MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) News and Research

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Bacteria in belly buttons, armpits, and chronic wounds

Minutes after you were born, bacteria moved in. Since then, their populations have exploded, diversified and spread—on your skin and eyes and in your mouth and gut, not to mention other places. These bacterial cells now far outnumber your own cells.

30 Apr 2012

New MRSA ‘superbug’ worries experts

A deadly mutant bug could be spreading among the public warn experts. The deadly strain of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) called USA300 passes easily through skin-to-skin contact. It can also survive on surfaces and so has the potential to be picked up on crowded buses and tubes. The first cases were seen in the US but cases are now being reported in the community and not just hospitals in Britain.

3 Feb 2012

Catheter-related bloodstream infections in children

Hospitals can reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by assessing daily the patient’s progress and removing the device as early as possible, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published online March 31 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

31 Mar 2011

NanoLogix announces MRSA testing preliminary results, new Science Advisory Board members at UTHSC

NanoLogix, a biotechnology innovator in the rapid detection and identification of live-cell microorganisms, announces preliminary results of MRSA testing at the University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston. Dr. Jonathan Faro, M.D., Ph.D. has found NanoLogix technology is able to deliver results for MRSA in 6 hours, as opposed to conventional culture-based testing wait times of 24 to 48 hours.

7 Mar 2011

Honey for wound healing: Study

Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Queensland Government have found honey from an Australian native myrtle to be effective as an anti-bacterial agent that can be used to treat wounds and viruses.

3 Mar 2011

CDH first hospital in New England to use Xenex PX-UV disinfection system

Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) today announced it is the first hospital in New England to use the Xenex PX-UV disinfection system to disinfect its patient and operating rooms.

2 Feb 2011

Superantigens can disrupt immune system, can cause more illnesses

Superantigens, the toxins produced by staphylococcus bacteria, are more complex than previously believed, reveals a team of researchers from the University of Gothenburg in an article published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Their discovery shows that the body's immune system can cause more illnesses than realised.

29 Nov 2010

Coalition of organizations request FDA to govern antibiotic usage in food animal production

Today a broad coalition of organizations hand-delivered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 180,000 letters responding to the agency's request for comments on rules governing the use of antibiotics on industrial farms.

27 Aug 2010

Astrogenetix narrows in on MRSA virulence onboard space shuttle Discovery

Astronauts on board Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-131) activated an experiment this morning as part of the ninth scientific payload for Astrogenetix, an Austin, Texas-based commercial biotech company. Astrogenetix is conducting the International Space Station National Laboratory Pathfinder Vaccine (NLP-V) missions to take advantage of the unique conditions of microgravity to uncover changes in bacteria that can be targeted to create new vaccines and therapeutics.

6 Apr 2010

Scientists map origin of MRSA, technology could help understanding of other diseases

"Scientists have found a way to track minutely-differing strains of the 'superbug' MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus] as they spread between people and across the globe, a finding that could aid efforts to control the deadly bacteria," Reuters/ABC News reports (Kelland, 1/21).

23 Jan 2010

Hand washing: Best method for killing germs and protecting oneself from flu

Fears of contracting the H1N1 virus this flu season have people steering clear of strangers with coughs and scolding friends who don't sneeze into their crooked elbows. With everyone trying to stay germ free, hand sanitizer has become a popular means of protection. But although a quick pump from a Purell dispenser is the most convenient form of hand cleaning, is it the best?

11 Nov 2009

SDC-based hard surface disinfectant is effective against the 2009 H1N1

PURE Bioscience, creators of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, announced today that its SDC-based hard surface disinfectant is effective against the 2009 H1N1 and is included on the list published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of antimicrobial products effective against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain based on their effectiveness against other influenza A virus strains.

27 Oct 2009

Multiple programs and strategies to improve patient safety presented

Kathy Donohue, R.N. of Independence Blue Cross (IBC), will present on a patient safety panel as part of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Summit this morning at 10:30 a.m. at DeSales University in the Lehigh Valley.

24 Oct 2009

Sodium chloride for treating head lice

At just 31 years of age, and with a first grader in tow, single mom Wendy Langley set out to take on the giants in the head lice industry. The reason? She couldn't, as she says, stand putting a popular but potentially toxic head lice treatment that "smelled like bug spray" on her kid's head to kill lice. Plus, she was constantly terrified the runny liquid would seep into her daughter's eyes.

4 Sep 2009

Marin Catholic High School's new SAS system reduces the presence of illness-causing microorganisms

Marin Catholic High School (MCHS) and CSG, the worldwide leader in environmentally-beneficial surface treatments, today announced the school is the Bay Area's first education facility to integrate the Surface Antimicrobial System (SAS). The most environmentally friendly and long-lasting treatment of its kind, SAS has transformed 10,000 square feet of high-touch surfaces in Marin's athletic facility into materials that continuously inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, mold, and fungi for three years.

24 Aug 2009

MRSA may follow hospital patients home

Infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appears relatively common among patients discharged from the hospital into home health care, according to a report in the August 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, about one-fifth of infected patients may transmit the organism to other people in their households.

10 Aug 2009

Machine designed to reduce infections and cut back on expensive "disposables"

Johns Hopkins experts in applied physics, computer engineering, infectious diseases, emergency medicine, microbiology, pathology and surgery have unveiled a 7-foot-tall, $10,000 shower-cubicle-shaped device that automatically sanitizes in 30 minutes all sorts of hard-to-clean equipment in the highly trafficked hospital emergency department.

30 Jul 2009

Transmission of MRSA and Clostridium difficile through dogs

In a letter to the Editor of the Journal of Hospital Infection, published by Elsevier, S. Lefebvre and J.S. Weese from the University of Guelph in Canada describe a study that investigated whether MRSA and C.difficile could be passed between pet therapy dogs and patients.

7 May 2009

Household bleach has a surprising new role: an effective treatment for kids' chronic eczema

Researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered powerful relief in the form of diluted beach baths. It's a cheap, simple and safe treatment that drastically improves the rash as well as reduces flare-ups of eczema, which affects 17 percent of school-age children.

27 Apr 2009

Natural plant cannabinoids reduce multi-drug resistant infections

Cannabis Science, Inc., Dr. Robert Melamede, PhD., Director and Chief Science Officer, reported to the Board on the current state of research into the use of natural plant cannabinoids to reduce the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA), and the prospects for development of topical whole-cannabis treatments.

23 Apr 2009