Bacteriology

The discipline of bacteriology evolved from the need of physicians to test and apply
the germ theory of disease and from economic concerns relating to the spoilage of
foods and wine. The initial advances in pathogenic bacteriology were derived from the
identification and characterization of bacteria associated with specific diseases.
During this period, great emphasis was placed on applying Koch’s postulates to test
proposed cause-and-effect relationships between bacteria and specific diseases.
Today, most bacterial diseases of humans and their etiologic agents have been
identified, although important variants continue to evolve and sometimes emerge, e.g.,
Legionnaire’s Disease, tuberculosis and toxic shock syndrome

Major advances in bacteriology over the last century resulted in the development of
many effective vaccines (e.g., pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, diphtheria
toxoid, and tetanus toxoid) as well as of other vaccines (e.g., cholera, typhoid, and
plague vaccines) that are less effective or have side effects. Another major advance
was the discovery of antibiotics. These antimicrobial substances have not eradicated
bacterial diseases, but they are powerful therapeutic tools. Their efficacy is reduced
by the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (now an important medical
management problem) In reality, improvements in sanitation and water purification
have a greater effect on the incidence of bacterial infections in a community than does
the availability of antibiotics or bacterial vaccines. Nevertheless, many and serious
bacterial diseases remain.