E. coli is not going away anytime soon. As a matter-of-fact, U.S. food safety officials say the potential for dangerous E. coli bacteria is on the rise again with the potential greatest in spinach and other fresh foods. Since 2006, when an E. coli outbreak in spinach swept the nation, outbreaks of the bacteria have become more varied, likely because of the growing trend in raw fruits and vegetable consumption, which can harbor dangerous bacteria, HealthDay, reported in a syndicated story appearing in USA Today.
In the last two years, a variety of pathogens in food have killed at least three people, sickened more than 1,300 others, and touched nearly every state in the country as well as Canada, HealthDay reported. The problem is difficult to police because the food-surveillance system is outdated, under-funded, and overwhelmed by the emergence of mega-farms, mega-distribution centers, and mega-transporters, HealthDay said. “Before, it was just bad produce coming from one farm,” said Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with Consumers Union.
Couple this with the overarching problem with infectious diseases which are now becoming more resistant to bacteria because of antibiotic overuse and abuse. We overuse or misuse antibiotics; bacteria mutate, changing just enough to ensure antibiotics have no effect on them and giving them a wide berth to spread with ever more power. Although tempting, preventative antibiotic regimes only worsen the epidemic and strengthen the bacteria. And while new drugs are emerging, it’s just a matter of time before super bugs will become resistant to them, too. In many cases, they have.
Antibiotic resistance is so pervasive that scientists now report having found evidence of drug-repelling E. coli in Arctic birds as remote as the polar ice cap. It seems migratory fowl that circumnavigate the globe along centuries-old flyways passed the bacteria. Scientists in Sweden traveled to vast regions of the frigid ice cap in search of species they hoped had been spared exposure to drug-resistant strains and were surprised to discover widespread antibiotic-resistant E. coli in Arctic-dwelling birds never previously exposed to the drugs. This study added credence to the notion that antibiotic resistance is global and no region is unscathed.
In addition to the spread of E. coli and the growing resistance of the infection to traditional medications, it seems that there is emerging data that the negative health effects of E. coli can remain for months and years later. It was believed that once we recover from a food-related contamination that we are healed and the illness is gone. Not so. According to recent research, these illnesses can have long-term, lasting effects that can either linger for months or years or can show up months or years after the original illness. As part of their studies, researchers found that some children who suffered severe cases of E. coli developed health problems later in life, such as kidney problems, high blood pressure, and kidney failure; the health problems appeared as late as 10 to 20 years later. The research also found people who suffered salmonella or shigella can find themselves suffering with arthritis later in life and, for those who exhibited mild campylobacter, a type of paralysis can strike following the initial complaints.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Antibiotic resistance: A global phenomenon
Scientists have discovered antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the Arctic, suggesting that drug-resistance has spread into the farthest reaches of nature - an alarming prospect for future healthcare.
The researchers from Sweden studied antimicrobial drug resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from Arctic birds to 17 antimicrobial drugs, detecting resistance to 14 of them.
“We were extremely surprised,” said Björn Olsen, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Uppsala University and at the Laboratory for Zoonosis Research at the University of Kalmar.
“We took samples from birds living far out on the tundra and had no contact with people. This further confirms that resistance to antibiotics has become a global phenomenon and that virtually no region of the earth, with the possible exception of the Antarctic, is unaffected.”
The team took samples from 97 birds in north-eastern Siberia, northern Alaska, and northern Greenland and cultivated them directly in laboratories the researchers had installed onboard the icebreaking ship they used to reach the Arctic. Samples were further analysed at the microbiological laboratory at the Central Hospital in Växjö, Sweden.
The researchers suggest the reason for the resistance is that immigrating birds have passed through regions in Southeast Asia, for example, where there is a great deal of antibiotic pressure and carried with them the resistant bacteria to the tundra.
Professor Olsen told Laboratory News: “The fact that an isolate from a juvenile Western sandpiper sampled far from human settlements on the tundra had resistance to cefadroxil, cefuroxime, and cefpodoxime, a resistance pattern commonly seen in clinical isolates, supports the theory of introduction by migration and transfer of bacteria between birds.”
