Principles of Agricultural

Science - Animal
 Infectious Disease
Causing Agents
Unit 7 – Lesson 7.1 Diseased!

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Agents that Cause Infections
• Bacteria
• Virus
• Fungi
• Protozoa
• Prions

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Bacteria
Prokaryotes – single-celled organisms
Organelles are not membrane-bound
Three basic shapes:
• Cocci
• Bacilli
• Spirilla

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Cocci Bacteria
• Spherical or egg-shaped
• Chains are streptococci
• Clusters are staphylococci
• Examples: strep and
pneumonia

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Bacilli Bacteria
• Rod-shaped
• Examples: anthrax,
salmonella, and E. coli

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Spirilla Bacteria
• Spiral- or corkscrew-
shaped
• Example:
leptospirosis

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Viruses
• Nucleic acid core
• Protein covering
• Characteristics of both living and
nonliving material
• Grow and reproduce inside living
cells
• How Big is a…?
oNanometer (nm) = 0.00000004in.
• Example: influenza
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Fungus
• Eukaryotic
• Membrane-bound organelles
• Common forms: molds and
yeasts
• Example: ringworm

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Protozoa
• Eukaryotic
• Single-celled organisms
• Often parasitic
• Examples:
oCoccidiosis in animals
oMalaria and giardia in humans

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Prions
• Abnormal form of protein
• Form clumps inside a cell
• Brain-wasting diseases
• Examples:
oBovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - cattle
oChronic Wasting Disease - deer
oCreutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - humans
oScrapie - sheep

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Presentation Review
• Mark or highlight three key points
• List two ideas or concepts related to previous
knowledge.
• List questions you have about this topic.
• Keep notes organized and available for use
throughout the course.

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References
Gillespie, J.R., & Flanders, F.B. (2015). Modern livestock and poultry
production (9th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar.
Herren, R. V., & Donahue, R. L. (2000). Delmar’s agriscience dictionary
with searchable CD-ROM. Albany, NY: Delmar.

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