Chapter 20, Problem 12CT

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The reason why physicians substitute trimethoprim for tetracycline while treating pregnant women and young children infected with Brucella.

Introduction:

Brucella are very small Gram negative aerobic bacteria which thrive inside the cells of their host organism in organs like placenta and uterus. They can cause sterility or termination of pregnancy, apart from a not-so-grave disease called Brucellosis, which doesn’t express any symptoms. Brucella can be contacted by a host by consuming unpasteurized milk or by direct contact with animal urine, placenta or blood. When these bacteria are ingested, it’s released in the bloodstream through damage in digestive or respiratory tracts.