In a paper published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the team goes further to suggest that migrating birds carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria can then infect isolated human communities, using the Bolivian community of 130 Guaraní Indians as an example. This community is located at an altitude of 1,700m and can only be reached by a 3-hour steep climb. Nevertheless, high rates of drug-resistant E. coli were found in this community, although exposure to antimicrobial drugs in the area had been limited.
“A possible explanation for the unexpectedly high carriage rate of drug-resistant E. coli in the Indian community in Bolivia is the importation of drug-resistant isolates by migratory birds,” said Jonas Bonnedahl, a physician specialising in infectious diseases in Kalmar and one of those participating in the expedition.
He added: “Our findings show that resistance to antibiotics is not limited to society and hospitals but is now spreading into the wild. Escalating resistance to antibiotics over the last few years has crystallised into one of the greatest threats to well-functioning health care in the future.”
The researchers from Sweden studied antimicrobial drug resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from Arctic birds to 17 antimicrobial drugs, detecting resistance to 14 of them.
“We were extremely surprised,” said Björn Olsen, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Uppsala University and at the Laboratory for Zoonosis Research at the University of Kalmar.
“We took samples from birds living far out on the tundra and had no contact with people. This further confirms that resistance to antibiotics has become a global phenomenon and that virtually no region of the earth, with the possible exception of the Antarctic, is unaffected.”
The team took samples from 97 birds in north-eastern Siberia, northern Alaska, and northern Greenland and cultivated them directly in laboratories the researchers had installed onboard the icebreaking ship they used to reach the Arctic. Samples were further analysed at the microbiological laboratory at the Central Hospital in Växjö, Sweden.
The researchers suggest the reason for the resistance is that immigrating birds have passed through regions in Southeast Asia, for example, where there is a great deal of antibiotic pressure and carried with them the resistant bacteria to the tundra.
Professor Olsen told Laboratory News: “The fact that an isolate from a juvenile Western sandpiper sampled far from human settlements on the tundra had resistance to cefadroxil, cefuroxime, and cefpodoxime, a resistance pattern commonly seen in clinical isolates, supports the theory of introduction by migration and transfer of bacteria between birds.”
In a paper published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the team goes further to suggest that migrating birds carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria can then infect isolated human communities, using the Bolivian community of 130 Guaraní Indians as an example. This community is located at an altitude of 1,700m and can only be reached by a 3-hour steep climb. Nevertheless, high rates of drug-resistant E. coli were found in this community, although exposure to antimicrobial drugs in the area had been limited.
“A possible explanation for the unexpectedly high carriage rate of drug-resistant E. coli in the Indian community in Bolivia is the importation of drug-resistant isolates by migratory birds,” said Jonas Bonnedahl, a physician specialising in infectious diseases in Kalmar and one of those participating in the expedition.
He added: “Our findings show that resistance to antibiotics is not limited to society and hospitals but is now spreading into the wild. Escalating resistance to antibiotics over the last few years has crystallised into one of the greatest threats to well-functioning health care in the future.”
Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine
Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine is an Account of 50 Years of Genetic Studies of the Soil Inhabiting Microbes That Produce Most of the Antibiotics Used to Treat Infections
DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742) has announced the addition of “Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers” to their offering.
This is an insiders account of 50 years of genetic studies of the soil-inhabiting microbes that produce most of the antibiotics used to treat infections, as well as anti-cancer, anti-parasitic and immunosuppressant drugs. The book begins by describing how these microbes the actinomycetes were discovered in the latter part of the nineteenth century, but remained a Cinderella group until, in the 1940s, they shot to prominence with the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis and only the second antibiotic, after penicillin, to become a medical marvel.
There followed a massive effort over several decades to find further treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, tempered by the rise of antibiotic resistance consequent on antibiotic misuse and over-use. The book goes on to describe the discovery of gene exchange in the actinomycetes in the context of the rise of microbial genetics in the mid-20th century, leading to determination of the complete DNA sequence of a model member of the group at the turn of the millennium. There follow chapters in which the intricate molecular machinery that adapts the organisms metabolism and development to life in the soil, including antibiotic production, is illuminated by the DNA blueprint.
