More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to normal antibiotics. This is especially true for the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Most of the pharmaceutical weapons are now useless against these MRSA strains . According to estimates, as many as every second patient in the USA treated by intensive-care medicine comes down with an MRSA infection… Read more

A dangerous bacteria has again prompted warnings for users of Willand Pond, just days before a holiday weekend that typically draws boaters and swimmers to the popular spot. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issued the warning Tuesday after samples of Willand Pond’s water revealed levels of cyanobacteria were greater than state standards… Read more

Your dirty laundry may actually be even dirtier after you wash it. That’s because experts say washing machines are teeming with bacteria that find their way onto your clothes — and then onto you. A bacteriologist shares her list of places that harbor the most germs. Our smallest items — our undergarments — are the biggest culprits because of the presence of fecal matter and the different types of bacteria it can carry… Read more

Many disease-causing microbes carry pumps that expel antibiotics, making the bugs hard to kill with standard drugs. Ironically, these same pumps could be the bugs’ Achilles heel. University of California, Berkeley, scientists have found that the molecular pumps in Listeria bacteria, and perhaps in other pathogens, also expel small signaling molecules that stimulate a strong immune response in the cells they infect… Read more

According to experts, all street food, cooked or raw, can cause gastroenteritis, typhoid and hepatitis, depending on the bacteria or viral  infection they contain. Most contamination is caused by contact with faeces. Other causes of infection are the food growing yeast, because it’s not stored properly, and flies. We interviewed city nutritionist Dr Naina Setalvad, Dr Ushakiran Sisodia of Nanavati Hospital and Dr Khusrav Bajan, consultant in critical care at the Hinduja Hospital… Read more

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has decided to use locally produced Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI) bacteria as a subsidiary to curb the dengue mosquito larvae, Ministry sources said. This will be used till the Cuban BTI bacteria arrives in the island… Read more

Probiotics and/or prebiotics may help alleviate the severity of celiac disease. According to a new research study, intestinal bacteria in celiac patients could influence inflammation to varying degrees. This means that altering intestinal microbiota could improve the quality of life for celiac patients, and also patients with diseases such as type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune disorders… Read more

Researchers from the University of Florida College of Dentistry claim that a defective, mutant strain of the bacterium that causes gum disease could provide a clue to potential treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and a number of other diseases. The boffins report their findings at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego… Read more

Last summer, while many teens were enjoying their vacations, Kyle Schole was consulting with experts in Canada, Scotland and Australia for a science fair project. His project, which involved using bacteria to generate electricity from decomposing tires, won him a gold medal at the Canada-wide science fair, as well as a Young Canadian Innovation Award from the Ernest C. Manning Foundation… Read more

The scientists believe naturally occurring microbes found in sea water could be harnessed to “feed” off oil polluting the ocean. They have tested the theory using sea water collected from the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Mediterranean… Read more