MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'antibiotic resistance'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:08:29 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118675&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FVp2CgvGDrRQ%2Fits_not_a_spider_bite.php Over at White Coat Underground, Pal has the post that I've been meaning to write. Earlier this summer, a family member posted on Facebook that a friend of her daughter was nursing a "nasty spider bite" that she got while camping in Michigan. Her post claimed it was a Brown Recluse bite. Being my usually buttinski self, I posted and told her that it was really, really unlikely to be a brown recluse bite, and that the friend-of-the-daughter-of-the-relative should hie thee to her physician and get the "bite" checked out. I told her that rather than a spider bite, it could be a Staph infection and may require antibiotics. Now, I should note that few people in my family really "get" just what it is that I do, and even fewer of them realize that I spend my days researching bacterial infections... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118675 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5118675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820895&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2Fu1emiv0n8RQ%2Fmrsa_and_bedbugs.php An ahead-of-print paper in Emerging Infectious Diseases is generating some buzz in the mainstream media. While the findings are interesting, I'm honestly not sure how they got published, being so preliminary. Like many areas, Vancouver, British Columbia has seen a jump in the prevalence of bedbugs. After finding impoverished patients infested with the bugs, researchers decided to collect some and test them for pathogens--specifically, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). So, they tested 5 bugs from 3 patients. That's it--it doesn't even appear to be 5 bugs apiece, but just 5 total. And the bugs were simply homogenized and streaked--not an uncommon way to test bugs for microbes, but one that has pretty severe limitations if you're... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820895 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4820895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734132&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2Fgo0ZQiCCGtY%2Fstaph_in_food--what_does_it_me.php As Maryn McKenna and others have reported, a paper was released on Friday showing a high percentage of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contaminating raw, retail-available meat products. There has been a lot of media coverage of this finding--so what does the study say, and what are its implications? More after the jump. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734132 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4734132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693508&cid=t_101176_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrnpVtSoFzBk%2F Once again, another working week will soon draw to a close. And this, of course, is our signal to begin daydreaming about weekend activities. Our modest agenda includes chauffering our short people around town, taking a nap or two and attending the latest installment in what we call the ‘Let’s See Them Before They Die’ concert series. And you? Anything special planned? Maybe a walk in the park? Curling up with a good e-book? Or you could finish your taxes, even if no one is in Washington to process your return. Whatever you do, have a great time. See you soon… Amgen CEO Got $21M Compensation In 2010 (Associated Press) Indian Company Ends Sale Of Lethal Injection Drug To The US (The Atlantic) FDA Will Be Severely Limited By Government Shutdown (CNN Money) Canadian P... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693508 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:43:35 +0100 4693508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676787&cid=t_101176_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fheartburn-bugs-have-become-antibiotic-resistant%2F2011.04.04 H. pylori dominated the GI news in the 1990s, and despite it disappearing from the front pages, it remains a common and important clinical problem. The dominant recommended initial treatment strategy has been a clarithromycin-based PPI triple therapy, with either amoxicillin or metronidazole as the third drug. This approach was based on clinical studies, ease of use, and tolerability factors. Bismuth-based quadruple therapy (a bismuth agent, metronidazole, tetracycline, and a PPI), despite demonstrating excellent activity, was usually relegated to second-line therapy because of the complexity of the dosing as well as compliance and tolerability issues. However, duringthe last decade, the widespread use of macrolides in the general population has led to rising resistance to clarithromycin (... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676787 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:00:07 +0100 4676787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653355&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FmwKXoi2_dSo%2Fstaphylococcus_aureus_st398_in.php One of the reasons I've not been blogging as much over the past 2 years or so is that it's been just insane in the lab. As I was still living off start-up funds and pilot grants, I didn't have anyone full-time to take care of everything, so all the work has been done by myself and a handful of excellent graduate & undergrad students. Happily, some of the initial projects are wrapping up, and publications are starting to come out (I'll be blogging about others in the coming days/weeks). One of them was published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases: Livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus in Childcare Worker. More after the jump. