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Bacterial diseases

Salmonella food poisoning is spread by bacteria that are eaten in food, or that get onto food prepared in unhygienic conditions. The bacteria and the toxins they make cause fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea. In the UK, poultry are vaccinated against salmonella to control the spread.

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium. The symptoms are a thick yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis, and pain when urinating. It used to be easily treated with the antibiotic penicillin, but many resistant strains of the bacterium have now appeared.

Gonorrhoea is spread by sexual contact. Its spread can be controlled by treatment with antibiotics, or by using a barrier method of contraception such as a condom.

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