Question

How does one prove that a particular bacterium causes a disease if we've found it in the blood of all infected people?

Answer 1

To prove that a bacterium causes a disease if found in the blood of all infected people, scientists follow Koch's postulates, which involve finding the bacterium in abundance in all infected individuals, isolating and growing it in pure culture, and reproducing the disease symptoms in a healthy subject.

Step-by-step explanation:

To prove that a particular bacterium causes a disease if it is found in the blood of all infected people, scientists follow Koch's postulates. These postulates require several steps:

1. The bacterium must be found in abundance in all individuals suffering from the disease and should not be found in healthy individuals.
2. The bacterium can be isolated and grown in pure culture.
3. A healthy test subject infected with the bacterium must develop the same signs and symptoms of the disease seen in step 1.

By following these steps and reproducing the disease symptoms in a healthy subject, scientists can establish a causal relationship between the bacterium and the disease.