Bacterial News and Research

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No high quality studies on reducing MRSA infection in nursing homes for elderly people

Nursing homes for older people provide environments where bacteria such as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are likely to thrive.

24 Jan 2008

Unique fungal collection could hold key to future antibiotics

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London have joined forces with CABI to establish a facility to screen for potential new antibiotics.

23 Jan 2008

Most dangerous form of staph infection comes from single strain

Researchers have discovered that the most dangerous form of staph infection now occurring in the United States originates from a single strain of bacteria, not multiple strains as previously believed.

23 Jan 2008

Infants with poor intestinal flora often develop eczema

In a healthy intestinal system there is a great variety of natural bacteria.

23 Jan 2008

Genetic switches could lower cost of producing drugs, proteins

Bacteria have evolved complex mechanisms called quorum sensing systems that provide for cell-to-cell communication, an adaptation that allows them to wait until their population grows large enough before mounting an attack on a host or competing for nutrients.

23 Jan 2008

Studies highlight MRSA evolution and resilience

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections are caused primarily by a single strain USA300 of an evolving bacterium that has spread with "extraordinary transmissibility" throughout the United States during the past five years, according to a new study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists.

22 Jan 2008

Prostatitis - one of the most common urologic diseases in the U.S

Estimates on the number of males in the United States who will experience prostatitis during their lifetimes range up to 50 percent.

21 Jan 2008

FDA clears for ProFlu+ test for marketing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared for marketing a test that simultaneously detects four common respiratory viruses, including the flu, in a patient's respiratory secretions.

21 Jan 2008

National High Magnetic Field Lab receives $2 million to tackle tuberculosis

About 5,000 people around the world die from tuberculosis every day, but no effective new drugs have been developed to combat it in 40 years.

18 Jan 2008

Viroporins, membrane-permeabilizing proteins of the poliomyelitis virus

A research team from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid directed by Professor Luís Carrasco has published new discoveries concerning the membrane permeabilizing proteins of the polio virus.

16 Jan 2008

Dissecting the genetic components of adaptation of E. coli to the mouse gut

New insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate the remarkably fast adaptation of intestinal bacteria within their natural environment are provided in the January issue of PLoS Genetics by researchers from INSERM and INRA at University Paris Descartes.

14 Jan 2008

Cranberries combat urinary tract infections

Cranberry juice, long dissed as a mere folk remedy for relieving urinary tract infections in women, is finally getting some respect.

11 Jan 2008

Chemicals in red wine grapes may prevent tooth decay

A class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

10 Jan 2008

New meningitis vaccine a potential new weapon against the deadly disease

In a joint venture British and Canadian researchers have found that a new type of meningitis vaccine offers immunity to infants as young as six months from the deadly disease.

9 Jan 2008

Contaminated milk responsible for three deaths and a miscarriage

The latest incident in the United States involving bacteria-contaminated milk has claimed the lives of three elderly men and caused at least one pregnant woman to miscarry since last June.

9 Jan 2008

France, Japan and Australia top in dealing with preventable deaths...U.S. bottom!

When it comes to dealing with preventable deaths researchers have found that the French, Japanese and Australians are at the top of the league and the Americans at the bottom.

9 Jan 2008

Trius Therapeutics starts U.S. phase I trial for Oxazolidinone antibacterial drug

Trius Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that it initiated its first Phase 1 clinical trial of TR-701, an antibacterial drug candidate intended for treatment of patients with serious Gram-positive bacterial infections, including those caused by MRSA and other drug-resistant strains.

9 Jan 2008

Take care of your teeth and gums for a healthy heart

Each year, cardiovascular disease kills more Americans than cancer. And while most people are aware that lifestyle choices such as eating right, getting enough exercise and quitting smoking can help prevent cardiovascular disease, they may not know that by just brushing and flossing their teeth each day, they might also be avoiding this potentially lethal condition.

9 Jan 2008

Genital mycoplasmas are a frequent cause of congenital fetal infection

Premature babies are subject to a host of threats that can result in fetal/neonatal disease.

7 Jan 2008

Chlamydia trachomatis genome sheds light on an emerging infection

Researchers have decoded the genome of the strain of Chlamydia that causes the most severe, invasive form of the disease. Their study shows that, despite recent increases in invasive infections, the strain has remained virtually unchanged for 40 years.

7 Jan 2008