massed called a "vegetation." The infection can be caused by having bacteria in the bloodstream after dental work, colonoscopy, or other similar procedures. Endocarditis symptoms include fever, fatigue, weakness, chills, aching muscles and joints, night sweats, edema in the legs, feet, or abdomen, malaise, shortness of breath and small skin lesions. Treatment for endocarditis is generally aggressive antibiotic treatment.