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653355 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4653355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230162&cid=t_101176_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-new-superbug%2F2010.12.04 Scientists have discovered a new, highly-transmissible gene that could, quite easily in fact, open a frightening new front in the ongoing global war against superbugs. The antibiotic-resistant gene, NDM-1, was first identified in 2008 a Swedish patient that had received hospital care in New Delhi. NDM-1 produces an enzyme that allows bacteria to destroy most antibiotics. It exists on plasmids, which are pieces of genetic material that are easily shared between bacteria including E coli and other species that can cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and blood stream infections. NDM-1 probably evolved in parts of India where poor sanitation and overutilization of antibiotics provide a perfect environment for the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The gene has been identified i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230162 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 15:00:17 +0100 4230162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060592&cid=t_101176_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fin-the-news-political-doctors-antibiotic-resistance-and-stem-cell-research%2F2010.10.11 Medical organizations are donating heavily to doctors running for the U.S. House. Dentists, ophthalmologists, radiologists, surgeons, neurologists and ENTs have contributed heavily. The goal is to get doctors onto committees where they can have the most impact. So far, the candidates have trended heavily Republican and have, in at least one campaign, vowed to overturn healthcare reform. The stakes are high if opposing legislators succeed, because they could underfund or block portions of reform to the point that it works poorly or not at all. (Politico, New England Journal of Medicine) Spurred by antibiotic resistance seen in almost every drug class, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, FACP, is turning the agency’s attention toward animal feed. With little to no development of new ant... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060592 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4060592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4001829&cid=t_101176_175_f&fid=39258&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmypatraining.com%2F2010%2F09%2F24%2Fantibiotics-without-resistance-2%2F Hey, everybody.  I’m posting an awesome video lecture by a researcher named Bonnie Bassler.  Bassler is a molecular biologist at Princeton University.  In 2001, she discovered that bacteria use a form of group communication that researchers now call quorum sensing.  It’s like birds in a flock somehow knowing which way to turn all at once.  [...] (Source: Palpating the Field) Palpating the Field blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4001829 Sat, 25 Sep 2010 05:22:46 +0100 4001829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3959927&cid=t_101176_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeveloping-new-antibiotics-thinking-beyond-bacteria-resistance%2F2010.09.11 Bacteria may be having a renaissance. Back in the days of the discovery of penicillin, doctors gleefully handed out antibiotics like they were candy and patients were more than happy to munch them down. They were quite effective too, but bacteria rapidly became resistant. Doctors and scientists worry that we are approaching a time where if we don’t come up with novel antibiotic mechanisms, we will face an epidemic of untreatable bacterial infections. MRSA, methicillin-resistant staphylcoccal auerus, is probably one of the biggest fears. John Rennie wrote about this issue in the PLoS blog The Gleaming Retort. He describes two strategies scientists are using to try to come up with new weapons in the great antibacterial war. So, naturally one of the first things they turned to was cockr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3959927 Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:00:08 +0100 3959927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640581&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2Ffiles%2Fstreptomyces-book.html%23unique-entry-id-78 Paul Dyson (Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea, UK) presents a new book on Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Streptomycetes are Gram-positive, high GC-content, sporulating bacteria found predominantly in soil. Streptomycetes are characterised by a complex secondary metabolism producing antibiotic compounds and other metabolites with medicinal properties. In recent years genomic studies, genomic mining and biotechnological approaches have been employed in the search for new antibiotics and other drugs.With contributions from some of the leading scientists in the field, this volume documents recent research and development in streptomycetes genomics, physiology and metabolism. With a focus on biotechnology and genomics, the book provides an excellent sour... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640581 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420151&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2Ffiles%2Fantibiotic-resistant-neisseria.html%23unique-entry-id-30 from William M. Shafer, Jason P. Folster and Robert A. Nicholas in Neisseria: Molecular Mechanisms of PathogenesisDiseases caused by the pathogenic Neisseria (N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis) have been successfully treated with antibiotics for the past 70 years. However, a disturbing trend worldwide is the increasing prevalence of strains with resistance to inexpensive and widely available antibiotics (e.g., penicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin) and the emergence of strains exhibiting decreased susceptibility to effective antibiotics that are expensive and not always available (e.g. third-generation cephalosporins and the newer macrolides). A recent publication reports that the global problem of antibiotic resistance will continue (and worsen) in the foreseeable future. By underst... