Apparently, food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to the findings of research carried out at Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences. The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis to the...Continue Reading
Stethoscopes Could Play a Part in Spreading Germs
New study shows that the amount of bacteria on a stethoscope can be higher than all parts of the doctor's hand except for the fingertips after examining a patient. Doctors' hands touch dozens of patients a day and medical standards require them to sanitize after they examine a patient, but what about their stethoscopes? With germs from many patients coming into contact with stethoscopes each day, a new study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, suggests the stethoscope should be subject to the same sanitary procedures as doctors' hands.continue Reading
Vinegar May Be Cheap, Safe Way to Kill TB Germ
A potent weapon against a dangerous class of bacteria may be as close as the kitchen cupboard, new research suggests. Scientists say common vinegar may be an inexpensive, non-toxic and effective way to kill increasingly drug-resistant mycobacteria -- including the germ that causes tuberculosis. Although researchers often use chlorine bleach to clean tuberculosis bacteria on surfaces, the study authors pointed out that bleach is also both toxic and corrosive. Meanwhile, other disinfectants may be too costly for tuberculosis labs in poor countries were the illness most often occurs. But the research team found that acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar, does the trick cheaply and effectively. Continue Reading
Hepatitis C Cases Fall 16% in U.S., CDC Survey Finds
The number of Americans with hepatitis C fell 16 percent to 2.7 million over almost a decade, a government survey found, just as new, more effective treatments for the chronic liver disease reach the market. The survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covers data gathered from 2003 to 2010. It updates information collected in 1999 to 2002 that counted 3.2 million people as being infected. Hepatitis C can be symptomless for years before it begins to scar the liver, leading to cancer, organ failure and, eventually, a transplant.continue Reading
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