Antibiotic Resistance News and Research

RSS

Drug treatment ineffective for acute bronchitis

A study published in the BMJ indicates that neither oral antibiotics nor nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are more effective than placebo for the treatment of acute bronchitis.

14 Oct 2013

UTHealth professor receives Oswald Avery Award for Early Achievement from IDSA

Cesar Arias, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, was bestowed the Oswald Avery Award for Early Achievement from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

12 Oct 2013

CHD Bioscience's lead product can help mitigate increasing threat of HAIs

According to a recent report issued by the Centers for Disease Control, every year more than two million people develop infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Specific healthcare-associated infections are classified as urgent threats and affect approximately 1.7 million people annually across the United States, leading to death in nearly 99,000 patients.

9 Oct 2013

Researchers re-invented class of popular antimicrobial drugs by altering their chemical structures

By tinkering with their chemical structures, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have essentially re-invented a class of popular antimicrobial drugs, restoring and in some cases, expanding or improving, their effectiveness against drug-resistant pathogens in animal models.

8 Oct 2013

Use of gloves, gowns by health care workers for ICU patient contact does not reduce MRSA infection

The wearing of gloves and gowns by health care workers for all intensive care unit (ICU) patient contact did not reduce the rate of acquisition of a combination of the bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), although there was a lower risk of MRSA acquisition alone, according to a study published online by JAMA.

7 Oct 2013

Swallowing pills containing fecal bacteria stops recurrent bouts of C. diff infection

Swallowing pills containing a concentrate of fecal bacteria successfully stops recurrent bouts of debilitating Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection by rebalancing the bacteria in the gut, suggests a study being presented at the IDWeek 2013- meeting today.

5 Oct 2013

Antimicrobial usage causes vancomycin-resistant enterococci outbreaks in Greek NICU

Administration of antibiotics may have caused successive outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a Greek neonatal intensive care unit, according to a study in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

2 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: The debate on locking up people with mental illness; Michael J. Fox's new role

The awful mass killings this month by a delusional shooter at Washington's Navy Yard provoked familiar demands to fix the nation's mental health system. ... There's no question that the nation's mental health system needs improvement.

27 Sep 2013

Experts discuss ways to improve preoperative surgical site cleaning to minimize risk of infection

Infection is the most common complication of surgery and occurs at a rate of 1-15%. A group of experts from the Surgical Infection Society recently convened to discuss how to optimize the preoperative surgical site cleaning done by the patient to minimize the risk of infection.

20 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Deep flaws in current health system often overlooked in Obamacare debate; 'Missouri bleeds jobs' while neighbors expand Medicaid; budget debate is best shot at stopping health law

Americans have had little understanding of the Affordable Care Act since it became law in 2010. With major provisions taking effect in January, half the country still does not know what the law does or what it means for them. While some of the confusion is no doubt due to the law's complexity and the highly charged political environment, a largely ignored but central factor is that people know little about the deeply flawed health insurance system that got us to this place (John Seffrin and Jim Guest, 9/17).

19 Sep 2013

New gonorrhea treatment eliminates gonococcal infection from female mice

A new gonorrhea treatment, based on an anti-cancer therapy developed by a Buffalo startup company, has successfully eliminated gonococcal infection from female mice and prevented reinfection, according to research published today by University at Buffalo scientists in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

19 Sep 2013

Domestic animals less likely to be major source of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in humans

A new study has shown that, contrary to popular belief, local domestic animals are unlikely to be the major source of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in humans. The result comes from a detailed study of DNA from more than 370 Salmonella samples collected over a 22-year period.

13 Sep 2013

New prescribing protocol could reduce potential misuse of antibiotics

Researchers have developed a new strategy for prescribing antibiotics that could reduce patient harm and help combat the rise in antibiotic resistance.

10 Sep 2013

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) research: an interview with Dr. Griffin Rodgers, NIDDK director

Chronic granulomatous disease, or CGD, is a diverse group of inherited diseases in which certain cells of the immune system have difficulty forming reactive oxygen compounds, most importantly superoxide radicals. These are used by these white blood cells to kill certain bacteria.

3 Sep 2013

Researchers identify and track strains of antibiotic resistant salmonella

Continuing research on Salmonella may enable researchers to identify and track strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria as they evolve and spread, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

30 Aug 2013

Researchers identify novel mechanism that particular superbug uses to fend off antibiotic

Investigators working to stem the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have taken a major step in their efforts to develop new treatments.

29 Aug 2013

Research: MRSA in humans originated in cattle at least 40 years ago

A type of MRSA found in humans originated in cattle at least 40 years ago, new research has found. The study provides clear evidence that livestock were the original source of an MRSA strain which is now widespread in people.

16 Aug 2013

AmpliPhi releases data on phage therapy for treatment of lung infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients

AmpliPhi BioSciences Corp. (OTC: APHB) ("AmpliPhi"), the leader in the development of bacteriophage-based antibacterial therapies to treat drug resistant bacterial infections, yesterday presented data relating to the use of bacteriophages in the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) at the 20th Biennial Evergreen International Phage Meeting held in Olympia, Washington, USA. P. aeruginosa is the major cause of lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

8 Aug 2013

Scientist receives 1.3M grant to study how beneficial bacteria protect against deadly infection

A Norwich Research Park scientist has received -1.3 million in funding from the Wellcome Trust to investigate how beneficial bacteria protect against deadly infection in early life.

8 Aug 2013

Combating antibiotic resistance: an interview with Ron Najafi, CEO NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

Approximately 80 years ago the first antibiotic was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming, for which he was justifiably awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine.

2 Aug 2013