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420151 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3420151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358924&cid=t_101176_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F12%2Fbmj-2010-vol-340-no-7743%2F Contents page Fade Fave: Presentation, pattern, and natural course of severe symptoms, and role of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance among patients presenting with suspected uncomplicated urinary tract infection in primary care: observational study Fade Skinny: To assess the natural course and the important predictors of severe symptoms in urinary tract infection and the effect of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Antibiotic Resistance, Antibiotics, Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Primary Care Trusts, Urinary Tract Infection (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358924 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:15:17 +0100 3358924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063229&cid=t_101176_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F07%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2009-vol-302-no-21%2F This article reports on a study of 13796 patients presenting on a single day (May 27 2007) in more than 1200 ICUs across 75 countries. The study known as EPIC II (Extended Prevalance of Infection in the ICU) revealed several noteworthy insights into the current practice patterns of antibiotic use and infection risks in ICU patients. Posted in Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Antibiotic Resistance, Antibiotics, Infection, Intensive Care, Prevalence, Risks (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063229 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:51:12 +0100 3063229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954211&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2009%2F11%2Fmicrobial-population-genetics.html is a rapidly advancing field of investigation with relevance to many areas of science. The subject encompasses theoretical issues such as the origins and evolution of species, sex and recombination. Population genetics lays the foundations for tracking the origin and evolution of antibiotic resistance and deadly infectious pathogens and is also an essential tool in the utilization of beneficial microbes.References:Xu, J. (2010) Microbial Population Genetics. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK.Full range of books on microbiology at Microbiology Books (Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists.) Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954211 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:54:00 +0100 2954211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2781603&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2009%2F09%2Fantibiotic-resistance-in-neisseria.html Diseases caused by the pathogenic Neisseria (N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis) have been successfully treated with antibiotics for the past 70 years. However, a disturbing trend worldwide is the increasing prevalence of strains with resistance to inexpensive and widely available antibiotics (e.g., penicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin) and the emergence of strains exhibiting decreased susceptibility to effective antibiotics that are expensive and not always available (e.g. third-generation cephalosporins and the newer macrolides). Given the global nature of gonococcal and meningococcal diseases, the worldwide distribution of antibiotics, differing social practices in controlling and monitoring antibiotic availability, and geographical differences in treatment regimens, it is likely... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2781603 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:15:00 +0100 2781603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678663&cid=t_101176_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fshamrock-enzyme-target-for-new-drugs.html German researchers have used the powerful analytical technique of X-ray diffraction to home in on an important metabolic reaction used by all pathogenic bacteria and the malaria parasite. The detailed structure of the IspH enzyme active site they revealed, which resembles a shamrock in shape, and has an Fe-S cluster at its core, could offer a promising new target for novel antibiotics that might stave off bacterial resistance. More details on the research can be found in my XRD column on SpectroscopyNOW this week. Meanwhile, I asked team leader Michael Groll of the Technische Universität München (TUM), to expand on the implications of the work. What is the next step now that you’ve characterized the active site? The structure allows us to perform modeling and so look for attractive... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678663 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:00:58 +0100 2678663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2468605&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2009%2F06%2Fantibiotic-resistance-due-to.html Peptidoglycan biosynthesis is a target for various antibiotics. Therefore, a large number of resistance mechanisms have evolved. Resistance strategies include changing the peptide structure of peptidoglycan. For example, replacing the terminal d-Ala-d-Ala with d-Ala-d-Lac confers resistance against vancomycin- and penicillininsensitive l,d-transpeptidases and leads to l,d- instead of d,d-cross-links. Activation of the 'cell-wall stress stimulon' by antibiotics results in overexpression of peptidoglycan biosynthesis-associated genes, suggesting a higher biosynthesis rate in order to cope with damages of the cell wall.from Ute Bertsche in Bacterial PolysaccharidesFurther reading: Bacterial Polysaccharides: Current Innovations and Future TrendsFull range of books on microbiology at Microbiolo... