Anyone knows about this?

[SinJunior]

Q: What are the characteristics of a bacteria that is contagious?

[dr.syntax]

Being: airborne, transmittable through insect bites, sexually transmittable, ones transmittable from eating meat or vegetables,ones that infect through drinking water. Poop related ones. ...ds

[insane_alien]

dr syntax do not just give the answer away when the thread is in homework help it is a violation of the rules you agreed to when you signed up. not only that but your answer is wrong.

 

the question asks what characteristics are common to contagious bacteria, not how can they be transmitted.

[dr.syntax]

no, what SinJunior asked was : " What are the characteristics of a bacteria that make it contagious". I answered with some of the characteristics that crossed my mind. I don`t understand what it is I did that is wrong. ...ds

[iNow]

Unfortunately, your answer was not accurate (just to clarify, you provided mechanisms of delivery... types of behavior... not characteristics of bacteria themselves), but the larger issue is that the rule for the Homework Help forum is not to just give answers, but to help the person find them on their own. So, even if your answer is/was perfectly correct, you should still avoid providing it directly. Make sense?

[CharonY]

Also the context of the question is important. It sounds like a highschool question, which expect a dumbed down answer. Even for that the question is pretty lousy, though. Contagious just means transmissible (and not, as iNow correctly mentioned, the means of transmission). Essentially all bacteria that are able to live on a given vector are transmissible. This includes non-pathogenic bacteria.

Just think about it. How do you get your normal bacterial flora?

 

Now if the question is what are common characteristics of contagious pathogenic bacteria, things are complicated. Short answer is that there is likely no common trait exclusively shared by all pathogens that are not present in non-pathogenic one. Many pathogens are specialists in one way or another and quite often pathogenicity factors are elements that are also found in non-pathogenic bacteria, but it makes them pathogenic in conjunctions with yet another factor.

[dr.syntax]

Also the context of the question is important. It sounds like a highschool question, which expect a dumbed down answer. Even for that the question is pretty lousy, though. Contagious just means transmissible (and not, as iNow correctly mentioned, the means of transmission). Essentially all bacteria that are able to live on a given vector are transmissible. This includes non-pathogenic bacteria.

Just think about it. How do you get your normal bacterial flora?

 

Now if the question is what are common characteristics of contagious pathogenic bacteria, things are complicated. Short answer is that there is likely no common trait exclusively shared by all pathogens that are not present in non-pathogenic one. Many pathogens are specialists in one way or another and quite often pathogenicity factors are elements that are also found in non-pathogenic bacteria, but it makes them pathogenic in conjunctions with yet another factor.

 

characteristics of a bacteria that is contagious ?" My answer :" Being: airborne,tranmittable through insect bites,sexually transmittable,ones transmittable from eating meat or vegetables,ones that infect through drinking water. Poop related ones ...ds " Perhaps you missed my use of the word being: with it`s accompaning colon. Being airborne is a characteristic of a bacteria that is contagious. Being transmittable through insect bites is a characteristic of a bacteria that is contagious,being sexually transmittable is a charactristic of a bacteria that is contagious, and so on. I am not caving into you on this one. The question never was: " what are common characteristics of contagious pathogenic bacteria". That was not what was asked. Why do you insist on answering a question that was never asked and faulting me for failing to do so ? ...Dr.Syntax ...post script: would you tell an associate: Being sexually transmittable is not a characteristic of a contagious bacteria ? Think about that for a second or two and you know the answer.

Edited September 16, 2009 by dr.syntax

[insane_alien]

no you didn't you gave methods by which bacteria can be transmited, not what allows them to be transmitted in that fashion.

 

when everyone else is saying your wrong, just maybe you are wrong.

 

a little analogy, if the question asked what characteristics of a car made them useful for transportaion? your answer is equivalent to

 

roads, motorways, off road, trails, up hills, down hills, race tracks and bridges.

 

not one of them describes a damn charactersitic of a car.

[dr.syntax]

You are as capable screwball ratitionalization as the rest of them. I have explained my answer to the question posted : What are the characteristics of a bacteria that makes it contagious". How can " being transmittable through insect bites " not be a characteristic of a bacteria that makes it contagious. Explain why a bacteria`s method of transmission is not: a characteristic of a bacteria that makes it contagious. The methods of transmission are precisely what makes them contagious. If they lacked a method of transmission they would not be contagious. ...Dr. Syntax

[insane_alien]

well for one the fact that it can be transmitted by insect bites is an infection vector not a characteristic of the bacteria itself.

 

a car can drive along a road but that is not a characteristic of the car.

 

what is it about the bacteria that allows it to be transmitted in such a manner. that is the characteristic of the bacteria that makes it contagious.

