Bacterial Infections

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Bacterial Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

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Find health information in languages other than English on Bacterial Infections

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New on the MedlinePlus Bacterial Infections page:

Procalcitonin Test

05/01/2018 03:50 PM EDT

Summary

Bacteria are living things that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They are so small that a line of 1,000 could fit across a pencil eraser. Most bacteria won't hurt you - less than 1 percent of the different types make people sick. Many are helpful. Some bacteria help to digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, and give the body needed vitamins. Bacteria are also used in making healthy foods like yogurt and cheese.

But infectious bacteria can make you ill. They reproduce quickly in your body. Many give off chemicals called toxins, which can damage tissue and make you sick. Examples of bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli.

Antibiotics are the usual treatment. When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will learn to resist them causing antibiotic resistance. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

Germs: Learn How Germs Work and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) Smear and Culture (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Bacteria Culture Test (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Blood Culture Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Gram Stain (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Procalcitonin Test (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Protein Electrophoresis/Immunofixation Electrophoresis (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Prevention and Risk Factors

Germs and Hygiene: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Infection Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Antibiotics: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Antibiotic Resistance: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Bacterial vs. Viral Infections: How Do They Differ?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
Probiotics: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Sepsis Fact Sheet (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)Also in Spanish

Specifics

Anaerobic Infections (American Academy of Pediatrics)Also in Spanish
Brucellosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Elizabethkingia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Glanders (Burkholderia Mallei) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Leptospirosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Melioidosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Rare Disease, Especially for the Healthy(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
Necrotizing Skin Infections (Merck & Co., Inc.)Also in Spanish
Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Q Fever (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Shigellosis (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Trench Fever (Logical Images)
Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Vibrio vulnificus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Yaws (World Health Organization)Also in Spanish

Images

Hot Tub Rash (Pseudomonas Folliculitis) (Logical Images)

Statistics and Research

Bleach vs. Bacteria (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
Oh What a Tangled Biofilm Web Bacteria Weave (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)