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2468605 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:35:00 +0100 2468605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1992786&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2008%2F11%2Fpeptidoglycan.html The peptidoglycan or murein sacculus is the stress-bearing structure of bacterial cells. It consists of glycan strands cross-linked by peptide bridges. Even though studies on murein have a very long tradition, it is not known how the glycan strands are actually arranged. The chemical fine structure and the muropeptide composition of different Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria have been investigated in detail. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are generally considered representatives for both Gram forms. During cell growth the stress-bearing structure has to be elongated and/or divided by the insertion of new and elimination of old material without losing its strength. Therefore multienzyme complexes containing both murein synthases and murein hydrolases have been postulated... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1992786 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:42:00 +0100 1992786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1552944&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F322068982%2Fsummer_reading_3_good_germs_ba.php Balance is a tricky thing to find in area, and medicine is notorious for its trade-offs. A drug that may make you well in the long run may also have side effects that make taking the medicine difficult. Even drugs that we often think of as typically innocuous, such as antibiotics, can have an enormous cost associated with their use, both at the individual and the population level. Sachs covers our love-hate relationship with antibiotics and germs in general in her book, Good Germs, Bad Germs. More after the jump... Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1552944 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0100 1552944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1414901&cid=t_101176_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F5%2F2%2Fco-evolution-a-case-of-biological-warfare.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DOne of the more fascinating aspects of evolution is the continuous “battle of the species”; one species trying to fend off the attack of another, parasitic species. It is a classic warfare of measure/counter-measure, not unlike modern warfare. But unlike human warfare, a successful parasite is not the one that kills its host—that would spell  the demise of the parasite; that would be self defeating, won't it? Success is defined as the capacity to live off the host, and efficiently spread to other individuals. The host, on the other hand, is successful if it can avoid being killed by the attack and keep the attacker in check. And so we can see a battle of adaptations: a parasite honing its “skills” so as to attack, but not kill... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1414901 Fri, 02 May 2008 03:46:12 +0100 1414901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349456&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F263529393%2Fon_e_coli_super_soil_bacteria.php Early this week, grant application; yesterday and today, IRB and IACUC for another project. But once again, fellow Sbers are keeping me busy reading about stories I'd like to be writing on; see yet again Mike on E. coli O157:H7--everything old is new again; Ed on a new study showing yet again how amazing bacteria are; and DrugMonkey discussing heroin addiction as a family legacy, and notes that this sad story again shows that Narcan saves lives. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349456 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:35:00 +0100 1349456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1566935&cid=t_101176_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2008%2F04%2Fvibrio-cholerae.html , the causative agent of cholera belongs to a group of organisms whose natural habitats are the aquatic ecosystems. The strains that cause cholera epidemics have evolved from non-pathogenic progenitor strains by acquisition of virulence genes, and V. cholerae represents a paradigm for this evolutionary process.Genomics of Vibrio cholerae and its Evolution The 4.0 Mbp genome of N16961, an O1 serogroup, El Tor biotype, 7th pandemic strain of V. cholerae, is comprised of two circular chromosomes of unequal size that are predicted to encode a total of 3,885 genes. The genomic sequence of this representative strain has facilitated global experimental approaches that have furthered our understanding of the genetic and phenotypic diversity found within the species V. cholerae. Sequence data have ... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1566935 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:25:00 +0100 1566935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155793&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F217847759%2Fmrsa_in_msm.php Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has taken up residence in sport teams, prisons, schools, the military, and even swine. A new article in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that, at least in Boston and San Francisco, it's also causing a lot of infections in men who have sex with men; more after the jump. