Bacterial Research: Our water pipes crawl with millions of bacteria ♦ Bacteria engineered with synthetic circadian clocks ♦ Cooperating bacteria isolate cheaters

Cooperating bacteria isolate cheaters Bacteria, which reciprocally exchange amino acids, stabilize their partnership on two-dimensional surfaces and limit the access of non-cooperating bacteria to exchanged nutrients. Bacteria that do not contribute to metabolite production are excluded from the cooperative benefits. The researchers demonstrated that cooperative cross-feeders that grow on two-dimensional surfaces are protected from being exploited by non-cooperating bacteria.

Bacteria engineered with synthetic circadian clocks Many of the body's processes follow a natural daily rhythm or so-called circadian clock, so there are certain times of the day when a person is most alert, when the heart is most efficient, and when the body prefers sleep. Even bacteria have a circadian clock, and in a new study, researchers designed synthetic microbes to learn what drives this clock and how it might be manipulated.

Surprising diversity of TB strains found in Ethiopia Ethiopia is a hotspot for tuberculosis (TB) infection, ranking third among African countries and eighth in the world for TB burden according to the World Health Organization. But, say researchers who have analyzed the genomes of 66 TB strains, that's most likely not because TB was absent in the country before Europeans made contact. Rather, Europeans may have introduced a new wave of disease spread by more virulent TB strains.

Our water pipes crawl with millions of bacteria Our drinking water is to a large extent purified by millions of "good bacteria" found in water pipes and purification plants, Swedish researchers have found. So far, the knowledge about them has been practically non-existent, but this new research is about to change tha

Bacterial Research: Gut microbes signal to the brain when they're full ♦ Parasite makes TB infections worse ♦ Microbial growth and death inside our guts

Study sheds light on why parasite makes TB infections worse Scientists have shown how a parasitic worm infection common in the developing world increases susceptibility to tuberculosis. The study raises the possibility of using inexpensive and widely available anti-parasitic drugs as a preventive measure in places where the parasite and TB are common -- stopping infection with the parasite and reducing susceptibility to TB.

Scientists discover the secret behind the power of bacterial sex Migration between different communities of bacteria is the key to the type of gene transfer that can lead to the spread of traits such as antibiotic resistance, according to researchers.

Gut microbes signal to the brain when they're full Don't have room for dessert? The bacteria in your gut may be telling you something. Twenty minutes after a meal, gut microbes produce proteins that can suppress food intake in animals, The researchers also show how these proteins injected into mice and rats act on the brain reducing appetite, suggesting that gut bacteria may help control when and how much we eat.

Shining light on microbial growth and death inside our guts Population growth rates of the microbes that live inside mammalian gastrointestinal tracts can now be accurately measured, according to a new method reported.

Pulmonary Research: Immunotherapy superior to chemotherapy for lung cancer ♦ Rapid testing for TB aims to reduce drug resistance ♦ Algorithm interprets breathing difficulties

Algorithm interprets breathing difficulties to aid in medical care Researchers have developed an efficient algorithm that can interpret the wheezing of patients with breathing difficulties to give medical providers information about what's happening in the lungs. The work is part of a larger, ongoing project to develop wearable smart medical sensors for monitoring, collecting and interpreting personal health data.

Drug for fungal infections in lung transplant recipients increases risk for cancer, death Voriconazole, a prescription drug commonly used to treat fungal infections in lung transplant recipients, significantly increases the risk for skin cancer and even death.

Rapid testing for TB aims to reduce drug resistance, lower mortality rate Researchers have documented the accuracies of three new tests for more rapidly diagnosing drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis (TB), which are much harder and more expensive to treat and which represent a major threat to global public health.

First UK Biobank genetic study reveals new links between lung disease and smoking behavior Smokers who survive their habit into old age may hold the key to better lung health for all. The new discoveries may one day help scientists develop better treatments for diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a life-threatening condition that affects millions of people.

Immunotherapy superior to chemotherapy for lung cancer in international trial "Game-changing results” have been announced by a team of scientists using the immunotherapy drug nivolumab to treat certain lung cancers that failed to respond to first-line therapies

Health Research: Fatty liver disease helped by resistance training ♦ New material opens possibilities for super-long-acting pills ♦ Diabetes - TB link found

New material opens possibilities for super-long-acting pills Researchers have created a polymer gel that could allow for the development of long-acting devices that reside in the stomach, including orally delivered capsules that can release drugs over a number of days, weeks, or potentially months following a single administration.

