Bodyguards in the gut have a chemical weapon
(Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology) Beneficial bacteria in the gut of moth larvae produce an antibiotic that kills competing bacteria which otherwise have detrimental effects on insect development. An international team of scientists under the direction of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, were able to demonstrate for the first time that symbiotic Enterococcus mundtii bacteria secrete the antimicrobial peptide mundticin. It enters harmful germs in the gut of the African cotton leafworm and kills them. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - January 19, 2017 Category: Biology Source Type: news
NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System) Integrated Report: 2014
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 11/18/2016 This 33-page report summarizes the major findings of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) for calendar year 2014, including the most important resistance findings for Salmonella and Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus. Although overall resistance continues to remain low for most human infections, and there have been measurable improvements in resistance levels in some important areas, the report discusses a few findings of potential concern. (PDF) (Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health)
Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health - December 20, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: The U.S. National Library of Medicine Source Type: news
How gut microbes help chemotherapy drugs
(Cell Press) Two bacterial species that inhabit the human gut activate immune cells to boost the effectiveness of a commonly prescribed anticancer drug, researchers report Oct. 4 in Immunity. The study identifies a new role for Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis in activating cancer-fighting T cell immune responses, thereby enhancing the effects of the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide. Moreover, this microbe-driven immune response predicted longer progression-free survival in advanced lung and ovarian cancer patients treated with chemo-immunotherapy. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Study explains how an intestinal microbe protects against other, more dangerous bacteria
Working in animal models, scientists have found that an enzyme produced by one microbe can shield the gut against attack from other, more harmful bacteria. The findings could potentially inform the design of new probiotics for use against dangerous pathogens like those spreading hospital-acquired infections. More » (Source: The Rockefeller University Newswire)
Source: The Rockefeller University Newswire - October 3, 2016 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Geoffrey Shearer Tags: Science News Clostridium difficile Daniel Mucida Enterococcus faecium Howard Hang immunology Kavita Rangan microbiology microbiome probiotics Virginia Pedicord Virology Source Type: news
[Report] A secreted bacterial peptidoglycan hydrolase enhances tolerance to enteric pathogens
The intestinal microbiome modulates host susceptibility to enteric pathogens, but the specific protective factors and mechanisms of individual bacterial species are not fully characterized. We show that secreted antigen A (SagA) from Enterococcus faecium is sufficient to protect Caenorhabditis elegans against Salmonella pathogenesis by promoting pathogen tolerance. The NlpC/p60 peptidoglycan hydrolase activity of SagA is required and generates muramyl-peptide fragments that are sufficient to protect C. elegans against Salmonella pathogenesis in a tol-1–dependent manner. SagA can also be heterologously expressed and secre...
Source: ScienceNOW - September 22, 2016 Category: Science Authors: Kavita J. Rangan Source Type: news
What Causes Hyperphosphatemia?
Discussion
Constipation is a common problem in general pediatrics and its causes are numerous. It can cause acute and recurrent abdominal pain and is a cause of abdominal distention. Patients who are young, whose presentations are other than routine or who had complications should be invested for underlying causes of their constipation. This patient had undergone some evaluations in the past for constipation but because of the presentation of sepsis a more rigorous evaluation was undertaken. The differential diagnoses of the following can be found here: constipation, acute abdominal pain, recurrent abdominal pain, and abdo...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - September 12, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Says Hospitals Making Progress Against Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs But More Work Is Needed
Adapted from MedlinePlus (Health Day)
Health officials report that U.S. hospitals are making huge strides in the fight against antibiotic-resistance superbugs nevertheless, far too many people are becoming infected in health care facilities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advocating doctors, nurses and other health professionals to lead the fight against infections.
Study senior author Dr. Clifford McDonald states, “It is reported that more than 700,000 patients in the United States are infected by bacteria and 75, 000 die from acquired infections.”
He also adds, “In some hospitals, more than...
Source: Network News - March 18, 2016 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Marcus Spann Tags: Advocacy Public Health Source Type: news
Wayne State receives $1.9 million NIH award to aid in treatment of life-threatening infections
(Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) bacteria can often be serious and life threatening. These drug-resistant bacterial pathogens are one of the most problematic in the hospital setting, especially in immune system deficient patients, and constitute an emerging local and global health crisis. Wayne State University recently received a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the the National Institutes of Health to further explore treatment of these problematic bacteria in the hospital setting. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectiou...
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - January 15, 2016 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Paint Shield Microbicidal Paint Kills Bacteria
Paint Shield™ becomes first EPA-registered paint that kills greater than 99.9 percent of Staph (Staphylococcus aureus), MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli (Escherichia coli), VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis), and Enterobacter aerogenes after two hours of exposure on a painted surface (Source: Disabled World)
Source: Disabled World - October 31, 2015 Category: Disability Tags: Household Products and Aids Source Type: news
Biological activities of tetrodotoxin-producing Enterococcus faecium AD1 isolated from puffer fishes - Nguyen TH, Nguyen HN, Nghe DV, Nguyen KH.
Puffer fishes were collected from the central sea in Vietnam from spring to summer season. The eggs were incubated in MRS broth that was used to test the toxicity in mice and isolate the lactic acid bacteria community that could produce tetrodotoxin (TTX).... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))
Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) - September 26, 2015 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Non-Human Animals and Insects Source Type: news
Medical News Today: Superbugs could be defeated by fecal transplantation
An animal study finds success with fecal stool transplantation against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - September 4, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Source Type: news
Out-of-date cosmetics and make up might be making you sick
Six products were tested by London Metropolitan University with four out of the five testing positive for enterococcus faecalis, bacteria which causes meningitis and Septicaemia. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - August 25, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Light fixture kills bacteria safely, continuously
A new light fixture uses Continuous Environmental Disinfection technology to continuously kill harmful bacteria linked to hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The technology behind the Indigo-Clean™ inactivates a wide range of micro-organisms that are known causes of HAIs, including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), C.difficile and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus). (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - June 26, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news
A Case of Endocarditis
We describe a rare case of vancomycin-resistant E. casseliflavus native-valve infective endocarditis. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 17, 2015 Category: Microbiology Authors: Scott W. Aesif, Mark Delman, John F. Keiser Tags: Case Report Source Type: news
Ultraviolet cleaning reduces hospital superbugs by 20 percent: Study
(Elsevier Health Sciences) Healthcare-associated vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, and other multidrug-resistant organisms were decreased among patients after adding ultraviolet environmental disinfection to the cleaning regimen, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - May 27, 2014 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
