The basics are that a blue "gram stain" is merely a coloring that attaches to some bacteria and not to others. So a "negative" means it just washes away. A "bacilli" just refers to the shape of the bacteria -- it is a longer rectangular shape with rounded ends with roughly the look of a hot dog. Massive numbers of gram-negative bacilli are toxin makers, particularly making endotoxins that are in the cell wall and discussed in a Lyme endotoxins article and below.
Some bacteria bugs produce sickness by making troublesome chemicals.
There are two types of bacterial toxins
Typically if the bug makes you deathly ill or can kill you, think toxins. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can make exotoxins, the ones that can float all over.
Bacterial protein toxins are the most powerful human poisons known, even at tiny amounts. They can be more potent than snake poison in terms of lethal potential, so we are very serious about this topic!
Some articles on bacteria or mold toxins talk of "enterotoxin, neurotoxin, leukocidin or hemolysin" and all this means is the part of the body these proteins attack -- intestine cells, brain cells, white cells, red blood cells, etc.
Some toxins attack cells like neurons and others "hate everyone" in your body -- like the toxins of some staph or strept.
Bacteria protein toxins are strongly antigenic. Meaning, in the body, you will have an antibody formed to try to remove it. The process is imperfect and as we have published, some people have genes that make them poor at removing bacterial and other types of toxins.
Some terse samples:
Enterobacteriaceae inhabit intestines of humans. Some strains toxins and specifically affect the intestinal tract, causing diarrhea and body fluid loss.
Legionnaires disease or legionellosis is a pneumonia-type infection that got my attention while I was in
The bacteria lives in wet, dark, dank environments--like in air-conditioning units where water sits. It has also been found in ponds, drip pan areas, showerheads, mud, hot tubs, humidifiers, misting devices, decorative fountains, etc. Chlorination does not guarantee removal. Spores can be breathed in.
Some symptoms include diarrhea, weakness, headache, muscle aches, malaise, lost appetite, a dry cough, fever increases and difficulty breathing. Some cases can also show liver and kidney involvement, but the primary location is the lungs.
Escherichia coli are rod-shaped bacteria that attack the digestive tract and hurt by a circulating toxin. Antibiotics have made stronger resistant forms.
Salmonella -- this has many forms. Some are killed by stomach hydrochloric acid -- but infants, the elderly and those on acid blockers do not have as much protection. The use of antibiotics to control Salmonella leads to such other problems as transferring their resistance to other bacteria like E. coli. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock and animal feed is why we have so much antibiotic resistance, in addition to impulsive use of antibiotics in people.
Almost all of the chickens in the
Campylobacter can cause of human intestinal pain.
Acinetobacter baumannii | Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans | Bordetella pertussis | Brucella |
Campylobacter Francisella tularensis Legionella pneumophila |
Capnocytophaga Haemophilus ducreyi Pasteurella multocida |
Cardiobacterium hominis Helicobacter pylori |
Eikenella corrodens Kingella kingii |
Citrobacter Proteus Serratia marcescens |
Enterobacter Salmonella enteriditis Yersinia enterocolitica |
Escherichia coli Salmonella typhi Yersinia pestis |
Klebsiella pneumoniae Shigella |
Acinetobacter Xanthomonas maltophilia |
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Burkholderia pseudomallei |
Flavobacterium meningosepticum Burkholderia cepacia |
|
Aeromonas |
Plesiomonas shigelloides Vibrio vulnificus |
Vibrio cholerae |
Vibrio parahemolyticus |
You will want to know the exact type of bacteria found in any building inspection to see how powerful and resistant it is to treatment. That will be an extra price. As you can see from above, knowing a bacteria in a home, school or building is a gram negative staining rod shaped bacilli does not tell you which one, or what will kill it, or what type of endotoxin it has to hurt you! So the lab will need to run further tests and you might need to send another sample if illness is a concern.
To Your Health!
Dr. J