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Neu5Gc in drugs provokes strong immune response

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that a kind of sugar molecule common to chimpanzees, gorillas and other mammals but not found in humans provokes a strong immune response in some people, likely worsening conditions in which chronic inflammation is a major issue.

26 Jul 2010

Reusing syringes in anesthesia leads to viral transmission: Study

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus can be transmitted during intravenous administration of anesthesia, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute. In this study, doctors found that anesthesia contamination - not endoscopy contamination - was the cause of infection.

23 Jul 2010

Over 50% of neurosurgical procedures performed on Afghan children were for battlefield-related injuries

War inevitably takes a tragic toll on innocent bystanders including civilians and children. Military neurosurgeons have a long history of helping US and coalition troops and civilians overcome devastating and life-threatening neurological injuries incurred as a result of military strife. While stationed at US military facilities, neurosurgeons also contribute to invaluable humanitarian efforts, operating on patients with injuries and conditions unrelated to battle.

17 Jul 2010

PSA test reduces prostate cancer death rate by nearly 50%: NCI

The nation's leading authority on cancer has thrown out its own study on prostate cancer screening, now saying that PSA testing reduces the prostate cancer death rate by nearly 50 percent.

16 Jul 2010

Microbiologists work to decrease mold growth in flooded homes through improved prevention, cleanup

A team of microbiologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory is working with Tuskegee University and Mississippi State University to decrease mold growth in flooded homes through improved prevention and cleanup.

15 Jul 2010

U.S. taxpayers spend equal amounts on non-emergency food aid and shipping, study says

IRIN examines the findings of a study about the costs and effects of the U.S. Agricultural Cargo Preference policy, noting that "U.S. taxpayers spend about $140 million every year on non-emergency food aid in Africa, and roughly the same amount to ship food aid to global destinations on U.S. vessels; money that could have been used to feed more people."

15 Jul 2010

ZyGEM launches new microbial fingerprinting diagnostic technology

ZyGEM Corp. Ltd., has introduced its new microbial fingerprinting diagnostic technology that is expected to dramatically reduce the complexity and time needed to identify unknown infectious agents in mixed population samples. The approach is designed to run on the company's new MicroLab platform and has the potential to accurately identify up to 30 types of microbes simultaneously from a single sample in less than an hour.

14 Jul 2010

Microtest white paper guides medical device manufacturers in applying new FDA regulations to combination products

A new free, white paper that guides medical device manufacturers in the complicated process of applying new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations to combination products embedded with pharmaceutical or biologic components is now available from Microtest Laboratories (http://www.microtestlabs.com/combination-products-20/)

14 Jul 2010

Researchers detail innovations that may facilitate earlier detection, improved public health preparedness

With current public health threats ranging from swine flu to bioterrorism to environmental contamination, innovations that better predict disease outbreaks have vast potential to protect the public. In a paper published online in advance of print on July 6 in Emerging Health Threats Journal, public health researchers describe their vision for the future of disease surveillance, detailing innovations on the horizon that may facilitate earlier detection and improved public health preparedness.

14 Jul 2010

Custom-made bone replacements for facial reconstruction soon

Facial reconstruction patients may soon have the option of custom-made bone replacements optimized for both form and function, thanks to researchers at the University of Illinois and the Ohio State University Medical Center.

13 Jul 2010

Fresh salsa and guacamole may be important vehicles of foodborne infection, says ORISE researcher

Nearly 1 out of every 25 restaurant-associated foodborne outbreaks with identified food sources between 1998 and 2008 can be traced back to contaminated salsa or guacamole, more than double the rate during the previous decade, according to research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

13 Jul 2010

U.S. lags in keeping workers safe from toxic drugs

In many countries, there are strict regulations and inspections regarding workers who handle chemotherapy drugs. "In the U.S., however, neither environmental monitoring nor exposure tracking is mandated. And neither is routinely taking place, said Tom Conner, a research biologist with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

13 Jul 2010

FDA grants Catheter Connections 510(k) clearance for DualCap disinfecting product

Catheter Connections, Inc., a manufacturer of innovative vascular access and infection control products, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the company 510(k) clearance to market its DualCap™ product. DualCap is the only device that nests two disinfecting caps together - for both IV access points, the needleless injection site (NIS) and the male luer at the end of the IV tubing. Previously overlooked as a route of microbial colonization, Catheter Connections has developed the first disinfecting cap for the male luer.

12 Jul 2010

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today commended federal food safety agencies for their accomplishments supporting the charge of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group, which advises the President on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system for the 21st century.

12 Jul 2010

New food safety requirements for large-scale egg producers: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that as many as 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths due to consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella Enteritidis may be avoided each year with new food safety requirements for large-scale egg producers.

9 Jul 2010

Thermo Fisher Scientific announces new methods to detect petroleum contamination in oysters and fish

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that its global Food Safety Response Center located in Dreieich, Germany, has developed two new analytical screening methods to detect petroleum contamination in oysters and fish, specifically hydrocarbons and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), resulting from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 9 Jul 2010

Department of Agriculture asks consumers to discard Milky Way Farm's hard cheddar cheese

The Department of Agriculture today advised consumers who purchased aged hard cheddar cheese made with raw milk from Milky Way Farm in Troy, Bradford County, to discard the product immediately because of potential bacterial contamination. The Bureau of Food Safety has identified 20 pounds of raw milk cheddar cheese that entered the consumer market.

9 Jul 2010

Codex Alimentarius Commission provides new guidance to help improve food safety

The maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula is 1 mg/kg and the amount of the chemical allowed in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg, according to new rulings from the United Nations' food standards body, Codex Alimentarius Commission.

7 Jul 2010

Breathing system filters used in anaesthesia allow passage of bacterial, yeast infections

Doctors have highlighted potential problems with the breathing system filters used in anaesthesia, including intensive care units, after demonstrating that they don't provide protection from harmful bacteria and yeast when they become wet.

6 Jul 2010

Fecal contamination on hands linked to bacterial contamination in stored water

Scientists are reporting dramatic new real-world evidence supporting the idea that hand washing can prevent the spread of water-borne disease. It appears in a new study showing a connection between fecal bacteria contamination on hands, fecal contamination of stored drinking water, and health in households in a developing country in Africa. The study is in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

1 Jul 2010

Contamination News and Research

Neu5Gc in drugs provokes strong immune response

Reusing syringes in anesthesia leads to viral transmission: Study

Over 50% of neurosurgical procedures performed on Afghan children were for battlefield-related injuries

PSA test reduces prostate cancer death rate by nearly 50%: NCI

Microbiologists work to decrease mold growth in flooded homes through improved prevention, cleanup

U.S. taxpayers spend equal amounts on non-emergency food aid and shipping, study says

ZyGEM launches new microbial fingerprinting diagnostic technology

Microtest white paper guides medical device manufacturers in applying new FDA regulations to combination products

Researchers detail innovations that may facilitate earlier detection, improved public health preparedness

Custom-made bone replacements for facial reconstruction soon

Fresh salsa and guacamole may be important vehicles of foodborne infection, says ORISE researcher

U.S. lags in keeping workers safe from toxic drugs

FDA grants Catheter Connections 510(k) clearance for DualCap disinfecting product

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

New food safety requirements for large-scale egg producers: FDA

Thermo Fisher Scientific announces new methods to detect petroleum contamination in oysters and fish

Department of Agriculture asks consumers to discard Milky Way Farm's hard cheddar cheese

Codex Alimentarius Commission provides new guidance to help improve food safety

Breathing system filters used in anaesthesia allow passage of bacterial, yeast infections

Fecal contamination on hands linked to bacterial contamination in stored water

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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