Neighbors briefed on new CV turf field Aug 28, 2008
There has also been a growing concern about outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant staph bacterium MRSA that some people have associated with synthetic turf fields. A study by researchers at Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences found no trace of staph in any of the 20 synthetic turf fields they looked at in the state. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
The Globe answers readers' queries Aug 28, 2008
Although both take their names from Joseph Lister a 19th-century surgeon famed for advancing cleanliness techniques in medicine the mouthwash is ineffective against the bacterium ... Isn't all the salt in cold cuts a greater risk to your health than a bacterium. (Globe and Mail)
Protecting Newborns From a Dangerous Threat Aug 28, 2008
THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay) -- One in four women in the United States carries a bacterium that could cause a debilitating and life-threatening infection in their newborn babies ... The good news is, doctors have come up with an effective means of helping to protect newborns from the bacterium ... But the same number of infants still suffer from late-onset Group B strep infection, and the bacterium has increased by almost 50 percent among many adults. (Health-Finder)
Infections Linked To Premature Births More Common Than Thought, Study Finds Aug 27, 2008
29, 2004) A team of researchers, led by microbiologist Yiping Han from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, have discovered that a bacterium (Fusobacterium nucleatum) found in periodontal. (Apr. (Science Daily)
12 deaths linked to tainted meat in Canada Aug 27, 2008
Test results announced over the weekend linked the outbreak to ready-to-eat meat tainted with the Listeria bacterium. Maple Leaf Foods has recalled 220 forms of meat products, including bologna, turkey, ham and other products - all produced at one Toronto plant. (AZCentral -- News)
Crisp on the mend Aug 27, 2008
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium in the same family as those that cause cholera. It normally lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called halophilic because they require salt. (Port Lavaca Wave, TX)
Listeriosis is largely sparing Quebec Aug 27, 2008
But Quebec's Couche-Tard convenience stores have not been affected by the recall of 220 products that might be tainted with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes ... Lessard agreed the fact that the bacterium has a long incubation period makes the situation more difficult, but he said Quebec's food system allows products to be rapidly traced back to the source, right down to the animal it came from. (The Gazette (Montreal))
Toronto plant linked to listeriosis outbreak Aug 26, 2008
The bacterium is typically found in herd animals, meats, unpasteurized milk and unprocessed cheese. Four people have died from a strain of listeriosis that has been linked to the meat plant, while another 21 people have confirmed cases of the bacterium, Canada's Public Health Agency said Saturday ... The bacterium is typically found in herd animals, meats, unpasteurized milk and unprocessed cheese products. (CNN -- Health)
Whole Body May Benefit From Probiotics Aug 26, 2008
A helpful bacterium that has shown promise for helping people with digestive problems benefits the whole body, according to new research ... Lead researcher Dr. Liam O'Mahony said that Bifidobacterium infantis may moderate the body's response to invaders. (Click2Houston, TX)
Poor treatment may cause "untreatable" TB: study Aug 25, 2008
Nearly a third of the world's population is infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, although active TB only develops in a fraction of those cases. MDR TB can resist treatment with the antibiotics normally used to treat TB. The World Health Organization estimates 490,000 new cases of MDR TB arise worldwide every year. (Scientific American)
Seeing Through Tooth Decay Aug 25, 2008
(June 29, 2006) Scientists have discovered that the humble cranberry harbors several anti-oxidants (flavonoids) that show the ability to counteract the damaging effects of the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, which. (July 7, 2008) Dental researchers have reported a significant reduction of tooth decay in toddlers who were treated with the topical syrup xylitol, a naturally occurring non-cavity-causing. (Science Daily)
Maple Leaf warned distributors prior to full recall Aug 24, 2008
On Aug. 17, Maple Leaf recalled its Sure Slice roast beef and corned beef after the roast beef tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne bacterium that can cause serious illness in pregnant women and the elderly. Then on Aug. 20, after being informed that both the Sure Slice roast beef and corned beef tested positive for listeria in later tests, the company recalled more than 20 deli meats and shut down its Toronto plant for sanitization, at a total cost of $2-million, as Ontario... (Globe and Mail -- National)
Summertime, and the living isn't so easy Aug 23, 2008
Today's greensward, Times reporter Anemona Hartocollis warns, harbors "Nocardia, a soil-based bacterium, [which] can cause an infection that can lead to lumps called mycetomas, as well as abscesses and ulcerations." I'm staying inside. With my Timberlands on. (Boston Globe)
