Brucellosis Brucellosis, which is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, or Bang’s disease, is an acute febrile illness that is transmitted to humans from animals. It’s caused by the…

Bronchitis Droplet Precautions Contact Precautions Bronchitis is inflammation of the lining of the bronchi and may be acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis usually lasts 7 to 10 days, although the…

Bronchiolitis Droplet Precautions Contact Precautions Bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the lung bronchioles, usually results from a viral infection and can lead to severe illness. This infection usually affects children younger…

Bordetella Pertussis Infection Droplet Precautions The microorganism B. pertussis is a gram-negative, pleomorphic bacillus that causes an infection of the respiratory tract. Commonly known as whooping cough or pertussis, this…

Botulism Caused by the gram-positive, anaerobic bacteria Clostridium botulinum, botulism is a rare but severe form of poisoning. C. botulinum is found in soil and untreated water worldwide. The bacteria…

Basidiobolomycosis Basidiobolomycosis, a form of zygomycosis caused by the fungus Basidiobolus ranarum, was first isolated in 1955. It is also known as Entomophthoramycosis basidiobolae. This fungus is found worldwide in…

Bartonella Quintana Infection Contact Precautions Bartonella quintana, a gram-negative rod belonging to the Rickettsiaceae family, restricts itself to human hosts. Typically transmitted by the human body louse (a small, wingless…

Aspergillosis Aspergillosis is an opportunistic infection caused by fungi of the genus Aspergillus, usually A. fumigatus, A. flavus, and A. niger. Aspergillosis occurs in four major forms: aspergilloma, which produces…

Anthrax Anthrax, also called wool-sorter’s disease or ragpicker’s disease, is an acute bacterial infection that occurs most commonly in hoofed animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. It can…

Amebiasis Amebiasis, also known as amebic dysentery or intestinal amebiasis, is an acute or chronic protozoal infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica. This infection produces varying degrees of illness, from no…