Emergency transport times for stroke patients still in need of improvement Despite efforts to close the time gap between symptom onset and stroke treatment -- including improvements in public education, 911 dispatch operations, pre-hospital detection and triage, hospital stroke system development, and stroke unit management -- a new American study suggests that delays in emergency transport are still prevalent and that improvements are needed to ensure patients can be treated within the optimal time window.

Weight loss for a healthy liver Weight loss through both lifestyle modification and bariatric surgery can significantly reduce features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a disease characterized by fat in the liver.

Diabetes - TB link found in Australia Despite massive improvements in sanitation and antibiotic coverage over the last century, TB still remains the leading bacterial cause of death worldwide. A 20-year study has now found a strong link between diabetes and tuberculosis in tropical Australia.

Good news for people suffering from fatty liver disease: Resistance training can help Approximately 30% of the population suffer from fatty liver disease, the most common liver disease in the Western world. The disease can lead to inflammation and cirrhosis of the liver. A new study has found that gym training, and not only aerobic exercises, can help reduce liver fat

Health Research: High-fat diet may alleviate mitochondrial disease ♦ Eye color may be linked to alcohol dependence ♦ July 4: Short-term spike in particulate matter in US

High-fat diet may alleviate mitochondrial disease Mice that have a genetic version of mitochondrial disease can easily be mistaken for much older animals by the time they are nine months old: they have thinning grey hair, osteoporosis, poor hearing, infertility, heart problems and have lost weight. Dietary fat, coupled with a natural hormone, can relieve symptoms in these mice.

Eye color may be linked to alcohol dependence People with blue eyes might have a greater chance of becoming alcoholics, according to a unique new study

For women with bipolar disorder, sleep quality affects mood Poor sleep is associated with negative mood in women with bipolar disorder, according to researchers. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. The condition is marked by extreme mood episodes characterized as manic (highs), depressive (lows) or mixed

Research reveals new insights into a key antibiotic target in the fight against TB A key process in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis has been unraveled by researchers, potentially paving the way for new antibiotics to fight the disease. TB is one of the world's top infectious killers, causing 1.5 million deaths every year. The TB bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is estimated to be present in up to a third of the world's population, although active TB only develops in around one in 10 cases.

July 4: Short-term spike in particulate matter in US From the founding of America, the Fourth of July has been synonymous with fireworks. A new study quantifies the surge in fine particulate matter -- particles that are two and one half microns in diameter (PM2.5) -- on July 4, using observations from the 315 US air quality monitoring sites that operated from 1999 to 2013. While scientists have known that fireworks displays produce a surge in fine particulates, the new study is the first nationwide quantitative analysis of the effects.

Pulmonary Research: Targeting nerve endings to curb allergic asthma ♦ Severe asthma fails to respond to mainstay treatment ♦ New breath test for pneumonia

Multidrug-resistant TB appears less transmissible in households than drug-susceptible TB  Some strains of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) may have a lower fitness (be less capable of spreading) than drug-susceptible tuberculosis bacteria, according to a new study. The study compared new tuberculosis cases among household contacts of tuberculosis patients in South Lima and Callao, Peru, to determine the relative fitness of MDRTB vs. drug-susceptible tuberculosis.

New breath test for pneumonia An important new approach has been developed to diagnose infections in critically ill patients rapidly and accurately. Researchers have discovered that chemically analysing breath specimens from patients in intensive care can reveal bacterial infection in the lower respiratory tract of ventilated patients at risk of developing pneumonia

Targeting nerve endings to curb allergic asthma A study supports a surprising alternative approach to controlling asthma: targeting certain sensory nerve endings in the lungs. The researchers show that specialized sensory neurons called nociceptors are not only activated by allergic inflammation, but also exacerbate the allergic immune response. When these neurons are selectively silenced in mouse models of acute and chronic asthma, both inflammation and bronchial twitchiness are reduced.

Severe asthma fails to respond to mainstay treatment  The immune response that occurs in patients with severe asthma is markedly different than what occurs in milder forms of the lung condition, according to researchers. People with severe asthma, in which the airways become inflamed and constrict to impair breathing, do not get better even with high doses of corticosteroids, the mainstay of treatment for typical asthma.

