Breaking news on mrsa superbug
Duneland Schools Lead State In MRSA Fight published
Fri, 09 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT
The Duneland School Corporation, with the purchase of the Sports-O-Zone machine, becomes the first in the State of Indiana to take steps to proactively protect its athletes from the deadly MRSA virus. After a student athlete was hospitalized last fall with a cut infected by the MRSA virus, the school administration moved quickly to insure that all precautions were being taken. Dr.
The Genome Of A Newly Emerging Superbug Reveals An Organism With A Remarkable Capacity For Drug Resistance published
Wed, 07 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT
The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, has just been sequenced. The results reveal an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance. The research was carried out by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge and the University of Bristol.Understanding the genome of this bacterium will help researchers discover how to deal with this particularly resistant organism. The paper will be published in Genome Biology.
EPA Registered Disinfectant Kills Both Known Types Of MRSA published
Tue, 06 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT
While MRSA has been an issue in healthcare settings for years, CA-MRSA outbreaks in the community have been on the rise, with the greatest risk in community settings such as fitness clubs, in sports teams, at schools and daycare centers.
Turning On Cell - Cell Communication Wipes Out Staph Biofilms published
Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
University of Iowa researchers have succeeded in wiping out established biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) by hijacking one of the bacteria's own regulatory systems. Although the discovery is not ready for clinical application, the findings offer insight into a dispersal mechanism for staph biofilms and might help identify therapeutic targets.Biofilms are communities of bacteria that grow on moist surfaces, including heart valves, bone and medical implants.
Minocycline/Rifampin Catheters Shown To Reduce Microbial Resistance published
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
In a study that confirms the critical role antibiotic-impregnated catheters can play to combat the significant worldwide death toll from catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), a researcher from a world-renowned medical center has presented clinical evidence that these devices, in fact, reduce the risk of bacteremia and also the likelihood that bacteria could become resistant to the antibiotics used to prevent their colonization.
Gerba: Sometimes It's Better Not To Clean published
Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT
According to Dr. Charles Gerba, famed microbiologist with the University of Arizona, in some cases "it may be better not to clean a surface than to clean it with soiled cleaning tools… [because] it can spread microorganisms around without your realizing it." Gerba says that as some cleaning tools, such as sponges, mops, and microfiber cloths, are used, "they actually become micropile compost heaps. In many cases, [the cleaning worker] is just laying down a thin layer of E.
Healthcare Watchdog Launches Biggest Ever Inspection Programme In Acute NHS Trusts To Check Infection Control, UK published
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:00:00 PDT
The Healthcare Commission launches the biggest inspection programme ever carried out in NHS acute trusts to check whether they are meeting standards on infection control. It will inspect all 172 acute trusts annually as part of a drive to: reduce death and illness from healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs); improve the experience of patients in hospital; and increase public confidence in the NHS. The programme was established at the request of the Secretary of State for Health.
Potentially Deadly Infection Doubles Among Hospital Patients Over Last Five Years, USA published
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:00:00 PDT
The number of hospital patients stricken by an infection that can lead to diarrhea, blood poisoning and even death increased by 200 percent between 2000 and 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The sharp upturn follows a 74 percent increase in the number of cases between 1993 and 2000. The infection - Clostridium difficile, or C.
Research Priorities To Fight Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis published
Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT
Tuberculosis (TB) has long been one of the world's great killers. Now, forms of drug-resistant TB--multidrug (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)--are occurring at an ominous and accelerating rate. To help in the fight against drug-resistant TB, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has formulated an MDR and XDR TB research agenda.A summary of the agenda, authored by NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.
In The Battle Against Hospital Infections 'Crime Scene Investigation' Methods Could Help published
Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
Inspired by the popular television drama CSI, investigators in the Netherlands have trialed methods used by forensic scientists at crime scenes to highlight infection risks in their hospital. Researchers at Deventer Hospital used Luminol, a chemical used by crime scene investigators, to detect traces of blood in their haemodialysis unit.
Bacterial Contamination Detected In Ultrasound Gels published
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
A study conducted by M. Eyigor and colleagues (Turkey), presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, has demonstrated the contamination of sonographic transducers, which can result in outbreaks of hospital infection. All the gels in the hospital were collected to exclude bacterial contamination. A total of 669 unopened bottles of gels from two different brands were sampled for cultures.
Healthcare Workers Low Compliance With Hand Hygiene Is Responsible For Bacterial Contamination Not Only In Hospital Settings published
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
A study conducted by D. van der Vegt and A. Voss (Nijmegen, NL) presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, has found that compliance with hand hygiene in the healthcare setting is generally low (on average 40%), despite the fact that good hand hygiene still is one of the most important measures to prevent nosocomial infections.