Then came an up-to-the minute account of the use of genetic engineering to make novel, hybrid, antibiotics, and a topical description of techniques to learn the roles of the thousands of genes in a genome sequence, throwing a powerful light on the biology of the organisms and their harnessing for increasing antibiotic productivity. In the final chapter we return to the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, the first actinomycetes to be discovered, and how methodology, in part derived from the study of the streptomycetes, is being applied to understand and control these still deadly pathogens.
About the Author
David A. Hopwood, Professor of Genetics, University of East Anglia (Emeritus)
Contents:
Preface.
Introduction.
1. Actinomycetes and Antibiotics
2. Antiobiotic Discovery and Resistance
3. Microbial Sex
4. Towards Gene Cloning
5. From Chromosome Map to DNA Sequence
6. Bacteria That Develop
7. The Switch to Antibiotic Production
8. Unnatural Natural Products
9. Functional Genomics
10. Genomics Against TB and Leprosy
Conclusion.
Notes and references.
Glossary.
Index.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742
Source: Oxford University Press
DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742) has announced the addition of “Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers” to their offering.
This is an insiders account of 50 years of genetic studies of the soil-inhabiting microbes that produce most of the antibiotics used to treat infections, as well as anti-cancer, anti-parasitic and immunosuppressant drugs. The book begins by describing how these microbes the actinomycetes were discovered in the latter part of the nineteenth century, but remained a Cinderella group until, in the 1940s, they shot to prominence with the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis and only the second antibiotic, after penicillin, to become a medical marvel.
There followed a massive effort over several decades to find further treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, tempered by the rise of antibiotic resistance consequent on antibiotic misuse and over-use. The book goes on to describe the discovery of gene exchange in the actinomycetes in the context of the rise of microbial genetics in the mid-20th century, leading to determination of the complete DNA sequence of a model member of the group at the turn of the millennium. There follow chapters in which the intricate molecular machinery that adapts the organisms metabolism and development to life in the soil, including antibiotic production, is illuminated by the DNA blueprint.
Then came an up-to-the minute account of the use of genetic engineering to make novel, hybrid, antibiotics, and a topical description of techniques to learn the roles of the thousands of genes in a genome sequence, throwing a powerful light on the biology of the organisms and their harnessing for increasing antibiotic productivity. In the final chapter we return to the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, the first actinomycetes to be discovered, and how methodology, in part derived from the study of the streptomycetes, is being applied to understand and control these still deadly pathogens.
About the Author
David A. Hopwood, Professor of Genetics, University of East Anglia (Emeritus)
Contents:
Preface.
Introduction.
1. Actinomycetes and Antibiotics
2. Antiobiotic Discovery and Resistance
3. Microbial Sex
4. Towards Gene Cloning
5. From Chromosome Map to DNA Sequence
6. Bacteria That Develop
7. The Switch to Antibiotic Production
8. Unnatural Natural Products
9. Functional Genomics
10. Genomics Against TB and Leprosy
Conclusion.
Notes and references.
Glossary.
Index.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742
Source: Oxford University Press
DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742) has announced the addition of “Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers” to their offering.
This is an insiders account of 50 years of genetic studies of the soil-inhabiting microbes that produce most of the antibiotics used to treat infections, as well as anti-cancer, anti-parasitic and immunosuppressant drugs. The book begins by describing how these microbes the actinomycetes were discovered in the latter part of the nineteenth century, but remained a Cinderella group until, in the 1940s, they shot to prominence with the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis and only the second antibiotic, after penicillin, to become a medical marvel.
There followed a massive effort over several decades to find further treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, tempered by the rise of antibiotic resistance consequent on antibiotic misuse and over-use. The book goes on to describe the discovery of gene exchange in the actinomycetes in the context of the rise of microbial genetics in the mid-20th century, leading to determination of the complete DNA sequence of a model member of the group at the turn of the millennium. There follow chapters in which the intricate molecular machinery that adapts the organisms metabolism and development to life in the soil, including antibiotic production, is illuminated by the DNA blueprint.