Ottawa shoppers 'not worried' about tainted meat Aug 23, 2008
Maple Leaf Canada says it has recalled 638,000 kg of meat since traces of bacterium were discovered. At Subway, employee Alisha Cass said a few people have asked about the meat but no one has been overly concerned. (Canoe.ca)
Some Cells Self-destruct For The Greater Common Good Aug 23, 2008
What determines whether an individual salmonella bacterium cell self-sacrifices, or whether it will wait and benefit from the sacrifice of others. The two groups are clones of the same genotype, so genetic differences do not play a role. (Science Daily)
New UBC service aims to break September bus jam Aug 23, 2008
Three people have died and eight patients are currently infected with the C. difficile bacterium at Nanaimo General Hospital, according to health officials. Canada Headlines. (CBC.ca)
Wyoming officials confirm fifth case of plague found in mountain lions Aug 23, 2008
York died several days later, and specimens from the biologist and the mountain lion both tested positive for the bacterium that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, according to the WDA article. Wildlife biologists, wildlife veterinarians, public health officials, hunters skinning an animal with plague and the owners of domestic cats stricken with the disease are among those susceptible to plague. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Maple Leaf moves into crisis mode Aug 22, 2008
The bacterium has been detected at the plant. But Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, said yesterday that while one brand of roast beef and corned beef from the plant has been identified as the "probable" source of the outbreak, no definitive link has been established. (Globe and Mail)
Conservatives' pro-industry approach compromises food safety, Dion ... Aug 22, 2008
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said federal officials are working around the clock to trace the source of the listeriosis outbreak, which is caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. Let me state on behalf of the government that our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those that are affected, he said at a news conference outside Agriculture Canada headquarters in Ottawa. (Globe and Mail)
Second death may be linked to tainted food Aug 22, 2008
Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health confirmed the first death was that of an elderly woman in Hamilton, who died in June of listeriosis as a result of eating food contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne bacterium that can cause serious illness in pregnant women and the elderly. A Peterborough health official said yesterday that an elderly resident also died of listeriosis and the region is awaiting confirmation that the bacteria strain is the same as the one that caused the... (Globe and Mail -- National)
Nationwide outbreak spurs massive meat recall Aug 22, 2008
Listeria monocytogenes, a relatively common food-borne bacterium that can cause serious illness in pregnant women and the elderly, has been found in three tests of products in the past five days ... An investigation by agency inspectors, including one stationed permanently at the Toronto plant, led late last week to an identical strain of the bacterium in sealed Maple Leaf products produced there. (Globe and Mail -- National)
Meat recall expanded over outbreak Aug 21, 2008
The recall, which began on Sunday in conjunction with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, initially only included two varieties of packaged meat after some of the products tested positive for low levels of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium found in the environment. A majority of those who got sick across the country are believed to have eaten the same food in nursing homes and hospitals in July, PHAC said. (National Post)
Researchers Uncover Attack Mechanism Of Illness-inducing Bacterium Aug 21, 2008
20, 2008) An infectious ocean-dwelling bacterium found in oysters and other shellfish kills its host s cells by causing them to burst, providing the invader with a nutrient-rich meal, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found ... The bacterium, a relative of the one that causes cholera, co-opts and makes fatal a normal cell process that starving or stressed organisms use to disassemble and recycle expendable proteins into more vital metabolites ... Called Vibrio parahaemolyticus,... (Science Daily)
Attorney calls U.S. meat safety a 'wreck' Aug 20, 2008
"It's the entire train in a tangled heap. "And the people caught in the train wreck are you and me, and all of our neighbors," said Marler. "When reports say that there is a one-in-400 chance that the package of ground beef you pick up at the supermarket will be tainted with a lethal bacterium, the food safety system is no longer functioning, and immediate, radical steps must be taken. "In more than 30 recalls ranging from a few hundred to millions of pounds, the Food Safety Inspection Service... (Seacoast New Hampshire)
The Anthrax Files Aug 18, 2008
