Mobile Technology Disinfection: Contaminated Devices Pose Threat to Patients
February 17th 2017Mobile devices are ubiquitous in society and their infiltration of the healthcare environment poses new challenges for infection prevention and control. Numerous studies have documented that mobile handheld devices are frequently contaminated with healthcare-associated pathogens, but they are seldom cleaned and disinfected due to individuals being unsure of what kind of products and methods to use to decontaminate their electronics.
Technology Reveals Biochemical Clockwork Behind Cell Division in Bacteria
February 17th 2017A study reported Feb. 17 in the journal Science led by researchers at Indiana University and Harvard University is the first to reveal in extreme detail the operation of the biochemical clockwork that drives cellular division in bacteria. The discovery, made possible through a revolutionary method used to color bacterial cell walls developed at IU, is an important step forward in research on bacterial growth and could inform efforts to develop drugs that combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Daptomycin is Effective Against MRSA in Pediatric Skin Infections
February 17th 2017Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial scourge. As its name suggests, MRSA is resistant to most common antibiotics and thus difficult to treat, particularly in children where it commonly causes complicated skin and skin structure infections. In a randomized, controlled clinical trial -- the first of its kind -- a multi-institution research team reports that daptomycin, part of a new class of antibiotics currently approved only for use in adults, is effective and well-tolerated in children. The findings are published in the March 2017 issue of Pediatrics.
Scientists Monitor Crosstalk Between Intestinal Microbes and Immune System
February 17th 2017The human gut is home to some 100 trillion bacteria, comprising between 250 and 500 species. This astounding array of organisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome, is a powerful regulator of disease and health and has been implicated in conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to multiple sclerosis. Gut microbes engage in an intricately choreographed conversation with the immune system, stimulating it just enough to keep disease-causing invaders at bay, while at the same time reining it in so it doesn’t mistakenly launch an attack on the body. So far, scientists have been able to listen to bits and pieces of the conversation between bacteria and individual immune cells or a handful of genes. Now, for the first time, scientists from Harvard Medical School have managed to “listen in” on the crosstalk between individual microbes and the entire cast of immune cells and genes expressed in the gut.
FDA Urges Safe Use of Neti Pots to Avoid Infections
February 17th 2017Little teapots with long spouts have become a fixture in many homes to flush out clogged nasal passages and help people breathe easier. Along with other nasal irrigation systems, these devices - commonly called neti pots - use a saline, or saltwater, solution to treat congested sinuses, colds and allergies. They’re also used to moisten nasal passages exposed to dry indoor air. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), improper use of these neti pots and other nasal rinsing devices can increase your risk of infection.
Researchers Make Breakthrough in Fight Against Superbug
February 16th 2017The research carried out by professor Jose Bengoechea, director at the Centre for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University, and his team unveiled the molecular mechanisms preventing the treatment of Klebsiella pneumonia. The multidrug-resistant microbe can cause bladder infections, pneumonia and has mortality rates of 25 percent to 60 percent.
Investigational Malaria Vaccine Shows Considerable Protection in Adults in Malaria Season
February 16th 2017An investigational malaria vaccine given intravenously was well-tolerated and protected a significant proportion of healthy adults against infection with Plasmodium falciparum malaria--the deadliest form of the disease--for the duration of the malaria season, according to new findings published in the February 15 issue of the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study participants live in Mali, Africa, where they are naturally exposed to the parasite.
Scientists Explore the Surfaces of Influenza Viruses
February 15th 2017In an effort to one day eliminate the need for an annual flu shot, a group of researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are exploring the surface of influenza viruses, which are covered by a protein called “hemagglutinin” (HA). This particular protein is used like a key by viruses to open cells and infect them, making it an ideal target for efforts to help the body's immune system fight off a wide range of influenza strains.
Researchers Propose a New Way to Assess Medication-Based HIV Prevention
February 15th 2017One of the most promising new approaches to slowing the spread of HIV is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a once-a-day medication that people who don't have HIV can take to prevent becoming infected. But that strategy only works if people at risk for contracting HIV become and remain fully engaged in preventive care and actually take the pills. In the real world of clinical practice, that has often proved tricky.
Baby's Sex Plays a Role in Pregnant Women's Immunity
February 15th 2017Women have claimed for years that their bodies react differently whether they're pregnant with a male or female baby. Some studies suggest that a baby's sex could play a role in why some women report differences with morning sickness, cravings and other symptoms based on the sex of their baby. Now, evidence published in the February issue of the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, shows the sex of a baby is associated with pregnant women's immune responses.
Study Confirms Key Therapeutic Advance for Children Living With HIV and Tuberculosis
February 14th 2017The non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has released results of a study in South Africa that will make it easier for healthcare workers to treat children living with HIV who are co-infected with tuberculosis (TB). The study, presented as a late-breaker this week at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle, provides essential evidence and data to counter the negative interactions between two critical HIV and TB treatments.