Enterococci: From commensals to leading causes of drug resistant infection on Bookshelf
“Enterococci: From commensals to leading causes of drug resistant infection” (Michael S Gilmore, Don B Clewell, Yasuyoshi Ike, and Nathan Shankar, editors; Boston: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; 2014), a comprehensive text aiming to advance the understanding of Enterococci is free to access on the NCBI Bookshelf. This book has been compiled from peer-reviewed content contributed by leaders in the Enterococcus research community, and will be regularly updated on the Bookshelf. (Source: NCBI Announcements)
Source: NCBI Announcements - April 15, 2014 Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: news
Quorum Sensing in Gram-Positive Bacteria: Assay Protocols for Staphylococcal agr and Enterococcal fsr Systems
A thiolactone/lactone peptide-mediated quorum sensing (QS) system is commonly employed in gram-positive bacteria to control the expression of a variety of phenotypes, including the production of virulence factors and biofilm formation. Here, we describe assay protocols for the well-studied QS systems (agr and fsr) of two representative gram-positive pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. These convenient assay systems are useful for the screening of QS inhibitors as well as for basic research to address the mechanism of these QS systems. (Source: Springer protocols feed by Microbiology)
Source: Springer protocols feed by Microbiology - March 27, 2014 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
Probiotics reduce piglet pathogens
(American Society for Microbiology) Piglets fed probiotic Enterococcus faecium showed reduced numbers of potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli strains in their intestines, according to a team of German researchers. The research is important, because in 2006 the European Union prohibited the feeding of antibiotics to livestock as growth promoters. Therefore, the research team sought to investigate whether probiotics could substitute for antibiotics, by reducing pathogen populations in the intestines. The study was published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - November 14, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
Charted Penicillin Allergy Predicts VRE
BALTIMORE (MedPage Today) -- People with a medical chart warning of penicillin allergy are more likely to be among patients with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), a researcher said here. (Source: MedPage Today Allergy)
Source: MedPage Today Allergy - November 11, 2013 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: news
Gloves and gowns do not protect against MRSA or VRE, study shows
Researchers have found that wearing gloves and gowns in intensive care units does not reduce overall rates of acquiring MRSA or VRE, a study published online by JAMA has revealed. Bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) are the primary causes of health care-associated infections. And these, as the study notes, are the most common complication of hospital care, affecting an estimated 5% of inpatients. The study also records that the cost of antibiotic-resistance in the US is estimated at more than $4 billion per year... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - October 5, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: MRSA / Drug Resistance Source Type: news
Study examines effect of use of gloves and gowns for all patient contact in ICUs on MRSA or VRE
(The JAMA Network Journals) The wearing of gloves and gowns by health care workers for all intensive care unit patient contact did not reduce the rate of acquisition of a combination of the bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, although there was a lower risk of MRSA acquisition alone, according to a study published online by JAMA. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - October 4, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
Infective Endocarditis: An Antibiotic Class to Avoid?Infective Endocarditis: An Antibiotic Class to Avoid?
This F1000 commentary reports on a study which supports a revised approach to treating infective endocarditis caused by Enterococcus faecalis. Faculty of 1000 (Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines)
Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines - September 17, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Infectious Diseases Commentary Source Type: news
Researchers are defeating persistent bacteria known for causing infections in hospitals
The bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis, are the second-leading cause of hospital-associated infections in the U.S., said Lynn Hancock, associate professor of biology and leader of the research. His team has discovered how a regulatory system helps this bacteria resist a host's innate immune defense - a finding that may help develop novel drug compounds to fight the bacteria. "Right now, we have very limited therapeutic interventions because the bacteria is highly resistant to not only antibiotics but a variety of other environmental stresses," Hancock said... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - July 20, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: MRSA / Drug Resistance Source Type: news
Unusual Biochemistry Yields Lethal Bacterial Protein
While working out the structure of a cell-killing protein produced by some strains of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, researchers stumbled on a bit of unusual biochemistry. They found that a single enzyme helps form distinctly different, three-dimensional ring structures in the protein, one of which had never been observed before... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - January 24, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Source Type: news
Odd biochemistry yields lethal bacterial protein
While working out the structure of a cell-killing protein produced by some strains of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, researchers stumbled on a bit of unusual biochemistry. They found that a single enzyme helps form distinctly different, three-dimensional ring structures in the protein, one of which had never been observed before. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - January 22, 2013 Category: Science Source Type: news
Study: Odd biochemistry yields lethal bacterial protein
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) While working out the structure of a cell-killing protein produced by some strains of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, researchers stumbled on a bit of unusual biochemistry. They found that a single enzyme helps form distinctly different, three-dimensional ring structures in the protein, one of which had never been observed before. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - January 22, 2013 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
