Infectious Diseases and HIV Conference

Two main divisions of microbiology specifically deal with the study of bacteria and parasites, hence bacteriology and parasitology. Such fields are key to ascertaining the understanding of infectious diseases, their modes of transmission, and their implication on human health.

Bacteriology is the science that studies bacteria. Bacteria are a kind of unicellular microorganisms that exist in soil, water, and even in the human body. Most of these bacteria are innocuous and are actually helpful to the human body, but there are others that could cause serious infections.

Some of the common types of bacterial infection include: Streptococcal Infections: Caused by the bacterium Streptococcus, streptococcal infections can lead to conditions such as strep throat, skin infections, and pneumonia. Staphylococcal Infections: Caused by Staphylococcus bacterium, staphylococcal infections may cause skin infections, abscesses, and food poisoning. Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections: Some species cause diseases of the gastrointestinal system and urinary tract.TB: Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes this severe respiratory infection generally acquired by droplets that reach the fresh body tissues through the air.

Bacteriology is the application of science in the diagnosis of the infections that are bacterial in nature using a range of laboratory diversified techniques including culture, microscopy, and molecular methods which may include PCR. The treatment varies by application of antibiotics; however, antibiotic resistance has become a growing problem, requiring careful selection of the therapies applied. Parasitology deals with parasites, which are organisms that live on or inside a host and profit from the host.

Protozoa, helminthes, which include worms, and ectoparasites, which include fleas and ticks, cause parasitic diseases. The most common parasitic diseases are: Malaria; it is caused by Plasmodium parasites, which transmit disease to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. There are about three million deaths of people from malaria each year in all over the world and thus is deadly. Giardiasis: Infection in the intestine with the protozoan Giardia lamblia, which is mainly spread by polluted water.

Schistosomiasis: Infected parasitic worms that live in fresh water; causes chronic diseases. Lice and scabies: Ectoparasite infestation which results in an itch and discomfort. The diagnosis of parasitic infections is performed on stool examination, blood tests, or through imaging techniques.

The treatment is by antiphrastic medication, which includes metronidazole for protozoa infections and praziquantel for helminthic infections. Hence, bacteriology and parasitology play an important role in public health, identifying, preventing, and controlling infectious diseases.

This makes their contribution in the continuous understanding of new diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines against bacterial and parasitic infections shape continuously.

Knowledge of highly complex relations of host pathogen and environment is essential in solving challenges associated with infectious diseases at the global level.