Human hair makes good fertilizer Jan 6, 2009
While some plants, such as legumes, get their nitrogen through symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, others rely on , whether organic (composted plant waste or animal manure) or inorganic (the man-made stuff you buy at the gardening center). Previous studies had also shown that discarded from barbershops and hair salons can also be a nutrient source for plants when combined with other compost materials. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Human Antibodies Take 'Evolutionary Leaps' Jan 6, 2009
5, 2009) With cold and flu season in full swing, the fact that viruses and bacteria rapidly evolve is apparent with every sneeze, sniffle, and cough ... Part of the process involves tailoring the genes that code for antibodies to specific viruses or bacteria. (Science Daily)
Microbes In The Intestine: Friend Or Foe? Jan 6, 2009
It must constantly decide when it must mount a counterattack against an inflammation that keeps the pathogenic germs in check by means of an activated defence response or when it needs to maintain the status quo in which humans and useful bacteria live in symbiosis. She says that the commonest intestinal microbes in mammalian evolution are symbiotic bacteria and worm infections ... This is why Harris and her team research the different aspects of the immune defence in the intestine to understand... (Science Daily)
Summary for Patients Jan 6, 2009
This difference is due to patient factors, such as underlying illness, and to the types of bacteria that cause pneumonia in these 2 settings. Doctors have recently become aware that pneumonia in patients who are not in the hospital, but have had recent contact with a health care setting, have worse outcomes than patients who have not had such contact. (Annals of Internal Medicine)
International copper industry defines role in the fight against hospital infections Jan 6, 2009
NEW YORK, NY (January 5, 2009) The copper industry is working together to answer one very important question: Can copper and copper alloys (brass and bronze) help curb the spread of bacteria that cause hospital infection ... Scientists from around the world shared their work at the first world congress, 'Copper and Public Health', on copper's role in fighting the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections ... 9 percent effective in killing specific disease-causing bacteria, including... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
West Jakarta to screen water depots Jan 6, 2009
JAKARTA: The West Jakarta administration plans to screen 384 drinking water refill depots within the municipality in February to ensure the water is not polluted by E. coli bacteria, an official said Monday. According to the municipality's survey last year, out of the 640 depots across its eight districts, 60 percent of them, or 384, were found to refill water contaminated with the bacteria. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- City)
For a bacterial species, 'sibling' competition can turn deadly Jan 6, 2009
For a bacterial species, 'sibling' competition can turn deadly - International Herald Tribune ... For a bacterial species, 'sibling' competition can turn deadly ... Among a certain bacterial species, however, sibling colonies take competition to a deadly level, researchers report in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Added risk with snack in summer Jan 6, 2009
The NSW Food Authority has warned that food-borne illnesses are on the increase as warmer temperatures provide a fertile breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. It comes as victims of the French Golden Hot Bakery incident - the worst case of food poisoning in the state's history, in which 136 people were admitted to hospital - consider legal action against the shop's owners. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Teen Dies From Bacterial Meningitis Jan 6, 2009
-- The father of a 15-year-old girl who died Friday from bacterial meningitis said his daughter's immune system may have been weakened from a bout of mononucleosis three months ago ... Doctors then performed a spinal tap, finally determining that Ashley's spinal fluid was infected with the bacteria ... Meningitis is caused by a bacterial or viral infection of the cerebrospinal fluid. (7 KETV Omaha)
Travolta son's death triggers controversy Jan 6, 2009
