CCN Role of Pathogens Bacteria Discussion

Description

Required Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

Textbook: Chapter 21, 22, 23

Weekly Concepts

Initial Post Instructions

For this discussion, take on the role of one of the pathogens we learned about. Give us a narrative about what you are doing in the body from the pathogen’s point of view. How did you get into the body? In other words, how did the body inherit you. How do you move through the body? What path of destruction are you on? How will you wage battle against the body? How do you plan to win that battle? What will the body try to do to stop you? How will you fight back? Who wins?
Follow-Up Post Instructions

Respond to at least one peer or the instructor. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification.

Writing Requirements

Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)

Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source)

APA format for in-text citations and list of references

Grading

This activity will be graded using the Discussion Grading Rubric. Please review the following link:
Discussion Guidelines
Course Outcomes

CO 10: Analyze the microbial diseases of different body systems- integumentary, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive and urogenital.

Good afternoon class.

Here is my first person perspective of a microbe in a human body.

Hello! My name is Escherichia coli, but you can just call me E. coli for short. Currently, I am happily situated inside of a new host, a male human. I just got into this guy a few hours ago and I am starting to make myself at home. How did I get here? Well it’s an interesting story. A few days ago I was inside of a big cow, just getting all the nutrients I could in his intestines. Then all of a sudden there was a bunch of loud noises and the next thing I knew, I was being moved around and mixed with all sorts of cow parts. Then I got grouped together with other portions of the cow and packaged away into some container. Next thing I knew, I was in some dark and freezing cold place, which was a nightmare. Then just this morning I see light again and I find myself outside. Finally, I get set out on some meat at the local farmers market where I got picked up by some unlucky fellow this morning. Much to my delight, the man was trying a new trend where you barely cook your steak at all, making it all too easy for me to stay alive long enough for him to get me into his system. I managed to sneak past his teeth, slide down his esophagus, and get myself into his stomach. Now that I am inside, I am trying to replicate like crazy, so that I am prepared to launch an attack once I reach the small intestine. I realize that I have my work cut out for me, however. The body will try to kill me using its phagocytes, which will try to eat me. Then when that doesn’t work, the B and T cells will team up to attack me and make antibodies. Good thing I am good at making biofilms, which will help protect me from his immune system. Also, if he decides to take antibiotics, it might hurt me a little, but I have pumps that can rid my “body” of the antibiotics (Salinas-Almaguer et al., 2022). My plan, if I am able to escape destruction, is to create a large army to make a stand in the small intestine. There, I will release my Shiga toxin, which allows me to eat away the lining of the small intestine (Pokharel et al., 2023). From here I will burst from the small intestine and launch an attack systemically. In addition, I will have spread to the large intestine as well. If I am able to make my jump to a systemic infection, then I like my chances of winning this fight. In the event that my conquest ends in the small intestine, however, I will likely lose.

References

Pokharel, P., Dhakal, S., & Dozois, C. M. (2023). The Diversity of Escherichia coli Pathotypes and Vaccination Strategies against This Versatile Bacterial Pathogen. Microorganisms, 11(2), 344. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020344

Salinas-Almaguer, S., Mell, M., Almendro-Vedia, V. G., Calero, M., Robledo-Sánchez, K. C. M., Ruiz-Suarez, C., Alarcón, T., Barrio, R. A., Hernández-Machado, A., & Monroy, F. (2022). Membrane rigidity regulates E. coli proliferation rates. Scientific reports, 12(1), 933. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-04970-0Links to an external site.