Health News: Preservation of Antibiotic Legislation ♦ Dissemination of staph infections in hospitals ♦ Prescribe exercise for people with HIV + more

Rep. Slaughter Reintroduces Preservation of Antibiotic Legislation  Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) reintroduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act , which would ban non-therapeutic uses of medically important antibiotics in food animal production. “My legislation would save eight critical classes of antibiotics from being routinely fed to healthy animals” Continue Reading

The dissemination of staph infections in hospitals  Wireless sensors recording human interactions explain the transmission of germs, such as MRSA, in hospitals, according to new research.Continue Reading

Experiments reveal key components of the body's machinery for battling deadly tularemia  Key molecules that trigger the immune system to launch an attack on the bacterium that causes tularemia have been discovered by researchers. Tularemia is a highly infectious disease that kills more than 30 percent of those infected, if left untreated. It can be readily transmitted by air, insect bites or through contaminated food or water Continue Reading

Along with antiretroviral medications, doctors may prescribe exercise for people with HIV  In addition to antiretroviral medications, people with HIV may soon begin receiving a home exercise plan from their doctors. Continue Reading

Scientists use DNA sequencing to trace the spread of drug-resistant TB Scientists have used DNA sequencing to trace the fatal spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis between patients in the UK. TB is spread by inhaling tiny airborne droplets from an infected person. Continue Reading

Health News:100,s of students exposed to TB ♦ Highest rate of poultry food poisoning ♦ Smoking when pregnant increases cancer risk for daughters ♦ plus More

100,s of students exposed to TB at 2 Elk Grove Schools. School District officials announced that about 100 Franklin Elementary and 300 Franklin High School students will undergo skin tests for TB exposure the week of March 16. Continue Reading

Ireland has highest rate of poultry food poisoning bacteria in Europe  A report this week by Ella McSweeney,The Consumer Show has revealed a bacteria that can cause lethal food poisoning in humans is present on more than 98% of Irish chicken. The bacteria, campylobacter, is a potentially lethal food poisoning bacteria and 98% of Irish chickens tested positive for it when they were assessed Continue Reading

Male partner's healthier lifestyle may help infertile obese female conceive  Male partners of infertile obese females may increase the odds of conceiving a child by improving their own weight and dietary habits, Continue Reading

Exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy affects the brain two generations later  Prenatal exposure to low doses of the environmental contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, change the developing brain in an area involved in metabolism, Continue Reading

Smoking when pregnant increases cancer risk for daughters  Women who smoke when pregnant are putting their daughters at a greater risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer later in life, a new study has determined. Findings also demonstrated that mothers who reported smoking most days while pregnant had daughters who had an earlier age of first menstruation, or menarche Continue Reading

10/3/14 Health News: IL RESTRICTS RAW MILK SALES ♦ ANIMAL ANTIBIOTICS BILL VETOED ♦ Five babies test positive for TB ♦ 8-STATE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

IL RESTRICTS RAW MILK SALES WHILE MAKING THEM LEGAL

After 30 years or more, Illinois is about to get procedures for permitting and inspecting dairy farms that will make the sale and distribution of raw milk legal in the Land of Lincoln. Raw milk dairies that have operated in the shadows during those years probably don’t see it that way but may fear that... Continue Reading

CA GOVERNOR VETOES STATE SENATE’S ANIMAL ANTIBIOTICS BILL

California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed state Senate Bill 835 on animal antibiotics when it reached his desk Monday. Brown said that the bill to ban the use of antibiotics for growth promotion and require a veterinarian prescription for a livestock antibiotic “would codify a voluntary Federal Drug Administration standard that phases-out antibiotic use for growth promotion.”... Continue Reading

Five babies test positive for TB in Texas

Five babies in El Paso, Texas, have tested positive for tuberculosis after being exposed to the infectious disease at a local hospital, the city's health department says Continue Reading

BERRIES, MELONS ON SUSPECT LIST IN LOW-KEY 8-STATE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION

Three years after one of the most deadly outbreaks involving fresh produce in U.S. history, reports at the state and local level are pointing to the existence of a widespread Salmonella outbreak that may involve berries or melons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declined opportunities to comment on these reports, and a... Continue Reading

9/30/14 Health News: underground trade in a West African delicacy ♦ 45 infants added to TB exposure list ♦ Poison: Anglers Advised Not To Eat Trout In 1080 Areas

Underground trade in a West African delicacy

The global youth media company Vice has launched a new documentary series about how politics and policy affect what we eat. “The Politics of Food” is available through Vice’s online food channel, Munchies, and the first 20-minute episode investigates the underground trade in a West African delicacy called “smokies” that has been banned in the... Continue Reading

