Caused by a bacterium known as legionella, Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia.
Inhaling the bacteria causes this disease. People can't catch Legionnaires' disease from person-to-person contact. People who are especially susceptible to this disease include smokers, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Pontiac fever, which is a milder illness that resembles the flu, ... more
The inside of a heart has four chambers and four valves lined by a thin membrane called endocardium. The infection of this inner lining is called endocarditis.
When bacteria or other germs from another part of the body, such as the mouth, spread through the bloodstream and attach to damaged areas in the heart, endocarditis occurs. This condition can damage or destroy the heart valves, which could be life-threatening. ... more
Black, hairy tongue is a short-lasting, benign oral illness that gives a person's tongue a dark, furry aspect. This look of black and hairy tongue is usually attributed to overgrowth of mouth bacteria.
Though the look might be appalling, it doesn’t cause health problems. Without medical treatment, this condition usually resolves by ... more
One of the most common cancers that affect a woman's reproductive organs is cervical cancer. Most cases of cervical cancer are partly caused by the various strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted infection.
A woman's immune system typically prevents the virus from doing harm when she’s exposed to HPV. But in some cases, before the virus eventually converts some cells on the surface of the ... more
Some people who experience polio when they are young might have post-polio syndrome (PPS) after years.
Polio was once considered to be the most dangerous disease causing paralysis and even death. Soon after polio reached its peak in the early 1950s, the inactivated polio vaccine was introduced and greatly decreased polio’s spread. Nowadays, paralytic polio occurs in few people in developed countries, and it's because of polio ... more
Located near the knee joint is the bursa, which is a small fluid-filled, pad-like sac that reduces friction and cushions pressure points between the bones and the tendons and muscles near the joints. Knee bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa.
Each knee has 11 bursae. Knee bursitis most commonly occurs over the kneecap or on the inner side of the knee below the joint, despite the fact that any of the bursae could become ... more