One study several years ago suggested carpet cleaning might trigger Kawasaki, but the prevailing theory is that a virus or bacteria may kick it off in children who have a genetic susceptibility to the disorder, he said. But in a 2003 appearance on the Montel Williams show, Ms. Preston said she believed her son's Kawasaki was triggered by household chemicals and pesticides, and said she used a technique developed by Scientology founder and science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard to detoxify her son... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Dangers of antibiotics Jan 5, 2009
Because the drugs kill a broad spectrum of bacteria, he said, a doctor has a good shot at covering whatever is causing the infection. While other, older or more targeted antibiotics might be considered the first-line therapy, he said, doctors may prescribe a fluoroquinolone first in case the infection is resistant to the older antibiotic. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Beacon Hill Roll Call Jan 5, 2009
Supporters said that most schools do not sterilize these instruments and pointed to studies showing that bacteria which cause strep and staph infections can thrive for months inside these instruments. They argued that the instruments can be free of bacteria on, in, and around the instrument itself and its case by using the same gas sterilization process that is used to sterilize medical instruments. (Medfield Press, MA)
New medical uses found for marijuana Jan 5, 2009
The mounting uses of medicinal marijuana got higher after researchers found compounds in marijuana can combat certain strands of bacteria ... A recent study by Italian and U.K. scientists, which will be published in the Sept. Journal of Natural Products shows that cannabinoids, compounds found in marijuana, could be a potential answer to drug resistant strains of bacteria ... Researchers isolated five cannabinoids and tested them for their effectiveness against the bacteria present in drug... (Boston University Daily Free Press, MA)
Cranberry as Effective as Antibiotics for UTIs Jan 5, 2009
In fact, resistance to trimenthoprim in bacteria causing UTIs has been steadily increasing in Northern European and American countries from 10 to 15 percent in the 1970s to about 24 percent in 2004. . (Newsmax)
Nestl solves problem of probiotic fragility Jan 5, 2009
Probiotic fragility Probiotics are living bacteria, which have to be kept alive - not only in the body, but also in foods when they are consumed. This is essential to give consumers health and wellness benefits that probiotics provide. (Australian Food)
Spread Cheer, Not Germs, This Holiday Season Jan 4, 2009
Two simple things can go a long way toward ensuring that you're not sharing bacteria along with your cookies and fudge -- keeping your hands clean and making sure you are cleaning them correctly. "Washing your hands often is the number one thing you can do to fight the spread of infection, particularly after coughing or sneezing into your hands," says Cooper. (Pekin Times, IL)
REGION: County's boil water orders often for small systems Jan 4, 2009
The most recent of the orders, which are prompted by test results that show coliform bacteria is in the water, was issued Nov. 21, a week before Thanksgiving, and lifted Dec.11 ... Under state and federal law, water systems of all sizes must have a state-approved lab test for bacteria and other contaminants ... Experts say coliform bacteria are ubiquitous and don't make people sick ---- but if coliform makes it into a water system it means more threatening bacteria, such as E. coli, could get... (North County Times)
'Bug' could combat dengue fever Jan 3, 2009
Australian scientists, writing in the journal Science, found that Wolbachia bacteria spread well through laboratory-bred mosquitoes ... Experts said it remained to be seen how well the bacteria would spread outside the laboratory ... The mosquito which carries the dengue virus is not naturally susceptible to the bacteria, so the researchers adapted it to create a successful infection. (BBC News)
John Travolta's 16 Year Old Son Die... Jan 3, 2009
While a medical reason of the disease has not been definitely established, there a number of theories that link the disease to viruses, bacteria, environmental chemicals or pollutants. The first phase begins with a high fever that lasts one to two weeks. (Suite101.com)
Retired druggist fears biological attack, urges stockpiling antibiotic Jan 3, 2009
Bob Graham of Florida found "it is more likely than not" that a weapon of mass destruction --such as deadly anthrax bacteria -- will be used somewhere in the world. That finding in the report titled "World at Risk," combined with its emphasis that the nation is not doing enough to prepare, sent Murphy into action. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Infection cuts mosquitoes' lives short Jan 3, 2009