45 infants added to TB exposure list

Health officials have added 45 infants to the list of more than 700 who were exposed to tuberculosis at a hospital in El Paso, Texas. Earlier this week, the city's Department of Public Health announced that 706 infants and 43 health care workers had been exposed to tuberculosis, commonly called TB, at Providence Memorial Hospital. Continue Reading

Poison: Anglers Advised Not To Eat Trout In 1080 Areas

Anglers Advised Not To Eat Trout In 1080 Areas With the fishing season opening in just a few days (1 October 2014), anglers are being warned by the Department of Conservation(DOC) not to eat trout from pristine backcountry waters and their downstream catchments, where the department is conducting 1080 poisoning operations. In response to publicly expressed concerns by the New … Continue Reading

5/29/14 Health News: Food additive Can Cause obesity and fatty liver disease ♦ First Pizza Delivery By Drone ♦ Unreliable Flu Tests ♦ Giant Rats That Can Sniff Out TB

First Pizza Delivery By Drone,

Let’s say you’re a busy Italian restaurant in South Mumbai. Your customer wants a pizza delivered NOW NOW NOW but traffic is totally insane. What do you do? You send that pizza by drone! Continue Reading

Food additive culprit behind obesity and fatty liver disease

Researchers have linked food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG) to obesity and disorders associated with the metabolic syndrome including progressive liver disease. Continue Reading

FDA Worried About Unreliable Flu Tests

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned that 15-minute influenza tests are all too often unreliable and inaccurate, and could lead to a public health crisis if infected patients are told they don't have the flu when, in fact, they do. To protect against another pandemic... Continue Reading

Giant Rats That Can Sniff Out TB

:BBC Earth’s Extraordinary Animals series visited the social enterprise Apopo in Tanzania to see how the rats are trained, and discover what makes a rat's sense of smell so superior. A rat makes about eight sniffs a second compared with two for humans. Rats also smell in stereo, distinguishing two similar odours with one sniff. And around one in every 100 of a rat’s genes is involved with odour detection, compared with one in 1,000 humans.Continue Reading

4/15/14 Health News: Poisoning Spike Linked to TV Chefs ♦ Refills for E-cigarettes Break Poison Labelling Laws ♦ Should be Skeptical of Walmart’s Cheap Organic Food ♦ Hospital Cited for 8 Violations in TB outbreak

Most nicotine refills for e-cigarettes break poison labelling laws

Almost 70% of nicotine-based refills for electronic cigarettes fail to state the contents are poisonous, despite this being required by law, according to research by the Dutch food safety body NVWA. The packaging should carry a skull icon to show the contents are dangerous to health. This means users are not being properly warned about the contents Continue Reading

Poisoning spike linked to TV chefs

A SPIKE in food poisoning cases has been linked to South Australians undercooking eggs at home.The new cases have sparked warnings from health authorities to be wary of attempting techniques used on television cooking shows.SA Health figures show 353 cases of potentially life-threatening salmonellosis have been reported throughout the state so far this year. That is about a third more than the number of cases — 267 — reported at the same time last year.Continue Reading

Why you should be skeptical of Walmart’s cheap organic food

Out on the mean streets of the U.S. organic foods industry, Walmart has stepped onto the corner with both guns drawn. On Thursday, the superstore behemoth announced its plan to partner with Wild Oats(which you may recognize as a former subsidiary of Whole Foods) to offer a line of organic goods at unprecedentedly low prices in 2,000 of its U.S. stores. To start, the line will offer primarily canned goods and other pantry staples that will cost up to 25 percent less than those of other organic brands. Continue Reading

Summerlin Hospital cited for 8 violations in TB outbreak

The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday that it cited Summerlin Hospital for eight violations in connection with last year's tuberculosis outbreak that claimed the life of a mother and at least one of her children. Continue Rea

3/26/14 Health News: Three Ways to Take Action on Ocean Health ♦ New Way to Reduce E. Coli in Cows ♦ Smartphones Diagnose Diseases ♦ China 'Has Halved its TB Problem

Three Ways to Take Action on Ocean Health

The earth isn't called the “blue marble” for nothing: All life on Earth is linked to our oceans, including the oxygen we breathe, the plants and fish that we eat, and the moderation of weather patterns all around us.

