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Thermophiles and fevers.

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Have there ever been cases in which a thermophilic bacteria was able to invade a host organism, trigger a fever, and multiply?

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Guess not.

i don't know about thermophilic bacteria but there is this asian tape worm which is supposed to be thermophilic,

I doubt it. Thermophiles usually don't grow well at human body temperature (as their name implies). All pathogens (I think!) are mesophiles.

Have there ever been cases in which a thermophilic bacteria was able to invade a host organism, trigger a fever, and multiply?

I don't think so, thermophiles usually live in places where higher than 45 degree celcius, I think the human body is not a suitable host for them.

  • 3 weeks later...

There are several bacteria that produce thermophillic spores that can survive over 100C but their optimal growth temperatures of the active growing bacteria is usually within the mesophillic range. However species where there optimal log growth is above 45C are quite rare and are not known to be pathgenic.

As far as I know no thermophiles are pathogenic to humans. I would guess that is probably because of the evolutionary circumstances that humans lived in versus the thermophiles. Just think of how many humans have survived by swimming in very hot (and sometimes acidic) places, like Yellowstone's geysers.

There are several bacteria that produce thermophillic spores that can survive over 100C but their optimal growth temperatures of the active growing bacteria is usually within the mesophillic range. However species where there optimal log growth is above 45C are quite rare and are not known to be pathgenic.

 

Spores don't propagate and can't be thermophilic per definitionem. They are thermo tolerant, however ;)

Regarding thermophilic pathogens, thermophilic Campylobacter species comes to my mind there are also some clostridia that have been classified as thermophilic.

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