Soil Related Infections - Differential Diagnosis Framework



Mechanism Of Infection:

 • Wound

 • GI: Ingestion, MUD, Contaminated food

 • Respiratory Tract: Inhalation

 • Skin Penetration



Rhizosphere:

 • Pathogens may be indigenous or enter the soil through application, indirectly by animal deposits, manure application, or from flooding with sewage/contaminated water.

 • Rhizosphere (narrow zone surrounding and influenced by plant roots, is a hot spot for numerous organisms)

 • Organisms in the rhizosphere include: bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, nematodes, protozoa, algae, viruses, archaea, and arthropods



Bacteria:

 • Clostridium tetani - Tonic contraction of the skeletal muscles and intense intermittent muscle spasms. Classic findings include trismus (in approximately 50%), stiff neck, opisthotonus, a "sardonic" smile, abdominal rigidity, and periods of apnea

 • Clostridium botulinum - Weakness, paresis, and paralysis, acute bilateral cranial neuropathies and symmetrically descending weakness

 • Clostridium perfringens

 • Legionella longbeachae

 • Legionella pneumophila

 • Bacillus anthracis

	- Pruritic papule on exposed skin, which ulcerates with surrounding vesicles, followed by black eschar

	- Inhalation anthrax: Nonspecific respiratory illness followed by a (usually fatal) sudden second phase of severe respiratory distress

 • Escherichia coli O157:H7

 • P. aeruginosa

 • S. maltophilia

 • Bacillus cereus

 • Listeria monocytogenes - Ubiquitous in soil and other material such as sewage, silage, groundwater, and vegetation

 • Burkholderia pseudomallei

 • Mycobacterium leprae

 • Nocardia infection

 • Salmonella

 • Campylobacter jejuni

 • NTM



Parasites:

 • Ascaris

 • Ancylostoma duodenale

 • Trichuris

 • Strongyloides

 • Enterobius

 • Toxocara

 • Myiasis



Amoeba:

 • Naegleria fowleri

 • Acanthamoeba

 • Balamuthia mandrillaris



Algae:

 • Prototheca

 • Chlorella



Fungi:

Soil-related endemic fungi cause primary pulmonary disease

 • Aspergillus Species - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (cough, dyspnea, possible fever, chest pain, hemoptysis, wheezing); pulmonary or sinus fungus balls

 • Coccidioidomycosis ("Valley Fever")

 • Coccidioides

 • Pulmonary blastomycosis

 • Histoplasma capsulatum

 • Mycetoma

 • Cryptococcus

 • Erysipelothrix

 • Chromoblastomycosis

 • Trichosporon

 • Paracoccidioidomycosis

 • Sporothrix schenckii

 • Rhizopus and Mucor

 • Acinetobacter



by Dr. Ravi Singh @rav7ks and Dr. Kushal Vaishnani @k_vaishnani



#Soil #Infections #differential #diagnosis #InfectiousDiseases