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New WHO policy recommendation warns against use of blood tests for active TB

A new policy recommendation released on 20 July by the World Health Organization (WHO) warns against the use of serological (blood) tests to diagnose active tuberculosis.

25 Jul 2011

Intravenous fluids appear to lower severity of kidney failure in children with E. coli infection

Infection with E. coli bacteria can wreak havoc in children, leading to bloody diarrhea, fever and kidney failure. But giving children intravenous fluids early in the course of an E. coli O157:H7 infection appears to lower the odds of developing severe kidney failure, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other institutions.

25 Jul 2011

Report on versatility of nitric oxide in arming hosts against pathogens

A new target for nitric oxide has been revealed in studies of how it inhibits the growth of Salmonella. This bacterium is a common cause of food-poisoning.

25 Jul 2011

Circumcision prevents HIV transmission & cocktail of anti-HIV drugs prolong life

Reports came in last Wednesday that circumcision reduces transmission of HIV, in regions where transmission is high. To researchers, this procedure proves to be a cost-effective way to handle the pandemic. In South Africa, a study reported that men with circumcisions reduced new HIV infections by 76%.

24 Jul 2011

Strategies toxins use to invade human host cells

Toxins produced by plants and bacteria pose a significant threat to humans, as emphasized by the recent effects of cucumber-borne Shiga toxin in Germany. Now, new research published on July 21st by the Cell Press journal Developmental Cell provides a clearer view of the combination of similar and divergent strategies that different toxins use to invade a human host cell.

22 Jul 2011

Fluoride at recommended levels is both safe and effective for reducing decay and tooth loss

Tooth decay remains a health care problem that touches people of all ages. Many communities could benefit greatly and reduce tooth decay significantly by implementing nature's cavity fighter, fluoride.

22 Jul 2011

Researchers dissociate beneficial and detrimental impacts of maternal regulatory T cells

A normal but concerning consequence of pregnancy is the fact that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection. University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have identified the underlying mechanisms for this physiologic immune suppression that may lead to new therapies to help ward off infections during pregnancy.

22 Jul 2011

Effects of refusal and delay in childhood vaccination

Alison M. Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, assistant professor at Penn Nursing answers parents' questions about childhood vaccines. Dr. Buttenheim is a public health researcher and social demographer who studies parent behavior and child health.

22 Jul 2011

Contaminated nasal spray associated with rare bacterial outbreak

Infection control researchers investigating a rare bacterial outbreak of Burholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) identified contaminated nasal spray as the root cause of the infections, leading to a national recall of the product.

22 Jul 2011

Scientists identify bacterial attack pathway

When competing for food and resources, bacteria employ elaborate strategies to keep rival cells at bay. Scientists have now identified a pathway that allows disease-causing bacteria to attack other bacterial cells by breaking down their cell wall.

22 Jul 2011

Insight into Fragile X Syndrome and autism

Researchers now have a much clearer understanding of how mutations in a single gene can produce the complex cognitive deficits characteristic of Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability.

22 Jul 2011

Impaired immunological memory causes psoriasis, atopic eczema

Scientists from the Centre for Allergy and Environment in Munich (ZAUM), the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München have reached a milestone in their specialist area with their discovery of the causes of atopic eczema and psoriasis.

22 Jul 2011

UK regulators approve Europe's first clinical trial of plant-derived antibody for HIV

UK regulators have approved Europe's first clinical trial of a monoclonal antibody produced from genetically modified plants. This landmark decision sets the stage for the testing, in humans, of an anti-HIV product made from genetically modified tobacco plants. It will open the door for trials of additional plant-derived medicines treating a range of diseases.

22 Jul 2011

NPR: Vaccine cost-benefit analysis complicates guidelines

The group that advises the U.S. government on vaccination thinks some new vaccines may not be worth the cost. In 2009, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, decided it's not cost effective to routinely vaccinate boys for human papillomavirus, though they do recommend the vaccine for girls.

22 Jul 2011

WHO warns against blood test kits for tuberculosis

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) warning Sunday, the widely used blood tests to detect tuberculosis (TB) are “dangerous” to patients because they are unreliable and can produce incorrect results. The WHO announced that it will issue an unprecedented recommendation against using such tests for the infectious lung disease that affects some 14 million people worldwide. As much as a third of the world's population is thought to harbor the bacteria that cause TB.

21 Jul 2011

Neogen develops new pathogen DNA detection method for E. coli strains

Neogen Corporation has announced the development of a breakthrough pathogen detection and identification technology that provides next day, DNA-specific test results for seven pathogenic E. coli strains. The technology could be adapted to target almost any bacterium of concern in almost any food sample type.

21 Jul 2011

WHO warning increases opportunity for Biomagnetics urine based TB assay

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced that the World Health Organization ("WHO") on Sunday July 17, 2011 warned that the widely used blood tests to detect tuberculosis ("TB") are unreliable and "dangerous" to patients because they produce too many false negatives and positives.

21 Jul 2011

Clinical study of anti-HIV antibody made from genetically modified tobacco plants

Pharmaceuticals can be produced by plants. Antibodies that have been produced in tobacco plants will now for the first time be tested in a clinical study.

21 Jul 2011

Maltodextrin-based imaging probes could improve diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections

A new family of contrast agents that sneak into bacteria disguised as glucose food can detect bacterial infections in animals with high sensitivity and specificity. These agents -- called maltodextrin-based imaging probes -- can also distinguish a bacterial infection from other inflammatory conditions.

21 Jul 2011

Genetic ID introduces new 96-well extraction kit for isolation of pure DNA

Genetic ID, the global leader in GMO identification, introduces its new FAST ID 96-Well Extraction Kit for isolation of exceptionally pure DNA from a variety of agricultural and food products.

21 Jul 2011

Bacteria News and Research

New WHO policy recommendation warns against use of blood tests for active TB

Intravenous fluids appear to lower severity of kidney failure in children with E. coli infection

Report on versatility of nitric oxide in arming hosts against pathogens

Circumcision prevents HIV transmission & cocktail of anti-HIV drugs prolong life

Strategies toxins use to invade human host cells

Fluoride at recommended levels is both safe and effective for reducing decay and tooth loss

Researchers dissociate beneficial and detrimental impacts of maternal regulatory T cells

Effects of refusal and delay in childhood vaccination

Contaminated nasal spray associated with rare bacterial outbreak

Scientists identify bacterial attack pathway

Insight into Fragile X Syndrome and autism

Impaired immunological memory causes psoriasis, atopic eczema

UK regulators approve Europe's first clinical trial of plant-derived antibody for HIV

NPR: Vaccine cost-benefit analysis complicates guidelines

WHO warns against blood test kits for tuberculosis

Neogen develops new pathogen DNA detection method for E. coli strains

WHO warning increases opportunity for Biomagnetics urine based TB assay

Clinical study of anti-HIV antibody made from genetically modified tobacco plants

Maltodextrin-based imaging probes could improve diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections

Genetic ID introduces new 96-well extraction kit for isolation of pure DNA

Microbiology eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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