A new study into antibiotic resistance in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy points the finger of blame squarely at the oral ingestion of antibiotics. Using intravenous or transdermal methods of delivery, say the researchers, could significantly slow the spread of antibiotic resistance. “For more than 40 years, a few doses of penicillin were enough […]
Berkeley scientists have found that small fragments of a keratin protein in the eye are exceptionally efficient at killing off pathogens, a discovery the researchers believe could lead to new and inexpensive antimicrobial drugs. Details of cytokeratin 6A’s antimicrobial properties appear in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The researchers, led by Suzanne Fleiszig, came upon […]
Male pseudoscorpions treated with tetracycline suffer significantly reduced sperm viability and this toxic effect is passed on to their untreated sons, say University of Nevada researchers who believe a similar effect could occur in humans. Tetracycline is commonly used as an additive in animal feed and also as an antimicrobial therapy in developing countries. Researcher […]
The journal Emerging Infectious Diseases reports the worrying discovery that birds captured in the Arctic tundra are carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Swedish researchers behind the finding were surprised that antibiotic resistance had spread into what were thought to be relatively pristine ecosystems. Taking samples from 97 birds in northeastern Siberia, northern Alaska, and northern Greenland, […]
Evaluating the impact of livestock antibiotics on the environment, University of Minnesota researchers have found that many vegetables uptake the antibiotics. The study, in the Journal of Environmental Quality, shows that food crops can readily accumulate antibiotics from soils spread with cattle manure. The findings were based on a greenhouse study involving three food crops: […]
If you’re concerned by your child’s nagging sore throat this winter, it may come as some consolation that doctors are losing patience with outdated antibiotic treatments designed to treat strep throat. Doctors attending an infectious diseases meeting in Washington this weekend were in agreement that current treatments for the millions of sore throats suffered by […]
It’s widely accepted in the medical community that a high level of antibiotic use is related to antibiotic resistance, but only recently has the risk to the individual been assessed. The study, published in theJournal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy this month, and funded by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, has shown that patients who have […]
Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Wisconsin, writing in the journalPloS Biology, describe how E. coli evolution could be halted in its tracks by subjecting the bacteria to compounds that block a protein called LexA. LexA promotes mutations and helps the pathogen evolve resistance to antibiotics. Interfering with this protein renders […]
A new study shows that more than half the patients in the United States are taking bacteria-destroying antibiotics for colds, flu and bronchitis, all caused by viruses. This is very worrying says Dr. Jim Wilde, pediatric emergency medicine and infectious disease physician at the Medical College of Georgia. “For uncomplicated colds, zero are necessary; bronchitis, […]
