4_ Normal Flora
4_ Normal Flora
3
Resident flora
– Species that live on or in nearly everyone almost all
the time
– These residents live in specific sites
- Staph. Epidermidis ( skin)
- E. coli (colon and small intestine
– When in their natural sites,
- Resident flora do not cause harm to
healthy tissue
- Some are beneficial to us
– May become pathogenic if introduced into
abnormal sites
- E. coli is considered an opportunist
Transient flora
• Species that are found periodically on or in the body
• Host nutrition
• Prevents colonization
- Competing for receptors or binding sites
- Competing for nutrients
- Producing antibiotics or bacteriocins
- Production of toxic products
– Skin
– Eyes (conjunctiva)
– Nose and throat ( upper respiratory tract )
– Mouth
– Large Intestine
– Urinary and reproductive systems
Relative density of the flora in the body
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NORMAL FLORA OF THE SKIN
Some are found in the hair follicles and act as a reservoir to replenish
the superficial flora after hand washing.
More than 90% of the fecal flora are anaerobes, the most
important of which is Bacteroides fragilis.
• 109-1010 organisms
Probiotics
• Classification of a Probiotic strain:
- Beneficial physiological effect
- Strain is of human origin
- Safe for human use
- Stable in acid and bile
- Adhere to intestinal mucosa
- Most common:
- Lactobacilus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Streptococcus thermophilus
Use of Probiotics in treatment of diseases
1) Treatment and prevention of diarrhea
- Rotavirus diarrhea in children
- Travelers’ diarrhea and enteritis
- Post-antibiotic diarrhea long-term use of
antibiotics
2) Alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance
(lactic acid bacteria)