They genetically engineered bacteria known as Wolbachia so they would infect the Aedes aegypti mosquito species that carry the dengue virus, and found infected mosquitoes lived half as long as uninfected mosquitoes ... Wolbachia bacteria, which occur naturally in fruit flies, allowed the mosquito to live long enough to reproduce and spread to its young, but not to mature to the stage when it is capable of transmitting dengue. (Scientific American)
Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble Jan 3, 2009
Although no one is sure why bisphosphonates seem to have this effect only on jaw bones, Sedghizadeh speculated that the drugs may make it easier for bacteria to adhere to bone that is exposed after a tooth extraction. Previously, experts had thought that ONJ in people taking intravenous bisphosphonates was related to their underlying condition (for example, cancer) than to the actual drug, Liu explained. (MEDLINEplus)
Preventive Use of Antibiotics Cuts ICU Deaths Jan 3, 2009
What's more, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria did not increase in patients receiving antibiotic treatment, the researchers said. "I believe we should revise the antibiotic policy for the ICU," de Smet said in a news release. (MEDLINEplus)
Structure Of New Botulism Nerve Toxin Subtype Revealed Jan 3, 2009
2, 2009) Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have determined the atomic-level structure of a third subtype of botulinum neurotoxin a deadly toxin produced by certain bacteria that causes the disease botulism, and is also used in cosmetic and therapeutic applications such as reducing wrinkles and calming a hyperactive bladder ... 1, 2000) The toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria are among the deadliest known to humankind. (Science Daily)
Common Oral Osteoporosis Drugs Linked To Serious Jaw Necrosis Jan 3, 2009
The infection is a biofilm bacterial process, meaning that the bacteria infecting the mouth and jaw tissues reside within a slimy matrix that protects the bacteria from many conventional antibiotic treatments, and bisphosphonate use may make the infection more aggressive in adhering to the jaw, Sedghizadeh said ... Microbial biofilms, a mix of bacteria and sticky extracellular. (Science Daily)
Alcohol rub to help combat hospital bugs Jan 3, 2009
Professor Pittet said alcohol worked faster and more efficiently than soap, and was "extremely good in killing bacteria". A version of the hand rub known as DeBug, which is 70 per cent alcohol, was introduced at Melbourne's Austin Health hospital three years ago. (Yahoo News -- Antibiotics)
Genetic engineering now a home hobby Jan 3, 2009
In her San Francisco dining room lab, for example, 31-year-old computer programmer Meredith L. Patterson is trying to develop genetically altered yogurt bacteria that will glow green to signal the presence of melamine, the chemical that turned Chinese-made baby formula and pet food deadly ... a group called DIYbio is setting up a community lab where the public could use chemicals and lab equipment, including a used freezer, scored for free off Craigslist, that drops to 80 degrees below zero, the... (Missoulian, MT)
Report: Toyota Developing Solar-Powered Car Jan 3, 2009
I am waiting for bacteria that produce hydrogen from waste. But i prefer a genetically altered plant or algea that capture sunlight and uses that sunlight to produce hydrogen directly through the use of enzymes as the bacteria do it. (DailyTech)
Madcap moments from the world of work Jan 3, 2009
swabbed 33 computer keyboards at a London office, it found four with enough bacteria to be potential health hazards, and one with five times more germs than an office toilet seat. In a survey of 1,000 employees at English companies conducted for Norwich Union Healthcare, one in three admitted going to work with a hangover, and more than one in 10 said they had been drunk at their desk. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Saving Lives with Coal Jan 3, 2009
Millions avoid deadly intestinal bacteria, due to refrigerators and freezers, and water that is sterilized and piped in large measure because of electricity. American families live in houses that are built from stronger materials and to higher standards, because of electricity. (Townhall.com)
USDA: Farms’ Use of Milk Culturing Increasing Jan 3, 2009
