Microbiology in itself is such a vital field which contributes and continuously defines the world in which we live in. Charles Darwin once stated “Each living creature must be looked at as a microcosm--a little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars in heaven” (Goodreads, 2015). I really liked this quote because I think it explains the vastness that microbiology possesses. We tend to look at the world seeing one individual organism, but seldom do we think of all the parts that make up that one organism and how vital they may or may not be to us. Bacterial identification is an example of this ability to look beyond the surface. It is an essential component in diagnosing disease,
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This disease is caused by the bacteria campylobacter jejuni, found in the intestinal tracts of animals (Iowa state, 2015). Humans will contract this bacterial infection from consuming undercooked or raw products like beef, poultry, milk, or seafood from infected animals. Moreover, this bacterium can be spread through direct contact with infected pets or livestock (Iowa state, 2015). So in this case, identification of the specific bacteria causing disease is essential to provide the correct antibiotic treatment both for humans and animals. If we were not able to treat such diseases, just think of how much the agricultural and trade industry would be affected. We would have to cull any infected stock which would have an immense impact on the food industry and would drive up prices on food economically for us consumers. Looking at it from this perspective, we see that microbiology has a huge impact on our wallets as well than just our …show more content…
Fortunately, our good scientists are continually developing new vaccines, antibiotics and other sanitary options to prevent the spread of pathogens in our world. Can you imagine a world without such preventatives available….I would not! However, even though these options are available, we unfortunately also have individuals who choose to not vaccinate themselves or others for diseases that can be avoided otherwise. Therefore because of this we are seeing the re-emergence of diseases like measles in our society, mostly due to unvaccinated individuals. Right now the U.S is facing a large, multi-state measles outbreak connected to an amusement park in California (CDC-measles, 2015). As the saying goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” The point in case is that we can identify a bacterial species, prescribe AND explain an effective treatment, but it is ultimately up to us to properly use that treatment not only for ourselves, but in the consideration of others as well. As microbiologists, we start with a source and use our knowledge of pathogens to piece together the individual parts in order to form a cohesive puzzle to keep the world a safer and healthier
This disease is caused by the bacteria campylobacter jejuni, found in the intestinal tracts of animals (Iowa state, 2015). Humans will contract this bacterial infection from consuming undercooked or raw products like beef, poultry, milk, or seafood from infected animals. Moreover, this bacterium can be spread through direct contact with infected pets or livestock (Iowa state, 2015). So in this case, identification of the specific bacteria causing disease is essential to provide the correct antibiotic treatment both for humans and animals. If we were not able to treat such diseases, just think of how much the agricultural and trade industry would be affected. We would have to cull any infected stock which would have an immense impact on the food industry and would drive up prices on food economically for us consumers. Looking at it from this perspective, we see that microbiology has a huge impact on our wallets as well than just our …show more content…
Fortunately, our good scientists are continually developing new vaccines, antibiotics and other sanitary options to prevent the spread of pathogens in our world. Can you imagine a world without such preventatives available….I would not! However, even though these options are available, we unfortunately also have individuals who choose to not vaccinate themselves or others for diseases that can be avoided otherwise. Therefore because of this we are seeing the re-emergence of diseases like measles in our society, mostly due to unvaccinated individuals. Right now the U.S is facing a large, multi-state measles outbreak connected to an amusement park in California (CDC-measles, 2015). As the saying goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” The point in case is that we can identify a bacterial species, prescribe AND explain an effective treatment, but it is ultimately up to us to properly use that treatment not only for ourselves, but in the consideration of others as well. As microbiologists, we start with a source and use our knowledge of pathogens to piece together the individual parts in order to form a cohesive puzzle to keep the world a safer and healthier