Legionella pneumophila: Properties, Pathogenesis, Lab Diagnosis
Legionella is a faintly staining gram-negative pleomorphic rod, responsible for causing Legionnaires' disease; a severe form of atypical pneumonia, and Pontiac fever. Legionella was first...
Laboratory Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in humans. It is a slightly curved rod arranged singly or in groups. Mycobacterium tuberculosis grows very slowly, taking...
Mycoplasma is the smallest (0.2 - 0.8 micrometers) free-living bacteria (light microscopy cannot detect it) that can pass through some filters (0.45-μm-pore-size) used to remove bacteria. It has the...
Sputum, also known as phlegm, is a thick type of mucus in a person's lungs suffering from an infection or chronic illness affecting the lungs or airways. The first morning expectorated sputum sample...
Haemophilus influenzae: Characteristics, Pathogenesis and Lab Diagnosis
Most Haemophilus species are normal inhabitants of upper respiratory tract of humans and other animals. The species of Haemophilus that most frequently cause human infections are H. influenzae...
Streptococcus pneumoniae: Properties, Pathogenesis, and Diagnosis
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) is a part of the normal nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal flora. It is an important etiological agent of upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI...
