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Habitat destruction and species extinction may lead to an increase in diseases that infect humans and other species, according to a paper in the journal Nature co-authored by a University of Florida ecologist.

Patients fitted with long-term indwelling bladder catheters often face a serious complication: bacteria, most commonly Gram-negative Proteus mirabilis, can easily colonize and encrust the catheter. This eventually leads to the formation of a crystalline biofilm, consisting of mucopolysaccharide, that blocks the normal flow of urine from the bladder. Current methods for unblocking encrusted catheters by mechanical means, such as saline solution, replacing the catheter, or by using agents that try to dissolve the biofilm crystals, do not provide satisfactory results.

National Handwashing Awareness Week is Dec. 5-11, 2010.