Pneumonia-causing bacteria can be spread by nose picking and rubbing

Pneumonia-causing bacteria can be spread through picking and rubbing the nose, according to new research published in the European Respiratory Journal. Pneumococcus, the bacteria that can cause pneumonia, is known to be spread through inhalation of airborne droplets containing the bacteria, for example in coughs and sneezes. This study is the first to show that transmission can also occur via […]

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Hit ’em where they eat: Stealth drug fights resistant bacteria

The lack of new antibiotics is among the most critical challenges facing medicine. Researchers have been on the hunt for new drugs to combat “superbugs” that cannot be penetrated by current antibiotics. Rather than looking for drugs that forcibly penetrate bacteria, researchers tried a new approach: tricking bacteria into taking up a molecule that looks like food, but wreaks havoc […]

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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in the US presents a triple threat

Researchers from the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center describe the first strain of carbapenem-resistant, hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting colistin heteroresistance and enhanced virulence isolated from a patient in the United States. The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to 11th, in Atlanta, Georgia. “The problem of antibiotic resistance […]

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Colistin-resistant multidrug-resistant bacteria pervasive in rural Vietnam town

A new study has found that the majority of residents in a rural village of Vietnam harbored multi-drug-resistant (MDR), colistin-resistant E. coli bacteria. Colistin is typically used as a last-resort treatment when there are no other therapy options available. The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to […]

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Killing bacteria by silencing genes may be alternative to antibiotics

A new approach to killing C. difficile that silences key bacterial genes while sparing other bacteria may provide a new way to treat the most common hospital-acquired bacterial infection in the United States, according to researchers. While conventional antibiotics treat bacterial infections, they can also cause a condition in the colon called C. difficile infection, due to the drug killing […]

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Cervical cancer may be driven by imbalance in vaginal bacteria, research finds

Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, or human papillomavirus, dubbed the “common cold” of sexually transmitted infections because nearly every sexually active person catches it. Fortunately, the immune system vanquishes the majority of HPV infections, with only a small percentage progressing to precancer and, ultimately, cancer. But why do some people clear the infection while others are unable […]

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Probe into farm animals could help treat drug-resistant bacteria

Growing threats to public health could be addressed by cutting-edge research that reveals how farm animals contribute to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, a study suggests. Scientists are calling for new research combining genome analysis with studies that map the spread of infections to reveal how cows, pigs and chickens might play a role in helping drug-resistant bacteria to thrive. […]

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