earlier this year, administration officials said, the Pentagon drew up plans to engineer genetically a potentially more potent variant of the bacterium that causes anthrax. Boyle suggests possible perps: the Pentagon, the CIA, or perhaps private sector scientists acting under covert contract with the government. (The American Conservative)
Synthetic Biology Is Bearing Fruit: Blockers Against Blockers Aug 17, 2008
The WHO records around nine million new cases of the disease each year, and about 50 million people are infected with a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to the antibiotics Isoniazid and Rifampicin ... This is because Mycobacterium has a defence against even Ethionamid ... In other words, Mycobacterium has the weaponry to either arm or disarm the antibiotic by suppressing its conversion. (Science Daily)
Nepal, East Timor, Brazil Key to Worldwide Leprosy Elimination, WHO Says Aug 16, 2008
The disease, recognized in the ancient civilizations of China, Egypt and India, is cured by so-called multidrug therapy that kills the bacterium without inducing resistance. To contact the reporter on this story: in Singapore at. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
'Flu Vaccination' Protects Bacteria Against Virus Aug 16, 2008
For humans, such viruses include the flu virus, for the tobacco plant this is the tobacco mosaic virus and for the intestinal bacterium E. coli this is the enterobacteria phage lambda. During the course of evolution, these organisms have developed systems to render viruses harmless. (Science Daily)
Bill Gates' millions to battle TB Aug 16, 2008
"We are in the midst of a new TB epidemic. The world desperately needs an effect vaccine to prevent TB, particularly in adolescents and adults. Dr Jerald Sadoff: New approaches are promising "Through accelerated research and development, a new vaccine could permanently change the trajectory of the epidemic and save millions of lives every year," he added. Two billion people - one out of every three people on Earth - are infected with the TB pathogen, a bacterium called Mycobacterium... (Yahoo News -- Tuberculosis)
New Lymphoma Drug Shows Promise Aug 16, 2008
Normally, antibodies contain two arms, each of which binds one copy of the same molecule, such as a specific protein on the surface of a bacterium or virus. Blinatumomab, though, is different: one arm binds T-cells, and the other, B cells. (MEDLINEplus)
Arsenic-munching bacteria found Aug 15, 2008
In the warm, bubbling pools of Mono Lake in California, scientists have isolated a bacterium that fuels itself on arsenic ... The US-based researchers isolated the bacterium from the lake, which lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. (BBC News -- Science)
Rare Salmonella outbreak spreads to Wales Aug 15, 2008
Three sandwich fillers which may have been contaminated with this rare strain of the bacterium are being recalled. These are 170g tubs of Dunnes, Supervalu and O Brien s chicken and bacon sandwich filler. (WalesOnline)
Nagging Questions in Anthrax Case Aug 15, 2008
The FBI began with 1,000 distinct samples of the Ames strain of anthrax, the type used in the attacks, from 16 laboratories that handled the bacterium. From there, investigators whittled their way down to a match: a single spore batch taken from a beaker in Ivins' laboratory. (Time.com)
Athlete fights back against disease writeLink("vid_id=1151&file=lymedisease.flv"); Aug 14, 2008
The potentially debilitating infection is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium most commonly transferred by a tick bite. It can target joints, the heart and the nervous system. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Coated Film As A Bacteria Killer Aug 14, 2008
For example, the combination of the two substances has an effect on the bacterium Escherichia coli that is up to 1000 times more lethal than conventional silicon-based silver preparations ... Within 24 hours, less than one bacterium out of 100,000 to 1,000,000 bacteria survived ... The new product has enabled Stark s group to successfully develop a preparation that is effective against a series of pathogenic bacteria and which becomes active in a targeted manner and in the correct dose only if a... (Science Daily)
How Flesh-eating Bacteria Attack Immune System Aug 14, 2008
The researchers also showed that a pathogen of fish, Streptococcus iniae, produces its own version of SpyCEP that may contribute to recent reports of severe skin infections caused by this bacterium in fish handlers ... 3, 2005) Scientists have found that the bacterium that causes dysentery uses a 'sword and shield' approach to cause infection. (Science Daily)
Out of the lab, into the limelight Aug 14, 2008
He set his sights on a common bacterium, Group A Streptococcus, which causes an estimated 700 million worldwide throat and skin infections a year, including more than 650,000 cases of the frightening, flesh-eating form. His team discovered the mechanisms that allow the most dangerous strain of the bug to spread throughout the body, destroying flesh and evading the immune system. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Widely Prescribed Anti-parasite Drug Targets Cancer-causing Protein Aug 13, 2008
29, 2006) Scientists at the University of California, San Diego and Yale University have discovered that a natural protein produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium sprayed on crops by organic farmers to. (Jan. (Science Daily)
