External Quality Assessment of Laboratory Performance: European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net), 2017
Source: European Union, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Published: 11/2018.
This 25-page report provides an analysis of the external quality assessment (EQA) performance of laboratories participating in the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) in 2017. A total of 893 laboratories participated in the EQA exercise. Six bacterial strains were used: Acinetobacter baumannii complex, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
(PDF) (Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health)
Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health - November 13, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Probiotic bacteria block harmful microbe
Researchers identified how Bacillus bacteria, which are used in many probiotic formulations, can prevent the growth of harmful Staphylococcus aureus, or “staph,” bacteria. (Source: NIH Research Matters from the National Institutes of Health (NIH))
Source: NIH Research Matters from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - October 23, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Medical News Today: The probiotic that kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus are highly resistant to antibiotics and can be deadly. New research shows that a probiotic can destroy them. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - October 11, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: MRSA / Drug Resistance Source Type: news
Genome hypermobility by lateral transduction
Genetic transduction is a major evolutionary force that underlies bacterial adaptation. Here we report that the temperate bacteriophages of Staphylococcus aureus engage in a distinct form of transduction we term lateral transduction. Staphylococcal prophages do not follow the previously described excision-replication-packaging pathway but instead excise late in their lytic program. Here, DNA packaging initiates in situ from integrated prophages, and large metameric spans including several hundred kilobases of the S. aureus genome are packaged in phage heads at very high frequency. In situ replication before DNA packaging c...
Source: ScienceNOW - October 11, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Chen, J., Quiles-Puchalt, N., Chiang, Y. N., Bacigalupe, R., Fillol-Salom, A., Chee, M. S. J., Fitzgerald, J. R., Penades, J. R. Tags: Microbiology r-articles Source Type: news
NIH study finds probiotic Bacillus eliminates Staphylococcus bacteria
(NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) A new study from NIH scientists and their Thai colleagues shows that a 'good' bacterium commonly found in probiotic digestive supplements helps eliminate Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that can cause serious antibiotic-resistant infections. The researchers, led by NIAID, unexpectedly found that Bacillus bacteria prevented S. aureus bacteria from growing in the gut and nose of healthy individuals. Researchers from Mahidol University and Rajamangala University of Technology in Thailand collaborated on the project. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - October 10, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Therapy Dogs Can Spread Superbugs to Kids, Hospital Finds
(NEW YORK) — Therapy dogs can bring more than joy and comfort to hospitalized kids. They can also bring stubborn germs.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore were suspicious that the dogs might pose an infection risk to patients with weakened immune systems. So they conducted some tests when Pippi, Poppy, Badger and Winnie visited 45 children getting cancer treatment.
They discovered that kids who spent more time with the dogs had a 6 times greater chance of coming away with superbug bacteria than kids who spent less time with the animals. But the study also found that washing the dogs before visits and usin...
Source: TIME: Health - October 5, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: MIKE STOBBE / AP Tags: Uncategorized health onetime Research Source Type: news
Cleaning procedure prevents therapy dogs from spreading MRSA to children with cancer
(Infectious Diseases Society of America) Therapy dogs help ease stress in young patients with cancer, but can spread methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), putting vulnerable kids at risk for a serious infection. Cleaning the dogs with special antibacterial shampoo and wipes reduces MRSA carriage and helps keep the kids safe, suggests a first-of-its-kind study presented at IDWeek 2018. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - October 5, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
MRSA Contamination of Hospital Privacy Curtains Common MRSA Contamination of Hospital Privacy Curtains Common
Two weeks after being hung, 87.5% of hospital privacy curtains were contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a small study found.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines - October 3, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Hospital Medicine News Source Type: news
Interventions for the eradication of meticillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in people with cystic fibrosis
This review concluded that whilst early eradication of respiratory MRSA in cystic fibrosis with oral trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole combined with rifampicin is possible, the evidence is of low quality to justify use. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - September 28, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
DNA islands effective as 'anti-bacterial drones'
Genomic "islands" that evolved from viruses can be converted into "drones" that disable Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria that are often resistant to antibiotics and pose a threat to safe hospital care, a new study finds. Conducted by researchers from NYU School of Medicine and published online in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the study found that a certain type of bacterial DNA can be engineered to replace disease-causing genes with ones that kill or cripple bacteria. (Source: World Pharma News)
Source: World Pharma News - September 24, 2018 Category: Pharmaceuticals Tags: Featured Research Research and Development Source Type: news
The pseudokinase MLKL activates PAD4-dependent NET formation in necroptotic neutrophils
Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation can generate short-term, functional anucleate cytoplasts and trigger loss of cell viability. We demonstrated that the necroptotic cell death effector mixed lineage kinase domain–like (MLKL) translocated from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane and stimulated downstream NADPH oxidase–independent ROS production, loss of cytoplasmic granules, breakdown of the nuclear membrane, chromatin decondensation, histone hypercitrullination, and extrusion of bacteriostatic NETs. This process was coordinated by receptor-interacting protein kinase-1 (RIPK1), which activated the ca...
Source: Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment - September 4, 2018 Category: Science Authors: DCruz, A. A., Speir, M., Bliss-Moreau, M., Dietrich, S., Wang, S., Chen, A. A., Gavillet, M., Al-Obeidi, A., Lawlor, K. E., Vince, J. E., Kelliher, M. A., Hakem, R., Pasparakis, M., Williams, D. A., Ericsson, M., Croker, B. A. Tags: STKE Research Articles Source Type: news
Gene study pinpoints superbug link between people and animals
(University of Edinburgh) Scientists led by the University of Edinburgh have shed light on how a major cause of human and animal disease can jump between species, by studying its genes. The findings reveal fresh insights into how new disease-causing strains of the bacteria -- called Staphylococcus aureus -- emerge. Experts say the research could help improve the use of antibiotics and design better strategies for limiting the spread of disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - July 23, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
You Are Washing Your Hands All Wrong, Study Finds
By Melissa Gray, CNN
(CNN) – Hand-washing seems pretty simple, but a recent study shows that 97% of the time, we’re still doing it wrong — which can lead to contamination of food and surfaces and result in foodborne illness.
The study from the US Department of Agriculture shows most consumers failed to wash their hands and rub with soap for 20 seconds. That’s the amount of time recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says that washing for shorter periods means fewer germs are removed.
“Numerous” study participants also didn’t dry their hands with a clea...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - July 3, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Health – CBS Boston Tags: Health News Offbeat CNN Source Type: news
Risk of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile in patients with a documented penicillin allergy: population based matched cohort study
This research article covers a UK study (n=64,141 penicillin allergy [PA] and 237,258 matched comparators) noted documented penicillin allergy was linked to increased risk of MRSA (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.51 to 1.90) and C difficile (1.26; 1.12 to 1.40) that was mediated by increased use of alternative (non- β lactam) antibiotics. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - June 29, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Penicillin Allergy Linked to MRSA, C. Difficile Risk
THURSDAY, June 28, 2018 -- There is a correlation for documented penicillin allergy with increased risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, which is mediated by increased use of β-lactam alternative... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)
Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News - June 28, 2018 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
