Staphylococcus aureus News and Research

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Staphylococcus aureus is a spherical bacterium (coccus) which on microscopic examination appears in pairs, short chains, or bunched, grape-like clusters. These organisms are Gram-positive. Some strains are capable of producing a highly heat-stable protein toxin that causes illness in humans.

MRSA spike among gay men: More effective prevention needed for MRSA, HIV and other STDs

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), today expressed concern over a recent study first reported publicly today in an 'Annals of Internal Medicine' article which found that sexually active gay men in San Francisco were 13 times as likely to contract methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant strain of bacteria, than their heterosexual counterparts.

15 Jan 2008

New superbug puts gay men at risk

New research from the U.S. has found that a potentially deadly bacteria, a type of drug-resistant staph infection, is being transferred between gay men by way of sexual activity.

15 Jan 2008

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals initiates two separate Phase II clinical trials for antibiotic compound

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the enrolment of the first patients in two separate Phase 2 clinical trials.

7 Jan 2008

FDA clears first rapid blood test for MRSA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it has cleared for marketing the first rapid blood test for the drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which can cause potentially deadly infections.

3 Jan 2008

BD Diagnostics announces FDA clearance of test to identify superbug

BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), has announced that it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 3 Jan 2008

Research could turn the tables on superbugs

Scientists in Australia and America believe they have found a way to deal with the increasing antibiotic resistance of deadly superbugs such as MRSA.

27 Dec 2007

Australian researchers tackle antibiotic resistance

The development of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria that are problematic and expensive to treat is a major healthcare problem around the world. The "selective pressure" of antibiotic usage inevitably results in the emergence and proliferation of resistant bacteria.

20 Dec 2007

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from MRSA

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a new poll of infection control professionals released today.

12 Dec 2007

Hospitals cut down on Christmas decorations to curb superbugs

In an attempt to curb the spread of superbugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, this Christmas some hospitals in Britain will have fewer Christmas decorations.

10 Dec 2007

Benzethonium chloride products identified as best for killing MRSA

One type of over-the-counter product for topical wound care is more effective than others in killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA, which is potentially deadly and in recent years has moved from its historic hospital setting to a much broader public concern.

4 Dec 2007

New anti-infective drug aims to fight drug-resistant bacteria at source

Deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - MRSA - a bacterium that responds poorly to conventional antibiotic treatment, infects 90,000 Americans per year and causes 19,000 deaths, most in hospital settings.

29 Nov 2007

Deadly variations of superbug now spreading beyond the hospital

Experts in Britain say virulent bugs such as MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are now spreading beyond hospitals and into the wider community and may put lives at risk.

27 Nov 2007

MRSA in the community: A new threat to children's health?

Although hospital superbugs like MRSA - methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus - are now a widespread and recognised problem, new MRSA strains that have emerged and are spreading amongst the wider public in the USA may pose a bigger threat, according to Exeter researchers speaking (Wednesday 28 November 2007) at the Federation of Infection Societies Conference 2007 at the University of Cardiff, UK, which runs from 28-30 November 2007.

27 Nov 2007

Fast way of spotting multidrug resistant bacteria could help stop outbreaks in hospitals

A type of bacterium widely found on our skin and in the environment has now become a major threat in hospitals where it can cause serious infections, such as pneumonia in severely ill patients.

27 Nov 2007

Factor key to severity of community-associated methicillin-resistant staph infections identified

Newly described proteins in drug-resistant strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium attract and then destroy protective human white blood cells - a key process ensuring that S. aureus survives and causes severe disease, according to scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

13 Nov 2007

MRSA prevalent in Canadian pig farms and pig farmers

A new study published in Veterinary Microbiology found methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalent in Canadian pig farms and pig farmers, pointing to animal agriculture as a source of the deadly bacteria.

6 Nov 2007

New technology to tackle MRSA

The recent surge in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cases have thrust the infection into the spotlight. Most commonly traced to health care environments (HA-MRSA), the new community acquired (CA-MRSA) strains are now being found in schools, universities and athletic settings.

5 Nov 2007

Infectious diseases experts applaud STAAR Act

With methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, and other "bad bugs" routinely making headlines, infectious diseases physicians are applauding Sens.

1 Nov 2007

Scripps design new type of vaccine that could one day be used in humans to block the onset of infection

In hopes of combating the growing scourge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in particular drug-resistant staph bacteria, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute has designed a new type of vaccine that could one day be used in humans to block the onset of infection.

31 Oct 2007

New tool to combat MRSA infections in hospitals

Cardinal Health, a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, today announced a new service to help hospitals combat methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections that are responsible for an estimated 94,000 life-threatening conditions and 18,650 deaths annually in the U.S.

31 Oct 2007