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155793 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:00:00 +0100 1155793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1100046&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F201778450%2Ffecal_transplants_to_cure_clos.php In my field, many things that cause the average man-on-the-street to get a bit squeamish or squicked are rather commonplace. My own studies include two types of bacteria that are carried rectally in humans (and other animals), so I spend an absurd amount of time thinking about, well, shit, and the lifeforms that inhabit it and collectively make up our normal gut flora. The vast majority of these species don't harm us at all, and many are even beneficial: priming our immune system; assisting in digestion; and filling niches that could be colonized by their nastier bacterial brethren. It's typically when there's some disturbance in these flora that bad things happen. For example, you may ingest food contaminated with a foreign bacterial strain that may transiently colonize your intestines,... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1100046 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:50:00 +0100 1100046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1033453&cid=t_101176_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F17%2Fvaccines-vs-antibiotics-which-is-better.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D In 1796 Dr. Edward Jenner performed an experiment that today would have got him expelled from his Medical Society, and maybe even landed them in jail. He vaccinated a boy against smallpox by pricking his arms with pus taken from the sores of a milkmaid with cowpox, a closely related but milder disease. He based this audacious experiment on his astute observation that milkmaids, who had been exposed to cowpox, never contracted smallpox. Let’s not forget what smallpox meant in those days—it meant an almost 100% chance of death. Could anybody have guessed that this observation would become the first harbinger of the field of Immunology? It took over 200 years before another vaccine was created; in 1914 a vaccine against whooping cough was introduced. But t... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1033453 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:17:29 +0100 1033453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1014893&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F181764948%2Fmrsa_and_swine_collision_cours.php Both Mike and Revere have new posts up documenting swine as a new threat to human health (beyond the pork chops and bacon), via carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in these animals. Several papers have been published recently documenting high rates of MRSA carriage in swine in the Netherlands, and also have documented transmission of this bacterium from swine to humans. However, even more worrisome to me than the Dutch publications is a new one out in Veterinary Microbiology, showing high rates of MRSA in Canadian swine--and guess where we import about 9 million hogs from every year? More after the jump... Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1014893 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:15:00 +0100 1014893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1002749&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F179637794%2Fpediatric_grand_rounds_211.php Welcome to this month's edition of Pediatric Grand Rounds! Sit back with a cup of mulled cider and enjoy the best of the past month: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1002749 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 16:00:00 +0100 1002749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=961601&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F171642451%2Fa_perfect_winter_storm_develop.php A few news stories hit my inbox all at once yesterday--and the combination of them doesn't bode well for childrens' health; more after the jump. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=961601 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:35:00 +0100 961601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=956019&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F170755362%2Fmrsa_from_hospital_pathogen_to.php Busy day here, but I do have a brief post up on MRSA over at Correlations if you're looking for some reading material. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=956019 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:10:00 +0100 956019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=882528&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F158163667%2Fa_good_excuse_not_to_wear_neck.php ...They make be spreading disease. British hospitals are working on keeping that in check by implementing a new dress code: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=882528 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:35:00 +0100 882528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869443&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F156017057%2Fclostridium_marys.php Clostridium difficile is an emergent bacterium. A close relative of the bacteria that cause tetanus and botulilsm (Clostridium tetani and Clostridium botulinum, respectively), C. difficile is an intestinal bacterium that can cause colitis. C. difficile has until recently been a fairly rare cause of disease, and then only typically within a hospital setting. However, the emergence of a new, highly virulent strain of the bacterium a few years ago, coinciding with an increase in the rate of serious infections it caused, put this pathogen on the map. And like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile is no longer only found in hospitals: it's spreading among the community as well. While this is a concern, the bulk of cases still occur in medical settings, where the ba... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869443 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:20:00 +0100 869443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=650573&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F121151569%2Fmore_xdrtb_newsother_travel.php Just popping in quickly after I saw Klearchos' comment on the updated tuberculosis post. He notes on his website that the CDC has released additional travel information about the XDR-TB infected patient, including shorter flights made within Europe in addition to the intercontinental flights. However, Klearchos notes: ...there is a big "hole" in the information provided by the CDC since, nobody has answered yet the question about how he moved from Santorini to Mykonos. CDC doesn't say anything about that in its report!! There is no direct flight between the two Greek islands so he must have taken a boat... By boat, the trip from Santorini to Mykonos is at least 3 hours and can be even more depending on the type of the boat. So his move from Santorini to Mykonos has to be considered a thr... