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In the last sentence of his review of the recent No. 1 box office hit "Contagion," film critic Roger Ebert writes, "You might be surprised by how many hospital patients die because of viruses they didn't walk in with." Now, theres an idea for an even scarier sequel. And in this film, the unlikely heroes just might be found in housekeeping. Its with environmental services (EVS) in mind that my company, UMF Corporation, created the Hygiene Specialist Excellence award, for which were currently seeking nominations.

A complex of proteins in the bacterium E.coli that plays a critical role in defending the microbe from viruses and other invaders has been discovered to have the shape of a seahorse by researchers with the U.S Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). This discovery holds far more implications for your own health than you might think.

Toxoplasma gondii parasites can invade your bloodstream, break into your brain and prompt behavioral changes from recklessness to neuroticism. These highly contagious protozoa infect more than half the world's population, and most people's immune systems never purge the intruders.