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Tea or coffee can protect from MRSA superbug

According to the latest study in the Annals of Family Medicine, people who drink tea or coffee regularly may be less likely to carry the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in their nostrils.

14 Jul 2011

Drug resistant gonorrhea discovered

Japanese scientists have found a superbug strain of gonorrhea that’s resistant to all available antibiotics. This can pose a threat to public health worldwide, infectious disease experts say.

11 Jul 2011

New gonorrhea strain resistant to all antibiotics isolated in Japanese woman

A new strain of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea that is resistant to all known antibiotic treatments has been isolated from a female sex worker in Japan, according to Magnus Unemo of the Swedish Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria, Reuters reports. Unemo is set to present his findings at a conference of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research in Quebec on Monday.

11 Jul 2011

Antibiotic resistance is not a priority in the U.S.

Author and journalist Maryn McKenna in her "Superbug" blog on Wired.com examines U.S. spending on drug-resistant pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

7 Jul 2011

Diabetic neuropathy patients with wounds must protect themselves from pets

In a case study that illustrates the need for people with diabetes to be cautious of foot injuries and to protect themselves from pets, a woman with numbness in her feet caused by diabetic neuropathy slept through a traumatic episode in which her Jack Russell terrier chewed off part of her slightly infected big toe, according to an article published in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

24 Jun 2011

MRSA found in cow’s milk

Scientists have discovered a new strain of the drug-resistant germ known as MRSA in cow’s milk and some evidence that the animals could be a source of the infection in humans.

5 Jun 2011

Bacteria that infect cystic fibrosis patients could help combat MRSA

A bacteria which infects people with cystic fibrosis could help combat other antibiotic-resistant microbes, according to a team from Cardiff and Warwick Universities.

27 May 2011

Recent ACS podcast focuses on new rapid blood test that can detect MRSA infections

The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's award-winning podcast series, "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions," focuses on new blood test that can quickly tell whether patients are infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that's become a global threat, significantly improving treatment.

25 May 2011

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour.

18 May 2011

Researchers discover bed bugs with MRSA in lower-income area residents

As if the recent resurgence of bed bugs wasn't bad enough, Canadian researchers have found some of the little blood-sucking critters carrying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the potentially deadly superbug known as MRSA.

17 May 2011

MRSA superbug detected in bed bugs and supermarket meats: Report

Scientists have made an alarming discovery. They have found that bedbugs can carry the staph “superbug” MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

15 May 2011

Tips for fighting drug-resistant superbugs

Superbug CRKP is just the latest in emerging strains of drug-resistant bacteria. While new drugs to combat these stealthy microbes like MRSA and CRKP remain in development what can we do to prevent catching and spreading these dangerous bugs?.

13 May 2011

CrystalGenomics receives draft CSR for CG400549 Phase I MAD study in Staph infections

CrystalGenomics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company with 3 clinical stage candidates, has announced today that the draft Clinical Study Report from CG400549's Phase I Multiple Ascending Dose Study has just been received.

12 May 2011

Spotlight on the NDM-1 “superbug” highlights the long-standing but increasingly alarming situation of antibiotic resistance globally

At the world’s largest conference on infectious diseases – the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) which opens today – a special Symposium on NMD-1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase) will focus on the implications of the increasing detection of this gene, which makes bacteria highly resistant to almost all known antibiotics. This is part of an alarming trend of antibiotic resistance that threatens to turn back the clock on years of progress following the discovery of antimicrobials, which revolutionised human health globally.

6 May 2011

SBS explores ‘superbugs’ on Insight Tuesday 10th May

Since the discovery of penicillin in the early twentieth century, antibiotics have fought infections and diseases that were once life threatening. But over time, many bacteria have become resistant to these drugs and patients are increasingly at risk.

3 May 2011

Germ Genie is also effective against C.difficile infection

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire, who proved the effectiveness of Germ Genie, a tool to prevent infections from keyboards, have now found that it can kill C.difficile.

3 May 2011

Leeds hospitals fined over levels of superbug related cases

According to latest figures the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) superbug cases are again above allowed levels at Leeds hospitals and the hospitals are now facing a fine of £500,000 over failure to tackle the bug. As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post earlier this year, every month that the number of MRSA cases exceeds a target agreed by health bosses, a fine of £100,000 is levied. Between April last year and the end of January, the target was breached four times.

3 May 2011

New research shows honey fights drug-resistant germs

Herbal ingredients and natural nutrients are often capable of supporting different functions within the body, and current research is showing that a certain kind of honey may be useful in fighting drug-resistant germs.

2 May 2011

Drug resistant bug plaguing the meat industry: Study

It has been found that nearly half of the meat and poultry (47 percent) sold in U.S. grocery stores is contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”), a bacteria linked to a wide range of human diseases, and this bacteria is resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics in more than half (52 percent) of contaminated samples. This comes from a nationwide study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) published this week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

17 Apr 2011

WHO will assist Indian officials in exploring threat of NDM-1 in water supply

The WHO has said it will assist government officials evaluating whether the presence of bacteria containing the NDM-1 gene in the water supply in New Delhi poses health risks, Agence France-Presse reports. The announcement comes after the Lancet last week published a report that bacteria carrying NDM-1, a gene that enables resistance to a variety of antibiotics, "was found in 51 out of 171 New Delhi samples taken from water pools and two out of 50 tap water samples," the news service writes.

16 Apr 2011