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=650573 Thu, 31 May 2007 19:45:00 +0100 650573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=650576&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F120912247%2Fwhy_you_should_care_about_your.php I blogged earlier about the Georgia man who globe-trotted while infected with XDR-TB. I wrote that post late Tuesday evening, and since then, a number of other details about his case have come to light--and they're not encouraging. In fact, this serves as a nice example of a convergence of a number of areas I've written about before--obviously, the evolution of antibiotic resistance and the terrible position it leaves us in, the politics and policies of quarantine/isolation (and how they'd be enforced), and the global spread of infectious disease, so I figured this would warrant another post on the topic. First, the "compelling personal reason" he had for traveling that was mentioned in early articles was this: that he he was getting married in Greece and then honeymooning in various sto... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=650576 Wed, 30 May 2007 23:20:00 +0100 650576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=650578&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F120767995%2Fmicrobes_on_a_plane.php I blogged back in March about World TB day, the theme of which was "TB anywhere is TB everywhere." We know that someone can simply hop on a plane halfway across the world, and be practically anywhere else on the globe in the span of about a day--and their bacteria and viruses are just along for the ride. This is particularly disconcerting when it comes to respiratory diseases, where fellow airline passengers may be coughing and sneezing all over you, or touching shared objects without washing their hands. This is also a scenario that's known to have spread SARS, and may spread a future pandemic influenza strain. What's equally worrisome is that this method of travel also has the ability to spread highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as extremely drug-resistant Mycobacterium tubercu... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=650578 Wed, 30 May 2007 13:00:00 +0100 650578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=511896&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F105388668%2Fegnor_just_doesnt_know_when_to.php I don't know if you've seen any of the posts here at Scienceblogs or Panda's Thumb about the Discovery Institute's newest protégé, Dr. Michael Egnor. A professor of neurosurgery at SUNY-Stony Brook, Dr. Egnor has been pontificating on how "Darwinism" has nothing to offer to medicine; and indeed, that evolutionary biology has "hijacked" other fields of study. Mike has already aptly pointed out many of Egnor's strawmen and intellectual dishonesties, so I won't review them all. I've stayed out of the fray until now because I've had limited time and others have been handling it quite ably, but he keeps treading into (and butchering) my territory, so I just wanted to point out a few other things Egnor is waving away when he makes statements like this: Preventing the emergence of resistant st... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=511896 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0100 511896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=473704&cid=t_101176_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F101916258%2Femerging_diseases_and_zoonoses_2.php When we think of the spread of antibiotic resistance between animals and humans, we tend to think of it going from Them to Us. For example, much of the research over the past 20 years on the sub-clinical use of antibiotics in animal feed has looked how this use of antibiotics as a growth promotant breeds resistant organisms in animals, which can then enter the human population via the food we eat. Along a similar line, I just mentioned Burt's post post on cephalosporin use in cattle and the evolution of antibiotic resistance, where the worry is that use of these broad-spectrum antibiotics in animals will select for resistance that can then spread to humans. However, spread of resistant organisms is not a one-way street. For example, it has been suggested that transmission of methicillin-re... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=473704 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:40:00 +0100 473704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486724&cid=t_101176_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Ffda-set-to-ignore-advice-of-countless.html The following article from the Washington Post describes the FDA's plans to approve the use of cefquinome, a broad-spectrum, powerful "last-resort"-type antibiotic, to help our poor cows recover from respiratory infections that are mainly caused by the poor living conditions imposed upon them by industry standards.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003599980_anti040.htmlNever mind that there are several other antibiotics available and already on the market to treat these infections. Never mind that several panels of experts, including the American Medical Association and their own internal review panel, cried foul against cefquinome's approval.Widespread use of cefquinome (yes, even in animals) will most certainly deal a potentially devastating blow to our ability to fight... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486724 Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:25:00 +0100 486724