Then came an up-to-the minute account of the use of genetic engineering to make novel, hybrid, antibiotics, and a topical description of techniques to learn the roles of the thousands of genes in a genome sequence, throwing a powerful light on the biology of the organisms and their harnessing for increasing antibiotic productivity. In the final chapter we return to the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, the first actinomycetes to be discovered, and how methodology, in part derived from the study of the streptomycetes, is being applied to understand and control these still deadly pathogens.
About the Author
David A. Hopwood, Professor of Genetics, University of East Anglia (Emeritus)
Contents:
Preface.
Introduction.
1. Actinomycetes and Antibiotics
2. Antiobiotic Discovery and Resistance
3. Microbial Sex
4. Towards Gene Cloning
5. From Chromosome Map to DNA Sequence
6. Bacteria That Develop
7. The Switch to Antibiotic Production
8. Unnatural Natural Products
9. Functional Genomics
10. Genomics Against TB and Leprosy
Conclusion.
Notes and references.
Glossary.
Index.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742
Source: Oxford University Press
DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742) has announced the addition of “Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers” to their offering.
This is an insiders account of 50 years of genetic studies of the soil-inhabiting microbes that produce most of the antibiotics used to treat infections, as well as anti-cancer, anti-parasitic and immunosuppressant drugs. The book begins by describing how these microbes the actinomycetes were discovered in the latter part of the nineteenth century, but remained a Cinderella group until, in the 1940s, they shot to prominence with the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis and only the second antibiotic, after penicillin, to become a medical marvel.
There followed a massive effort over several decades to find further treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, tempered by the rise of antibiotic resistance consequent on antibiotic misuse and over-use. The book goes on to describe the discovery of gene exchange in the actinomycetes in the context of the rise of microbial genetics in the mid-20th century, leading to determination of the complete DNA sequence of a model member of the group at the turn of the millennium. There follow chapters in which the intricate molecular machinery that adapts the organisms metabolism and development to life in the soil, including antibiotic production, is illuminated by the DNA blueprint.
Then came an up-to-the minute account of the use of genetic engineering to make novel, hybrid, antibiotics, and a topical description of techniques to learn the roles of the thousands of genes in a genome sequence, throwing a powerful light on the biology of the organisms and their harnessing for increasing antibiotic productivity. In the final chapter we return to the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, the first actinomycetes to be discovered, and how methodology, in part derived from the study of the streptomycetes, is being applied to understand and control these still deadly pathogens.
About the Author
David A. Hopwood, Professor of Genetics, University of East Anglia (Emeritus)
Contents:
Preface.
Introduction.
1. Actinomycetes and Antibiotics
2. Antiobiotic Discovery and Resistance
3. Microbial Sex
4. Towards Gene Cloning
5. From Chromosome Map to DNA Sequence
6. Bacteria That Develop
7. The Switch to Antibiotic Production
8. Unnatural Natural Products
9. Functional Genomics
10. Genomics Against TB and Leprosy
Conclusion.
Notes and references.
Glossary.
Index.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81742
Source: Oxford University Press
ADLS: Management Addresses Concerns re FDA Workshop and Meetings
The Management of Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. (ADLS) held a conference call today to address concerns regarding a FDA workshop last week and an upcoming meeting of the Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee to discuss product development and clinical trial design for community acquired pneumonia (CAP).
Dr. Michael Flavin, Chairman and CEO of Advanced Life Sciences, said, As part of a mandated review process, the FDA is reviewing CAP trials through workshops. The Company anticipates that upcoming meetings will continue the discussions conducted last week, but an agenda is unknown at this time."
"We view the workshop as an idea generation event. Participants are focused on appropriate margins for the trials and scientific justification for those margins, because of the serious nature of the disease. The spotlight on antiobiotic resistance continues to grow. If approved our Cethromycin is well positioned to address these issues."
"The workshop discussions were not worrisome. We have confirmed suitability of our trial design. We have captured extensive important data to support development. We believe that our plans are on track for a strong NDA submission, and no meetings or conversations with the FDA have changed that. We feel certain that changes will not be placed on our trials."
"Be assured that nothing clinical is on hold."
