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FDA constantly takes steps to monitor E. coli O104 outbreak in U.S. food supply

The U.S. FDA has been in routine contact with the European Union and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the current outbreak of E. coli O104 and to track any illnesses in the U.S. that may be related to the outbreak.

4 Jun 2011

American College of Gastroenterology offers resources on foodborne illness, tips for food safety

For consumers in the United States concerned by the outbreak of E. coli in Europe, the American College of Gastroenterology offers background on foodborne illness, tips for food safety, and expert insight from its resources on digestive health on what to do in the case of foodborne illness.

4 Jun 2011

Copper effectively prevents spread of new E. coli strains

As the World Health Organisation suggests the E. coli outbreak in Germany is a strain never before seen in an outbreak - O104:H4 - laboratory science conducted at the University of Southampton indicates a role for copper in preventing the spread of such infections.

3 Jun 2011

Researchers molecularly characterize MRSA isolates from fire station environmental surfaces

MRSA transmission may be occurring in fire stations, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

2 Jun 2011

Scientists find no link between XMRV retrovirus and human disease

Delineation of the origin of the retrovirus known as XMRV from the genomes of laboratory mice indicates that the virus is unlikely to be responsible for either prostate cancer or chronic fatigue syndrome in humans, as has been widely published.

1 Jun 2011

Scientists find increases in rain and temperature could signal deadly cholera outbreaks months before they strike

With recent deadly cholera outbreaks in Haiti and Cameroon providing the latest indication of a menacingly resurgent disease, scientists have discovered rain and temperature fluctuations in at-risk areas could predict epidemics months in advance, according to a new study published today in the June 2011 issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

1 Jun 2011

Oasis introduces touchless electronic tissue dispenser

Oasis Brands, Inc. is bringing forth the evolution of the modern washroom with the introduction of the fully-enclosed, touchless Nvi Electronic Tissue Dispenser. The industry's first standard-sized electronic tissue dispenser is designed to reduce waste and labor cost while minimizing the risk of cross-contamination, and is ideal for those with limited range of mobility.

31 May 2011

Liquid crystal droplets could replace horseshoe crab blood in common endotoxin test

The Food and Drug Administration requires every drug they certify to be tested for certain poisons that damage patient health. The current gold standard for this is the limulus amoebocyte lysate assay that involves using the blood of horseshoe crabs, which strangely enough is blue, to test for endotoxin, a substance commonly associated with many symptoms caused by bacterial infections.

24 May 2011

Probability of contamination during handshaking could be lower than is commonly perceived

Graduations are a celebration of achievement and growth, but could all the pomp and circumstance increase your risk of exposure to harmful bacteria? A team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the risk of acquiring pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through shaking hands at graduation ceremonies across Maryland.

18 May 2011

SunTech Medical releases new line of disposable blood pressure cuffs

SunTech Medical, Inc., a leader in non-invasive blood pressure measurement products and technologies, announces the release of their new line of disposable blood pressure cuffs.

16 May 2011

Simple tips for avoiding allergies and asthma during summer

Summertime means outdoor fun at weddings, graduations, festivals and picnics. But uninvited guests ranging from stinging insects to grass pollen can ruin the fun for the millions of Americans with allergies and asthma.

13 May 2011

Study finds link between high prenatal BPA levels and infant's neurobehavioral abnormalities

A new case study examining an infant's neurobehavioral abnormalities and extremely high bisphenol A concentration of the baby's mother suggests a link between the two.

12 May 2011

3M introduces Clean-Trace Hygiene Management System for healthcare facilities

As part of its effort to offer a wide range of environmental hygiene solutions for healthcare facilities, 3M Infection Prevention today announced its 3M™ Clean-Trace™ Hygiene Management System. This solution is designed to help hospitals assess the cleanliness of a surface and validate the efficacy of cleaning protocols and worker performance in less than one minute

11 May 2011

'Confluence of circumstances' resulted in Haitian cholera outbreak, U.N.-appointed panel says

Haiti's cholera outbreak, which started last October, "was caused by a South Asian strain that contaminated a river where tens of thousands of people wash, bath, drink and play," a report from an independent U.N.-appointed panel said on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

6 May 2011

Study: XMRV retrovirus is not present in chronic fatigue syndrome patients

New findings from University of Utah School of Medicine researchers show that the retrovirus called XMRV is not present in the blood of patients who have chronic fatigue syndrome.

5 May 2011

Brazilian researchers develop hES cell line for therapeutic transplantation

Brazilian researchers, reporting in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, discovered difficulties in establishing a genetically diverse line of human embryonic stem cells to serve the therapeutic stem cell transplantation needs of the diverse ethnic and genetic Brazilian population.

3 May 2011

Washing hands with contaminated soap can increase bacterial infection

People who wash their hands with contaminated soap from bulk-soap-refillable dispensers can increase the number of disease-causing microbes on their hands and may play a role in transmission of bacteria in public settings according to research published in the May issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

3 May 2011

Food poisoning costs the United States billions: Report

According to a new report published Thursday, 14 different pathogens causing food poisoning cost the United States $14 billion annually in terms of human disease. The report comes from the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute that found that out of all the pathogen-food combinations they studied, campylobacter in poultry was the single worst offender, causing more than 600,000 illnesses per year, hospitalizing more than 7,000 people and costing, annually, $1.3 billion and 9,500 quality-of-life years.

29 Apr 2011

Researchers report game-changing advance in stem cell science

In a paper published in the April 25 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco and colleagues report a game-changing advance in stem cell science: the creation of long-term, self-renewing, primitive neural precursor cells from human embryonic stem cells that can be directed to become many types of neuron without increased risk of tumor formation.

26 Apr 2011

Study shows possibility of women living with AIDS to breastfeed with lower risk

In low-income countries, 1.4 million women are living with the Aids virus. If no prevention measures are taken, the risk for future mothers of transmitting HIV to their child in utero, during delivery or when breastfeeding is 35%.

20 Apr 2011