In the battle against bacteria, more U.S. dairy farms are culturing bacteria from samples of their milk. The idea is to find out what kinds of bacteria might be causing mastitis ... Some grow and identify the bacteria right on their farms, while others turn the task over to a veterinary lab or lab run by a university or state. (Agri-View, WI)
Special report: The sea Jan 2, 2009
When rainwater contaminated with these fertilisers and other nutrients reaches the sea, as it does where the Mississippi runs into the Gulf of Mexico, an explosion of toxic algae and bacteria takes place, killing fish, absorbing almost all the oxygen and leaving a microbially dominated ecosystem, often based on a carpet of slime. Each of these phenomena would be bad enough on its own, but all appear to be linked, usually synergistically. (The Economist)
Antibiotics before infections save lives: study Jan 2, 2009
Drug-resistant bacteria are a growing problem in hospitals worldwide, marked by the rise of superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus, or MRSA. Such infections kill about 19,000 people a year in the United States, while more than 4,000 a year in Britain are infected. The World Health Organization cites hospital-acquired infections as a major cause of death and disability worldwide and experts have been saying for year that poor hospital practices spread dangerous bacteria ...... (Reuters)
Link To Severe Staph Infections Found Jan 2, 2009
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the antibiotic-resistant USA300 CA MRSA strain is typically acquired by persons through contact with the bacteria ... "The bacteria is not the same as it was several years ago. It has all of the weapons and toxins that other strains don't have, which makes it easier for this strain to survive efficiently inside of cells," Brown said ... 7, 2006) Researchers in Houston, Texas, have found two bacterial muscle infections common in... (Science Daily)
PRHC above provincial infection rate Jan 2, 2009
Enterococci are bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract, the bowels, of most individuals and generally dont cause harm, the ministry states ... It is just a type of bacteria thats learned to become resistant to certain types of antibiotics, she said. (Peterborough Examiner)
Holiday nightmare - For some, risk of food poisoning looms large at seasonal potlucks Jan 2, 2009
Holiday potlucks are not always joyful occasions - in that spread some people see only a minefield of food-poisoning bacteria waiting to wreak havoc ... But in that spread some people see only a minefield of food-poisoning bacteria waiting to wreak havoc ... Campylobacter: Contamination from this bacterial pathogen can come from eating undercooked chicken or other foods tainted with raw chicken juices (hence the need to thoroughly wash cutting boards and knives). (Missoulian, MT)
Retired doctor offers new leg for Bitterroot man Jan 2, 2009
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria that can turn deadly ... Staph is the leading cause of bacterial infection in the developed world, although no one is sure why some people are more susceptible to infection than others, said Frank DeLeo, acting chief of the Rocky Mountain Human Bacterial Pathogenesis program at Hamilton's Rocky Mountain Laboratories. (Missoulian, MT)
EPA to Regulate Nanoproducts Sold As Germ-Killing Jan 2, 2009
The decision -- which will affect the marketing of high-tech odor-destroying shoe liners, food-storage containers, air fresheners, washing machines and a wide range of other products that contain tiny bacteria-killing particles of silver -- marks a significant reversal in federal policy ... That has concerned environmentalists and others who think that the growing amount of nanosilver washed down drains may be killing beneficial bacteria and aquatic organisms and may also pose risks to human... (Yahoo News -- Nanotechnology)
Poultry appeal to be heard in March Jan 2, 2009
U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell ruled Sept. 29 that the attorney general had not proven that bacteria in the 1-million acre Illinois River watershed came from the poultry waste and not from cattle manure or even human septic systems ... Price said Edmondson and Environment Secretary J.D. Strong want an order from the appeals court to "drastically reduce the runoff of bacteria-laden poultry waste" to make lakes and rivers safer for swimmers and canoeists. (Pine Bluff Commercial, AR)
Depositions Taken In Anthrax Case Jan 2, 2009
Hatfill's lawsuit, filed in 2003 in U.S. District Court in Washington, accuses the Justice Department of violating the Privacy Act and his civil rights by labeling him a "person of interest" in the mailings of envelopes containing anthrax bacteria. He has denied any part in the mailings, which killed five people. (Yahoo News -- Biological and Chemical Weapons)