Beware Of Doctors And Nurses Wearing Wristwatches: They Could Be Potential Sources Of Hospital-acquired Infection published
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
According to a study conducted by A.R. Jeans, R.C. Read and colleagues (Sheffield University, UK), presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, healthcare workers who wear wristwatches are more likely to be contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus. Two consecutive cohorts of wristwatch wearers and non-wristwatch wearers (n=655) were evaluated to measure the rate of bacterial contamination.
Finnish Biotech Company Sets World Record By Detecting 50 Dangerous Bacteria With Single Test In Quest To Battle Sepsis published
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT
The Finnish biotechnology company Mobidiag announced the Prove-it(TM) Bacteria test that sets a world record by being able to detect 50 dangerous bacteria simultaneously - including the widespread "superbug" MRSA. This is an important milestone in the battle against infectious diseases, most importantly life-threatening sepsis.
Clostridium Difficile Infection 'Epidemic' Leads To Calls For Emerging Next-Generation Therapies published
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT
Leading world experts in infectious disease have warned that the rapid spread of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has given rise to an epidemic, making it an urgent health priority. The symposium, sponsored by Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTR), at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain, highlighted the increasing prevalence of CDI. Dr. Ed. J.
New Antibiotic Class Proves Effective Against MRSA published
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT
At ECCMID, the annual European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Cambridge UK-based Phico Therapeutics presented new data on the rapid bactericial activity of its lead compound against MRSA. PT1.2 belongs to a new class of antibacterial proteins called SASPs that act by binding to bacterial DNA and halting replication and gene expression, resulting in rapid cell death. Phico Therapeutics now intends to take PT1.
Microbial Resistance Towards Antibiotics: Still A Critical Issue published
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT
ECCMID Opening Press Conference. "The problem of antibiotic resistance continues to grow and this is mainly a consequence of longstanding misuse and abuse of antimicrobial agents", said Prof. Fernando Baquero, Congress President (Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid). Among all the pathogens, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a frequent culprit in infections (mainly respiratory, urinary or skin infections) in hospital settings and nursing homes.
Infections Control And Contamination Of Daily Use Objects published
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:00:00 PDT
ECCMID Opening Press Conference. "Microorganisms are everywhere. Bacteria and fungi contaminate our body, our houses (i.e. bedrooms, kitchens, and toilets) but also workplaces, pets and the whole environment" - said Prof. Andreas Voss (Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, The Netherlands). Fortunately, among many billions of bacteria, only 1,500 can be dangerous for our health, causing different diseases such as pneumonia or skin infections.
CMS Regulations To Be Addressed At APIC Conference published
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
The new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations that will eliminate or reduce payments for three hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) will be the subject of a two-day conference for healthcare executives and professionals sponsored by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Federal Government Has Not Done Enough To Establish, Enforce Infection-Control Standards At Hospitals, According To GAO Report published
Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PDT
The federal government has not established adequate guidelines to prevent hospital-acquired infections nor has it pushed hospitals to follow standards to reduce infections, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reports (Rockoff, Baltimore Sun, 4/17).
CDC Must Do More To Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections published
Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 PDT
CDC is the "biggest culprit" in the federal government's failure to do "enough to prevent deadly" infections contracted in hospitals, Betsy McCaughey, chair of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and a former lieutenant governor of New York, writes in a
Studying The Genetics Of Resistant Bacteria - 1.4 Million Dollars Grant published
Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT
Dr. Kim Lewis, Professor of Biology and Director of the Antimicrobial Center at Northeastern University, has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine the genetics of multidrug tolerance in bacteria.
Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust Makes Progress On Infection Control, UK published
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:00:00 PDT
The Healthcare Commission announced that Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust has made the necessary improvements in infection control. It said the trust is now compliant with the requirements of an improvement notice, issued on 21 February 2008, which required immediate changes to infection control practices. The Commission has also made a number of recommendations to help ensure that the trust continues the work it has started.
Dogs Still "Man's Best Friend" published
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT
"Beware of the dog: you may catch MRSA", warns The Times today, going on to say that letting a dog lick your face, picking up its faeces or allowing it to sleep on your bed could put you at risk of catching salmonella, campylobacter or MRSA. The newspaper adds that the risk of infection from dog to man is low, and that the researchers behind this study do not wish to create a scare, particularly considering the benefits that owning a dog can have on health.
Aggressive Screening Of MRSA Necessary In Health-Care Workers published
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT
When it comes to reducing Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcusaureus (MRSA) infections, more aggressive screening ofhealth-care workers (HCWs) is necessary in combination with otherinfection control measures in hospitals and other health-carefacilities with endemic infection. This was reported in a Reviewpublished in the May issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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