Despite their key role, oceans are taken for granted. People expect that oceans will keep providing us with life-sustaining services. But the reality is, without swift and wide-scale action, they won’t.They can’t.Continue Reading

University of Florida Finds Way to Reduce E. Coli in Cows, Improving Food Safety

By: Brad Buck, University of Florida A new biological treatment could help dairy cattle stave off uterine diseases and eventually may help improve food safety for humans, a University of Florida study shows. Kwang Cheol Jeong, an assistant professor in … Continue Reading

Smartphones to Diagnose Diseases in Real Time

A team from the US is developing a disease diagnostic system based on nanotechnology that will only require a smartphone and a $20 lens attachment to read results. While there are still some challenges to overcome, they are hopeful the end result will be an affordable diagnostic tool that can be used in the field. Continue Reading

China 'Has Halved its TB Problem,' Survey Data Suggests

China has more than halved its tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, with rates falling from 170 to 59 per 100,000 population, figures suggest. The Lancet report says the success is due to a huge expansion of a community-based disease control programme. The World Health Organization says other countries could use a similar approach. China is a major contributor to the global TB pandemic, accounting for more than one-tenth of cases worldwide.Continue Reading

U.S. Saves 15 Million With New TB Safety Regulations

Data indicate that cases and rates of TB disease continue to fall in the U.S.; however, a higher burden in some populations – such as foreign-born individuals and racial/ethnic minorities – keeps TB elimination out of reach.

Preliminary data from the CDC National TB Surveillance System show a total of 9,588 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2013, marking a 4.2 percent decline in the 2012 rate. Despite overall progress, the TB rate for foreign-born individuals is 13 times higher than among individuals born in the U.S., and the proportion of TB cases in the foreign-born group continues to increase.

Racial disparities persist. Hispanics, blacks and Asians face higher TB rates—7, 7 and 26 times higher, respectively—than whites. Persons infected with HIV and people who are homeless are also especially vulnerable to TB.

Although the proportion of drug-resistant cases remains relatively small, drug resistant TB is a concern because it is difficult and costly to treat and more often fatal. In 2012, multidrug-resistant TB accounted for 1.2 percent of cases (86 cases). Two cases of extensively-drug-resistant TB were reported in 2013. The authors note that eliminating TB in the U.S. requires continuing to address TB in affected populations and improvements in awareness, testing and treatment of TB disease.

Updated CDC recommendations for overseas tuberculosis screening of immigrants and refugees has resulted in better diagnosis of TB before individuals arrive in the United States. CDC reports the completion of implementation of new tuberculosis screening and treatment requirements for US-bound immigrants and refugees. Implementation of these requirements has resulted in twice as many cases of tuberculosis being diagnosed and treated before immigrants and refugees arrive in the U.S. compared with the previous screening program. Since the new requirements were implemented, reports of cases of foreign-born tuberculosis have declined. In addition, the increase in persons diagnosed and treated overseas is projected to result in a savings of more than $15 million in US health care costs.

3/14/14 Health News: FIVE SECOND RULE IS REAL - Stethoscopes Play a Part in Spreading Germs - Vinegar Safe Way to Kill TB Germ - Vinegar May Be Cheap, Safe Way to Kill TB Germ

THE FIVE SECOND RULE IS REAL?

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

12/27/13 Health News: Shipping Delays Hurt Perishable Foods, Drug Resistant TB Spreading, FDA Looking For new Antibiotic for drug resistant Bacteria

Shipping Debacle poses Threat to Perishable Food Business

A CNN report on shipping delays through UPS and FedEx over the Christmas holiday outlines the complex issues faced by affected businesses.

In a December 26 CNN report about the recent news regarding the widespread problems with shipping delays through UPS and FedEx over the Christmas holiday, the word “loss” stands out like a sore thumb. And businesses that count on a good amount of their online sales are standing on the sidelines awaiting the verdict on how the shipping giants plan to settle up at the end of the day.continue reading

Global Resistance to TB Drugs is 'Ticking Time Bomb'

Increasing resistance to tuberculosis drugs around the world is a "ticking time bomb", says the World Health Organization (WHO). It estimates almost 500,000 people around the world have a type of TB which is resistant to at least two of the main types of drugs used to treat the disease. But most are not diagnosed and are walking around spreading these more deadly strains. More than half the cases are in China, Russia and India.continue reading

FDA Seeks Anti-‘superbug’ Bill

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants Congress to pass a bill to help the agency combat the scourge of germs that have grown resistant to antibiotic drugs. Legislation would allow the agency to create a program to develop special drugs designed to attack so-called “superbugs” that have become resistant to other medicine, the director of FDA's drug evaluation center, Janet Woodcock, said. Though the agency might have the legal power to develop a program on its own, Woodcock said, legislation would be the best way to start the initiative swiftly and forcefully.continue reading