Bill Gates' millions to battle TB Jan 2, 2009
"We are in the midst of a new TB epidemic. The world desperately needs an effect vaccine to prevent TB, particularly in adolescents and adults. Dr Jerald Sadoff: New approaches are promising "Through accelerated research and development, a new vaccine could permanently change the trajectory of the epidemic and save millions of lives every year," he added. Two billion people - one out of every three people on Earth - are infected with the TB pathogen, a bacterium called Mycobacterium... (Yahoo News -- Tuberculosis)
Sars patients can provide therapy Jan 2, 2009
The researchers exposed the cells to cocktail containing the Epstein-Barr virus and a short stretch of synthetic DNA that mimics some of the DNA found in bacteria and viruses. This not only triggered the cells to start dividing indefinitely, but also sped up the process, effectively creating a high-powered antibody factory. (Yahoo News -- SARS)
USC dentist links Fosomax-type drugs to jaw necrosis Jan 2, 2009
The infection is a biofilm bacterial process, meaning that the bacteria infecting the mouth and jaw tissues reside within a slimy matrix that protects the bacteria from many conventional antibiotic treatments, and bisphosphonate use may make the infection more aggressive in adhering to the jaw, Sedghizadeh said. The danger is especially pronounced with procedures that directly expose the jaw bone, such as tooth extractions and other oral surgery. (EurekAlert!)
Breakthrough in dengue fever Jan 2, 2009
"What we've done is put this naturally occurring bacteria into the mosquitoes that actually halves their adult lifespan so they don't live long enough to be able to transmit the virus." ... He said while the laboratory tests, which involved researchers allowing the bacteria-infected mosquitoes to bite their arms because the species needs human blood to breed, had been successful, it would be several years before the technique would be tested in the wild. (India Times, India)
Think these foods are healthy? Wrong! Jan 1, 2009
Some dairy-free ice creams are made with chicory root, a natural source of inulin, a prebiotic fiber that can increase healthy bacteria in the gut and help the body absorb calcium and iron. Try: Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent, made with coconut milk. (MSNBC -- Health)
Factions of the honey industry fight for control Jan 1, 2009
Theories abound on the cause of the deaths, with various entomologists, apiculturists and government scientists studying stress from repeated pollination, nutritional deficiencies, mites, viruses, bacteria and pesticides, including a neo-nicotinoid insecticide that attacks the nervous system of any insect it comes into contact with. The agricultural chemical, produced by Bayer CropScience, has been banned in several European countries because of reported bee kills. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Family Rejection Of Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Children Linked To Poor Health In Childhood Jan 1, 2009
Endotoxins are shed by bacteria in household dust. . (Science Daily)
A healthy start to the year Jan 1, 2009
Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts. They are available to consumers mainly in the form of dietary supplements and foods. (iAfrica.com)
Digestive health Jan 1, 2009
Improve your good bacteria count for better well-being. BILLIONS of bacteria live in our digestive system ... There are good bacteria that we should nurture and allow to proliferate. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Bacterial Virulence and the Living System Jan 1, 2009
A golden era followed Fleming's discovery of penicillin, during which many novel classes of antibacterial drugs were developed. Most of these antibiotics, such as streptomycin and tetracycline, are derivatives of natural compounds released by microbes (often fungi or soil bacteria) to kill competitors found nearby in the environment ... Initially, candidate antibiotics were identified in simple inhibition or killing screens with the use of sensitive target bacteria grown on laboratory culture... (New England Journal of Medicine)
Fewer deaths with preventive antibiotic use Jan 1, 2009
The number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria did not increase in these patients. Although the patients in the control group were in general slightly less sick, the statistical data were adjusted to reflect this. (EurekAlert!)