 

for example, in the case of airborne bacteria the bacteria must be capable of surviving exposure to air. not all bacteria can do that.

 

listen dr syntax, you haven't been doing a lot of that.

[dr.syntax]

I`ve listened plenty. There are times someone pointed out an error in what I wrote and I agreed and acknowledged the error. This is not one of those times. No use of an anology or attempts to complicate a simple but accurate answer to a simple quetion is going to change that. ...ds

[insane_alien]

nobodies complicating it. we're trying to show you how your answer doesn't do anything to answer the question at all as it does not describe characteristics of the bacteria at all.

 

its like confusing the road a car is driving on (the transmission vector) with the features of the car.

[Syntho-sis]

I`ve listened plenty. There are times someone pointed out an error in what I wrote and I agreed and acknowledged the error. This is not one of those times. No use of an anology or attempts to complicate a simple but accurate answer to a simple quetion is going to change that. ...ds

 

Well the problem then is in your lack of acknowledgment of the error. That in and of itself is not the intelligent way to approach correction.

 

I can assure you that your answer to:

 

"Q: What are the characteristics of a bacteria that is contagious?"

 

Is completely wrong. The question deals with the attributes that distinguish contagious bacteria from ones that have attributes that do not make them contagious

 

Pathogenic bacteria have certain characteristics that they need, and use, to cause disease. These so-called virulence factors have specific functions in the successive steps that result in an infection. An infection can be seen as a miniature battle between bacteria and host, the first trying to remain present, and to feed and multiply, while the host is trying to prevent this. The resulting infection is a process with three possible outcomes: the host wins and the bacteria are removed (possibly with the help of medication) so that the host can recover; the bacteria win the ultimate battle and kill their host (sad but true: bacterial infections are a major cause of death especially for children and elderly people); or an equilibrium is reached in which host and bacteria live involuntarily together and damage is minimized.

 

http://www.bacteriamuseum.org/cms/Pathogenic-Bacteria/bacterial-pathogenicity.html

 

See link for list of virulence factors.

[CharonY]

Well, again, contagious and pathogenic are two different aspects. Almost all bacteria (except extreme specialists) can spread to a given extent, and are therefore by definitionem contagious. Yet they do not necessarily cause harm. If your hand is sterile and you touch any surface you will get bacteria on it. There, transmittance happened. You won't usually get sick, though. The bacteria just has to be able to grow on the given surface (in this case, skin).

And also again, there is hardly anything that can be considered a pathogenicity factor that is shared by all pathogens (if we want to limit it to diseases). The routes of infection and persistence that bacteria employ are simply too varied.

Of course one can have a bit of a circular argument instead. Pathogenic bacteria share traits that enable them to infect, overcome immune response, and cause disease . I think one of the few common things I can think of are toxins of some sorts, though they are very diverse in nature (and are just commonly labeled toxins due to their ability to cause harm) and not all pathogens are known to produce any of them.

Edited September 16, 2009 by CharonY

[Syntho-sis]

Well, again, contagious and pathogenic are two different aspects. Almost all bacteria (except extreme specialists) can spread to a given extent, and are therefore by definitionem contagious. Yet they do not necessarily cause harm. If your hand is sterile and you touch any surface you will get bacteria on it. There, transmittance happened. You won't usually get sick, though. The bacteria just has to be able to grow on the given surface (in this case, skin).

And also again, there is hardly anything that can be considered a pathogenicity factor that is shared by all pathogens (if we want to limit it to diseases). The routes of infection and persistence that bacteria employ are simply too varied.

 

I don't know why I didn't think about that. I was thinking more along the lines of the question referring to pathogenicity. Because like you said, almost all bacteria can spread to a given extent, but not all cause harm. Does that totally exclude the virulence factors I cited for pathogens?

[CharonY]

You mean whether these are specific to pathogenicity? Well, maybe one should consider some definitions at this point. Pathogenicity factors are generally used to describe elements that cause the disease, whereas virulence factors attenuate the severity of the diseases (e.g. success rate of infections).

Regarding the list in the link: for instance pili are a common feature of bacteria and it is mostly involved in adhesion and/or motility. Pathogens as well as non-pathogenic bacteria possess them aplenty. Same goes for flagella. Toxins are a special case, though depending on the nature of the toxin several cases are imaginable. Some toxins are secreted and may e.g. accumulate in food, while the bacterium itself does not infect the body. Still, it will cause harm.

Bottom line is that characteristics of pathogens usually involve a relative large number of factors, some of them readily identifiable (as e.g. toxins) some are more obscure or involved in general pathways.

