MIDDLE SCHOOL KIT:
Activity 2

When microbes cause a human being to become ill, the microbes often infest the intestines and are excreted in the feces. Here are some pathogenic microbes that are often found in human waste:

• Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter(click here for the image). For Campylobacteriosis info on the CDC Website, click here.
  
• Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae (click here for the image).. For Cholera info on the CDC Website, click here.
  
• Enterotoxigenic E. coli (bacteria) are the most common cause of travelers’ diarrhea (click here for the image).. For Diarrheagenic E. coli info on the CDC Website, click here.
  
• Hepatitis A (virus) is one of the most common vaccine-preventable diseases in travelers (click here for the image).. For Hepatitis A. info on the CDC Website, click here.
  
• Salmonellosis is an infection with a bacteria called Salmonella (click here for the image). For Salmonellosis info on the CDC Website, click here.
  
• Shigellosis is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella (click here for the image). For Shigellosis info on the CDC Website, click here.

Time-Lapse Movie of Bacteria Growing
Bacterial colonies grow very quickly, if they have food and can get rid of their waste products. The movie below show how two E. coli cells divide to produce a large colony in just a few hours.

Click here to see a time-lapse (speeded up) movie
of E. coli cells growing into a colony.

(This movie appears courtesy of the web site, "Cells Alive.")

Bacterial Cultures in Growth Media
Click on the links below to view slides of several bacterial colonies cultured in petri dishes.

• Campylobacter (click here for the image).
• Cholera (click here for the image).
• E. Coli (click here for the image).
• Salmonella (click here for the image).
• Shigella (click here for the image).