Warming may spread tick-borne disease Dec 31, 2008
Of the 133 ticks they tested, nearly 30 percent were infected with varieties of Rickettsia, a genus of bacteria that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Mediterranean spotted fever, and other life-threatening diseases. In the general dog tick population, fewer than 1 percent are usually infected. (MSNBC -- Health)
Highly Resistant Bacteria Common in ER Workers Dec 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Health care workers in emergency departments are often carriers of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or (MRSA), potentially putting patients at risk, according to two reports in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. (MEDLINEplus)
Infection Control Important for High-Risk Patients Dec 31, 2008
Isolation plus antibiotics also reduced bacterial infections of the blood, infections with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and Candida (yeast) infections. The intervention did not have a significant effect on the risk of mold infections. (MEDLINEplus)
London hospitals flagged for superbugs Dec 31, 2008
The bacteria can cause serious, difficult-to-treat infections, especially in patients with open wounds or weakened immune systems ... The new infection-control measures are already showing signs of making a difference, with the hospital infection rates for C. difficile, another bacteria being tracked by the province, declining, Flett said. (London Free Press)
Whooping cough on the rise (1) Dec 31, 2008
Caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, whooping cough is contracted by breathing in contaminated respiratory droplets or contact with articles freshly contaminated with contaminated droplets. Early symptoms of pertussis include runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and low-grade fever. (Russellville News Democrat Leader, KY)
Letters to the Editor (Dec. 30) Dec 31, 2008
They interviewed scientists attempting to create bacteria that will gobble the methane and scientists in Australia trying to grow meat artifically. The biggest piece they've made is very small, so far. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
10 percent of infants stricken with virus Dec 31, 2008
Antibiotics aren't used because RSV is a virus and antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, according to a KidsHealth Web site. "You just have to wait it out," Ficher said. (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
Flu expected to worsen as deadly Australian strain hits Europe Dec 31, 2008
However, as you rightly point out, the secondary infection is often bacterial and doctors should then prescribe antibiotics. A few years ago I had a dreadful cough and cold - I called out a private doctor (this was in London) who thankfully was French and immediately prescribed antibiotics - my cough cleared within hours (because the bacterial infection in my throat was cleared not because it cleared to cold virus) ... Antibiotics can ONLY treat bacteria. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Differences between Common Colds an... Dec 30, 2008
Both influenza and colds can predispose one to pneumonia by damaging the lining of the respiratory tract, paving way for bacteria to enter. Influenza in itself can also cause viral pneumonia. (Suite101.com)
Make Your Own All-Natural Deodorant Dec 30, 2008
Deodorants, by contrast, do not interfere with the sweating process, but rather serve to neutralize the smell of sweat and bacteria. Natural Deodorant Recipe. (Suite101.com)
Cracking the 1918 influenza pandemic Dec 30, 2008
Understanding how bacteria and viruses transmit is vital to preventing infection ... Sometimes bacteria cause the pneumonia and sometimes flu does it directly ... Four licensed drugs can fight flu but the viruses regularly mutate into resistant forms just as bacteria evolve into forms that evade antibiotics. (MSNBC -- Health)
Nanotechnology May Be Used For Food Safety Dec 30, 2008
30, 2008) A microscopic biological sensor that detects Salmonella bacteria in lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and university colleagues ... The antibodies hook onto Salmonella bacteria and the dye lights up like a beacon, making the bacteria easier to see ... A microscopic biological sensor that can detect Salmonella bacteria--shown here in a petri dish--in lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service scientist and university... (Science Daily)
Microbiologist Tests Safety Of Spiked Eggnog Dec 30, 2008
29, 2008) With one in every 20,000 eggs contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, drinking homemade eggnog can be something of a gamble. But an experiment designed to test whether the alcohol in spiked eggnog can kill the deadly bugs suggests that, in general, few bacteria survive in a mixture containing both raw eggs and 20 percent rum and bourbon ... The experiment, which was done by Rockefeller University professor Vincent A. Fischetti at the request of National Public Radio s Science Friday... (Science Daily)
Nutritious Fast-food Kids' Meals Are Scarce, Researchers Find Dec 30, 2008
Food scientists at The Ohio State University wanted to see if cooler water could kill bacteria on dirty dishes like E. coli and salmonella. The. (Science Daily)