Newswatch, Police/Fire Aug 12, 2008
The state's largest meat processor issued a recall yesterday of 5,355 pounds of kalua pork distributed in Hawaii after detecting a bacterium that causes listeriosis, a potentially deadly infection. Palama Meat Co. said it is voluntarily recalling 101 cases of May's brand kalua pork distributed to Sam's Club and Costco in Hawaii and 81 cases of wholesale kalua pork distributed locally, a company release said. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
More beef recalled amid E. coli fears Aug 12, 2008
But she said information compiled in the weeks after the June 30 recall showed another strain of the potentially deadly E. coli bacterium in other beef products. "We were focused on the products that were going out for grinding," she said Saturday. (CNN -- US)
Anthrax suspect's charm, madness leave dual legacy Aug 11, 2008
He was accused of murdering five people with the bacterium he had spent his life developing better vaccines against to protect people. Saturday, several hundred people at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Frederick remembered the scientist, speaking about his love for music and for Gary Larson's Far Side cartoons, about his enthusiasm for helping others and his mischievous jokes, including the remote control device in his office that made flatulence sounds. (Palm Beach Post)
Hospital scrubs down to curb bacteria outbreak Aug 11, 2008
The Clostridium difficile bacterium causes diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis and has been linked to thousands of deaths in Canada. Healthy people are not usually vulnerable to the bug. (Globe and Mail -- National)
District starts fighting mosquitoes Aug 9, 2008
Rui-De Xue, the district's director, said the bacterium used, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, is safe for people and animals that come in contact with it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agrees, as Bti is an approved insecticide and has reported that it only puts mosquitoes at risk. (The St. Augustine Record)
Novel Method Quickens Discovery Of Gene Function Aug 9, 2008
"E. coli has more than four thousand genes, and the functions of one-fourth of these remain unknown," says Dr. Deborah Siegele, a biology professor at Texas A&M University whose laboratory specializes in carrying out research using the bacterium ... (May 29, 2007) New evidence implicating beach sand as a reservoir for E. coli -- the bacterium that is used as an indicator that water has been contaminated by fecal material -- has been reported by. (Science Daily)
Health service under fire over 'super bug' handling Aug 8, 2008
Two of the 22 people infected by VRE bacterium have died, although the health service says the deaths were not connected to the infection. Another two people with the virus were moved to isolated wards in Bellingen and Macksville hospitals on the New South Wales mid-north coast. (ABC Online)
How Bacteria Attach To Human Tissues During Infection Process: New Clues Aug 8, 2008
7, 2008) Scientists at the University of York have helped to reveal more about the way bacteria can attach to human tissues. The study could help in the development of new treatments for serious heart conditions such as infective endocarditis. (Science Daily)
Pathogen that causes disease in cattle also associated with Crohn's disease Aug 8, 2008
People with Crohn's disease (CD) are seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology ... The reports points out that the cause of CD is unknown, and the possible role of this bacteriumwhich could conceivably be passed up the food chain to... (EurekAlert!)
Herpes Hits French Oyster Industry Aug 8, 2008
To make matters worse, the same climatic changes that caused the abundance of herpes and plankton on the Atlantic coast and which contributed to have also caused a proliferation of Vibrio splendidus bacterium. The effects of that bacteria left younger oysters both more vulnerable to herpes infection, and less capable of battling the virus as it killed them. (Time.com)
Sandwiches recalled from grocery stores Aug 7, 2008
and Sudbury Farms stores have been recalled because they could contain the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, according to the state Department of Public Health. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis infections, but the elderly, newborns, and others with weakened immune systems can be vulnerable. (Boston Globe)
Next Generation Tool For Visualizing Genomic Data Introduced Aug 7, 2008
24, 2005) Researchers have discovered three previously unknown species of a bacterium by scanning a publicly available data bank, reveals a study published today in the journal Genome Biology. The finding. (Science Daily)
GIANT-Coli: A novel method to quicken discovery of gene function Aug 7, 2008
"E. coli has more than four thousand genes, and the functions of one-fourth of these remain unknown," says Dr. Deborah Siegele, a biology professor at Texas Aersity whose laboratory specializes in carrying out research using the bacterium. Harmless E. coli strains are normally found in the intestines of many animals, including humans, but some strains can cause diseases. (EurekAlert!)
