E. Coli Infections

Killing Bacteria Isn't Enough to Restore Immune Function After Infection

DALLAS – A bacterial molecule that initially signals to animals that they have been invaded must be wiped out by a special enzyme before an infected animal can regain full health, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. Using a genetically engineered ...More
September 10, 2008
Posted in News
Doctor Declares War on HAIs, Patents MRSA-Killing Machine

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- As a surgeon and clinical instructor, Jeffery Deal, MD, FACS, DTMH, knew firsthand about the growing number of patients contracting and dying from hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). He was also keenly aware that infections are quickly spreading beyond ...More
September 10, 2008
Posted in News
Rapid Test for Pathogens is Developed

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Dangerous disease often spreads faster than it takes to diagnose it in the lab. To remedy that, researchers at Kansas State University have developed a test to bring that time from days down to hours.Sanjeev Narayanan, assistant professor, and Greg ...More
August 21, 2008
Posted in News
White Blood Cell Uses DNA 'Catapult' to Fight Infection

SALTLAKECITY – U.S. and Swiss scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how a type of white blood cell called the eosinophil may help the body to fight bacterial infections in the digestive tract, according to research published online this week in Nature ...More
August 13, 2008
Posted in News
Sesame Seed Extract and Konjac Gum May Help Ward off Salmonella and E. coli

A new study in SCI's Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that konjac gum and sesame seed extract may offer protection against different strains of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria.The study by Dr. Petra Becker and colleagues from Wageningen University and ...More
August 5, 2008
Posted in News
Cranberry Juice Creates Energy Barrier that Prevents Bacteria from Adhering to Cells, New Study Shows

WORCESTER, Mass. — For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute ...More
July 23, 2008
Posted in News
Giving Scopes a Clean Bill of Health

Endoscopic equipment is notoriously difficult to clean. Ports, channels, and nooks and crannies all offer wonderful hiding places for bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, and lend themselves to the buildup of biofilm. Manufacturer’s guidelines are designed to ...More
April 16, 2008
Posted in Articles, Disinfection & Sterilization
Dr. Mom Was Right — and Wrong — About Washing Fruits and Vegetables

Washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating may reduce the risk of food poisoning and those awful episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. But according to new research described today at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, washing alone — ...More
April 10, 2008
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
Solving the Z Ring’s Mysteries May Lead to New Antibiotics

A team led by Johns Hopkins researchers has solved important puzzles concerning how certain proteins guide the reproduction of bacteria, discoveries that could lead to a new type of antibiotics.In a recent study published in the journal Current Biology, the scientists ...More
April 8, 2008
Posted in News
“Healing Clays” Show Promise for Fighting MRSA Infections

NEW ORLEANS -- Mud may be coming to a medicine cabinet or pharmacy near you. Scientists in Arizona report that minerals from clay could form the basis of a new generation of inexpensive, highly-effective antimicrobials for fighting MRSA infections that are moving out of ...More
April 7, 2008
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization, Hand Hygiene