[dr.syntax]

I don't know why I didn't think about that. I was thinking more along the lines of the question referring to pathogenicity. Because like you said, almost all bacteria can spread to a given extent, but not all cause harm. Does that totally exclude the virulence factors I cited for pathogens?

 

I am using your response to CharonY to show you how you do not stick with the original question asked. That is the question I was answering and none of the other ones created by others as the thread progressed. The question I was responding to is:" what are the characteristics of a bacteria that make it contagious". That is it,nothing else. Nothing about pathogens or virulence. I consider the different ways bacteria spreads about to be:" what are the characteristics of a bacteria that is contagious ? " I don`t care what it is I say: there seems to me to be a group of people in this forum determined to pick it apart anyway they can find or create to do so. I guess that is the way it is. Whatever, ...Dr.Syntax

[Syntho-sis]

I am using your response to CharonY to show you how you do not stick with the original question asked. That is the question I was answering and none of the other ones created by others as the thread progressed. The question I was responding to is:" what are the characteristics of a bacteria that make it contagious". That is it,nothing else. Nothing about pathogens or virulence. I consider the different ways bacteria spreads about to be:" what are the characteristics of a bacteria that is contagious ? "

 

How is that in the least relevant to helping the OP understand the question and then help them to come up with a correct answer? If you had read the rules for posting in the homework section you would know that you shouldn't be providing direct answers anyway!

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=23802

 

I don`t care what it is I say: there seems to me to be a group of people in this forum determined to pick it apart anyway they can find or create to do so. I guess that is the way it is. Whatever, ...Dr.Syntax

 

And it seems to me that you are simply being antagonistic because your answer were refuted by numerous posters. Instead of taking it in stride you felt as if you were being personally attacked and are now associating snobbery with anyone who does not accept ignorance that is proclaimed as fact.

 

I'll admit that I have made more than my share of mistakes on the forum. Apart of being able to 'survive' on here though, is knowing when a mistake is being made on my part, and then attempting to correct it and learn more about what I am ignorant in.

 

My own answer may have been non-relevant to the question (I wrote it in haste without really understanding the question itself.) But Dr.Syntax, that does not, in and of itself validate your own answer.

 

Now can we please stop arguing and instead discuss the question.

 

Cheers

[dr.syntax]

is what I consider defending my statements when I believe them to be correct. Why should I admit to errors I did not commit. By the way pathogens include any disease producing organism including:bacteria,fungi,viruses,certain worms,prions, and probably some others I can`t think of at the moment .Virulence is the relative ablity of a microbe to cause disease. Bacteria are but one of numerous pathogens. Virulence had nothing to do with the question asked. And not all bacteria are pathogens. The vast majority of bacteria are not pathogens. You never acknowledged any of your mistakes in your argument to me. And why you keep on insisting somehow you proved me wrong and that I should treat you as if you are some sort of authority on anything is preposterous. I am showing the same lack of respect you have consistanly shown for me. ...Dr.Syntax

[insane_alien]

this still doesn't change the fact that you misinterpreted the question and gave a wrong answer. you gave methods of transmission instead of characteristics that allowed such methods of transmission.

 

besides, its a homework question so you shouldn't have just gave away an answer so freely. you agreed not to when you signed up.

 

also, a little offtopic here, i notice you are still typing your entire post in the title bar, stop it. it disrupts the flow of the thread as most people don't bother reading the title of a post and merged posts(which you do frequently) lose the second (and then on) title bars.

 

the wall of text style doesn't do you any favours either.

[Syntho-sis]

is what I consider defending my statements when I believe them to be correct. Why should I admit to errors I did not commit. By the way pathogens include any disease producing organism including:bacteria,fungi,viruses,certain worms,prions, and probably some others I can`t think of at the moment .Virulence is the relative ablity of a microbe to cause disease. Bacteria are but one of numerous pathogens. Virulence had nothing to do with the question asked. And not all bacteria are pathogens. The vast majority of bacteria are not pathogens. You never acknowledged any of your mistakes in your argument to me. And why you keep on insisting somehow you proved me wrong and that I should treat you as if you are some sort of authority on anything is preposterous. I am showing the same lack of respect you have consistanly shown for me. ...Dr.Syntax

 

I'm sorry for the lack of respect I have shown thus far.

[Syntho-sis]

Oh and think you kind sir for acknowledging my apology. I'll remember to be extra civil to you next time...

[swansont]

As was alluded to earlier, a problem aside from the accuracy of the answer is that this is the HW help section. It's not an answer-providing service; the goal is to engage the poster in an effort to help them learn, rather than to just give them an answer to paste into their assignment. They need to at least make an attempt at answering the problem, which allows the interested members to guide them toward the correct answer.