Bacteria News and Research

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Subtype of CD4-positive immune cells in the gut may influence HIV infection outcome

The findings of a new study in monkeys may help clarify why some people infected with HIV are better able to control the virus. They also may pinpoint a target for treatment during early HIV infection aimed at increasing the supply of certain immune cells in the gut, which the study shows could be an important factor in limiting HIV growth in cells throughout the body.

11 Jun 2012

Scientists image structure of bacterium protein coat

Bacteria are omnipresent - in the water, the air and the soil, as well as in plants, animals and even people. We tend to think of bacteria as pathogenic, causing disease. We associate them with intestinal upsets and throat infections, pneumonia and blood poisoning.

11 Jun 2012

Hospira releases enhancement to TheraDoc clinical surveillance system

Hospira, the world's leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies, today released an important enhancement to its TheraDoc clinical surveillance system designed to support hospital antimicrobial stewardship efforts, with the goal of helping to improve patient outcomes, reduce antimicrobial resistant infections and reduce costs.

11 Jun 2012

JCAD publishes results from clincal study of Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light for acne

The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (JCAD), a respected peer-reviewed dermatology publication, has, in its May 2012 issue, published the results of a single-center study of the Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light for acne, showcasing the overall effectiveness of the device in significantly reducing the amount of acne, as well as the frequency, severity and redness of acne flares.

10 Jun 2012

Tackling diarrhea, pneumonia could save 2M children, according to UNICEF report

"Two million of the world's poorest children could be saved by introducing routine vaccination programs against diarrhea and pneumonia," according to a new report (.pdf) from UNICEF, BBC News reports (6/8).

8 Jun 2012

Project aims to reduce transmission of infectious diseases on aircraft

A new study is expected to provide the first detailed information on how infectious diseases may be transmitted aboard commercial airliners. Sponsored by aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the research will document patterns of passenger movement inside aircraft cabins and inventory the microbes present in cabin air and on surfaces such as tray tables and lavatory fixtures.

8 Jun 2012

Scientists unravel one important secret of bacterial adaptation

Learning the secrets of how pathogenic bacteria manage to survive in the body of an animal or human may carry great implications for future development of new and better medical treatments. Now, scientists at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry have unraveled one important secret of bacterial adaptation.

8 Jun 2012

Experimental drug tested against multi-drug resistant TB

"Researchers who tested a novel type of antibiotic against multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis [MDR-TB] are reporting that nearly half of patients who got the new drug cleared the bacteria from their lung fluid in two months," according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Reuters reports.

8 Jun 2012

Sorrento receives $300,000 STTR grant to develop novel therapeutics against Staph infections

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it has received an Advanced Technology Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Fast Track grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.

8 Jun 2012

Food allergies more prevalent among urban children

Children living in urban centers have a much higher prevalence of food allergies than those living in rural areas, according to a new study, which is the first to map children's food allergies by geographical location in the United States. In particular, kids in big cities are more than twice as likely to have peanut and shellfish allergies compared to rural communities.

8 Jun 2012

Call for increased screening and faster testing for drug-resistant tuberculosis

Johns Hopkins experts in the prevention and treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis are calling for increased screening and more rapid testing of the 9 million people worldwide estimated to be infected each year with TB, and now at risk for this form of the highly contagious lung disease. The call follows results of a survey showing that the harder-to-treat TB variants are much more widespread than previously thought.

7 Jun 2012

Study suggests link between fungi and ulcerative colitis

Cedars-Sinai researchers say their examination of the fungi in the intestines suggests an important link between these microbes and inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis.

7 Jun 2012

Study reviews role of gut microbes in nutrient absorption and energy regulation

Microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract form an intricate, living fabric made up of some 500 to 1000 distinct bacterial species, (in addition to other microbes). Recently, researchers have begun to untangle the subtle role these diverse life forms play in maintaining health and regulating weight.

7 Jun 2012

Dentists explore how psychological factors affect oral health

What does mental health have to do with dental health? Quite a bit, according to Richard Heyman, PhD, and Amy Smith Slep, PhD, psychologists who joined the New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) in July 2011.

7 Jun 2012

Omentum appears to play an important role in regulating the immune system

A fatty membrane in the belly called the omentum has until recently been considered somewhat like the appendix -- it didn't seem to serve much purpose. But Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers have found that the omentum appears to play an important role in regulating the immune system.

7 Jun 2012

Daily bathing with antiseptic cloths effectively reduces MRSA incidence at Ontario geriatric facility

The introduction of daily bathing with disposable, germ-killing cloths resulted in a sustained, significant decrease in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) incidence at a Canadian geriatric facility, according to a poster presented at the 39th Annual Educational Conference and International Meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

6 Jun 2012

Altapure, ITT Exelis to launch new model of disinfection system

ITT Exelis and Altapure, LLC are launching a new model of their state-of-the-art disinfection system at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology annual conference this week in San Antonio, Texas.

6 Jun 2012

BioMed Protect’s Sanotracin RTU rapidly and effectively kills C. difficile within 3 minutes

In the United States Clostridium difficile or "C. difficile" is now recognized as one of the most dangerous and fastest growing Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) in existence. Now surpassing even Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), C. difficile infections tripled between 2000 and 2005.

6 Jun 2012

IPD connector outperforms negative pressure, split-septum needleless IV connector

InVision-Plus with Neutral Advantage Technology outperformed a negative pressure, split-septum needleless IV connector in a prospective study that examined the association of different IV connector types with catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI) rates.

2 Jun 2012

Clove oil could cause an allergic skin reaction

McCord Research the parent company of Pinnaclife warns consumers that fruit that is protected from infestation or bacteria by an ingredient as common as clove oil could cause an allergic skin reaction.

1 Jun 2012