Research shows that the body’s own microbes are effective in maintaining immune cells and killing certain oral infections. A team of Case Western Reserve University researchers found that antibiotics actually kill the “good” bacteria keeping infection and inflammation at bay. Scientists have long known that overuse of antibiotics can do more harm than good. For […]
Honey Could Be Effective At Treating And Preventing Wound Infections
Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Streptococcus pyogenes is a normal skin bacterium […]
Scientists learn what fuels the ‘natural killers’ of the immune system
Despite a name straight from a Tarantino movie, natural killer (NK) cells are your allies when it comes to fighting infections and cancer. If T cells are like a team of specialist doctors in an emergency room, NK cells are the paramedics: They arrive first on the scene and perform damage control until reinforcements arrive. […]
Essential oils to fight bacterial infections
James Cook University scientists have discovered a technique to apply natural plant extracts such as Tea Tree Oil as a coating for medical devices, a process which could prevent millions of infections every year. Professor Mohan Jacob, Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at JCU, leads a team investigating the problem. He said an increasing […]
Using copper to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses
New research from the University of Southampton has found that copper can effectively help to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which are linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Animal coronaviruses that ‘host jump’ to humans, such as SARS and MERS, result in severe infections with high mortality. […]
Pandemic Movies To Watch In Quarantine
Disease-themed movies are at an all-time high amidst this coronavirus outbreak. But can it get any scarier in scary times. Since COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic, doesn’t it feel like you’ve seen this scenario before. Our very existence has been threatened by epidemics, war, famine, climate change, and dwindling resources. It seems like […]
Researchers find infectious prions throughout eyes of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Researchers find infectious prions throughout eyes of patients with deadly sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a discovery that reveals both a biohazard and a potential diagnostic tool By the time symptoms of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) are typically discovered, death is looming and inevitable. But, in a new study, researchers at University of California San Diego School […]
Infectious diarrhea spores survive high temperatures of hospital laundering
Washing contaminated hospital bedsheets in a commercial washing machine with industrial detergent at high disinfecting temperatures failed to remove all traces of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), a bacteria that causes infectious diarrhea, suggesting that linens could be a source of infection among patients and even other hospitals, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital […]
Antibiotics May Reduce The Ability Of Immune Cells To Kill Bacteria
Antibiotics normally act in concert with an organism’s immune system to eliminate an infection. However, the drugs can have broad side effects, including eliminating “good” bacteria in the course of fighting off a pathogen. A new study led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, MIT, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically […]
Hidden Tooth Infections May Predispose People To Heart Disease
According to a study carried out at the University of Helsinki, an infection of the root tip of a tooth increases the risk of coronary artery disease, even if the infection is symptomless. Hidden dental root tip infections are very common: as many as one in four Finns suffers from at least one. Such infections […]