Boy Scout Official Confirms Ground Beef Positive for E. coli Aug 6, 2008
HUS occurs when the toxin produced by the bacterium enters the bloodstream, according to Health Department epidemiologist, Christopher Novak. HUS can lead to kidney failure and can require dialysis. (Newsinferno.com)
Recurrence Of Group B Strep High In Subsequent Pregnancies, Say Obstetricians Aug 6, 2008
(July 26, 2006) Women are tested for group B streptococcus during pregnancy, but current screening methods can leave some babies at risk for contracting an infection from the bacterium. But the new test, which. (Science Daily)
Summer brings out bugs in Oregon Aug 6, 2008
The black-legged deer tick, the size of a pinhead, can carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. When you're at risk: Walking through brushy, wooded or grassy areas. (OregonLive, OR -- News)
Science's awesome challenge: Creating artificial life Aug 5, 2008
Such a cell would be ``unrelated to any existing life form on Earth,'' Szostak said. Other experts, however, said it might take decades or centuries before scientists would be able to ``create life from scratch,'' as the quest is colloquially known. (Anchorage Daily News)
Evidence against anthrax suspect largely circumstantial, but 'damning' Aug 5, 2008
While genetic analysis had linked the anthrax letters to a supply of the deadly bacterium in Ivins's laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, at least 10 people had access to the flask containing that anthrax, the source said Sunday. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation. (International Herald Tribune)
The basics of anthrax Aug 5, 2008
The disease results from a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis ... Anthrax comes from a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis, and infection can come in one of three forms: cutaneous (also called skin), inhalation (lung), and gastrointestinal(digestive). (CNN -- Health)
Marler Clark Files Salmonella Saintpaul Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart Aug 4, 2008
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes one of the most common intestinal illnesses in the US: salmonellosis infection ... There are many strains of the bacterium; salmonella Saintpaul is a fairly common serotype, but the specific subtype, or fingerprint, associated with this outbreak is very rare. (MarketWatch)
Mussels To Determine How Much Contamination Is In The Ports Aug 4, 2008
(June 13, 2002) In a recently completed New York Sea Grant-funded investigation, evidence has shown that a common soil bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, produces a toxin that kills the non-native. (Aug. (Science Daily)
What Causes a False Positive TB Ski... Aug 3, 2008
TB (an abbreviation for Tubercle bacillus) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis; a slow growing, wax-coated bacterium that can remain viable in dried aerosol droplets for 8 months. Highly infectious, it only takes one M. tuberculosis bacterium to start a disease process that can destroy lung tissue, disseminate and result in death ... The immune system of those infected with the Mycobacterium tuburculosis will react to the PPD protein, which is an antigen derived from the bacteria's. (Suite101.com)
How Some Bacteria May Steal Iron From Their Human Hosts Aug 3, 2008
7, 2006) Scientists in India, led by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute international research scholar, have identified five key genes that enable the bacterium that causes TB to acquire the iron it needs to. (Dec. (Science Daily)
New Immune Disease Identified Aug 3, 2008
The bacterium at fault, Francisella tularensis, causes the. (Oct. (Science Daily)
All About Anthrax Aug 3, 2008
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic lower vertebrates (cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores), but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals or tissue from infected animals. (WNBC.com, NY)
Health officials confirm E. coli at Scout camp Aug 2, 2008
E. coli is a bacterium that typically lives in the intestines of humans. Most strains do not cause illness, but symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea and chills. (Roanoke Times)
Dual-use Sexual Attraction And Population-control Chemicals Found In Nematodes Aug 2, 2008
1, 2008) Organisms ranging from humans to plants to the lowliest bacterium use molecules to communicate ... 20, 2003) Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt--a bacterium that produces natural protein insecticides that have been used by organic farmers ... Scientists this week announced that a soil bacterium's crystal proteins, long an effective weapon against many insect pests, are toxic to some nematodes. (Science Daily)
