What is Pertussis or Whooping Cough? Pertussis is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is commonly known as whooping cough because of…
What is pneumococcus? Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus, is a bacterium that primarily affects infants, toddlers and the elderly. Pneumococcus can cause several types of infections, the…
What is HPV? HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a small DNA virus. There are two types of HPV: cutaneous and mucosal. Cutaneous HPV can cause pesky warts on the skin,…
What is meningococcus? The scientific name of meningococcus is Neisseria meningiditis. While meningococcal disease was first described in 1805 during an epidemic in Geneva, Switzerland, it wasn’t until…
What is Hib? Haemophilus influenzae type B, commonly known as Hib, is a polysaccharide (i.e. sugar)-coated strain of a coccobacillus (hybrid of spherical/coccus and rod/bacillus shapes) known as…
What is hepatitis B? Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of the Hepadnaviridae (hepa – Greek for liver, dna – the type of genetic material it has,…
What is tetanus? Tetanus is a nervous system disorder that results in intense, painful muscle spasms. Clostridium tetani (C.tetani), the responsible bacteria, releases toxins that irreversibly bind to,…
What is polio? Polio (short for poliomyelitis) is an illness caused by polioviruses, which are a member of the broader family of enteroviruses. Enteroviruses can cause a wide…