Dr Flavin added, "We have also made progress with prospective partnerships and feel that developments regarding these could be likely in 2008."
KNOBIAS DISCLAIMER: All statements made in this article were made by the Company and do not in any way reflect the opinions of Knobias. Knobias is not a registered broker-dealer, nor investment advisor, and does not endorse or recommend any securities mentioned. This story is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for trading purposes. Knobias shall not be liable for any actions taken in reliance of any information provided herein. Republication or redistribution of Knobias content is expressly prohibited without prior written consent of Knobias.com, LLC.
ABOUT KNOBIAS: Knobias is a premier financial information provider of trading and investing data covering all U.S. equities for investors and security professionals. Knobias is best described by its three major components: Real-time desktop applications providing quotes, charts, level 2, analysis etc.; Knobias RAiDAR providing thousands of real-time news stories, alerts and documents daily; Knobias fundamentals providing a comprehensive database of fundamental research information.
If your company wishes to participate in the EventX newswire, please contact Knobias: http://www.knobias.com
Knobias.com, LLC 601-978-3399 601-978-3675 info@knobias.com www.knobias.com/cmtx
Dr. Michael Flavin, Chairman and CEO of Advanced Life Sciences, said, As part of a mandated review process, the FDA is reviewing CAP trials through workshops. The Company anticipates that upcoming meetings will continue the discussions conducted last week, but an agenda is unknown at this time."
"We view the workshop as an idea generation event. Participants are focused on appropriate margins for the trials and scientific justification for those margins, because of the serious nature of the disease. The spotlight on antiobiotic resistance continues to grow. If approved our Cethromycin is well positioned to address these issues."
"The workshop discussions were not worrisome. We have confirmed suitability of our trial design. We have captured extensive important data to support development. We believe that our plans are on track for a strong NDA submission, and no meetings or conversations with the FDA have changed that. We feel certain that changes will not be placed on our trials."
"Be assured that nothing clinical is on hold."
Dr Flavin added, "We have also made progress with prospective partnerships and feel that developments regarding these could be likely in 2008."
KNOBIAS DISCLAIMER: All statements made in this article were made by the Company and do not in any way reflect the opinions of Knobias. Knobias is not a registered broker-dealer, nor investment advisor, and does not endorse or recommend any securities mentioned. This story is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for trading purposes. Knobias shall not be liable for any actions taken in reliance of any information provided herein. Republication or redistribution of Knobias content is expressly prohibited without prior written consent of Knobias.com, LLC.
ABOUT KNOBIAS: Knobias is a premier financial information provider of trading and investing data covering all U.S. equities for investors and security professionals. Knobias is best described by its three major components: Real-time desktop applications providing quotes, charts, level 2, analysis etc.; Knobias RAiDAR providing thousands of real-time news stories, alerts and documents daily; Knobias fundamentals providing a comprehensive database of fundamental research information.
If your company wishes to participate in the EventX newswire, please contact Knobias: http://www.knobias.com
Knobias.com, LLC 601-978-3399 601-978-3675 info@knobias.com www.knobias.com/cmtx
Dead cats have authorities puzzled at Belfield
LAUREN DONOVAN
Bismarck Tribune
Belfield Police Commissioner Sharon Dorval hung a poster at the local post office with pictures of a dozen dead cats, alleging they were removed from Belfield and killed, possibly shot.
She and others are looking for more information. The cats were in various stages of decomposition, which might mean they were killed over time.
Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy confirmed that one of his officers found several killed cats dumped at an oil field site northwest of town.
Tuhy said it wasn’t clear how long the animals had been there. Some were found in pieces.
“Where do you start investigating?” he asked.
One possibility is that all the cats belonged to the same person, who decided to dispose of them.
Authorities say if the cats were killed in city limits, someone could be in trouble for illegally discharging a weapon in town. Animal cruelty charges also could apply.
— Billings County Pioneer
Infection alert
A confirmed staph infection had Beulah school officials moving quickly to protect students and staff.
When a staff member-coach was diagnosed with the kind of staph bacteria that’s resistant to antibiotics on Jan. 18, it didn’t take school officials long to have students remove all their belongings from gym and weight room lockers, and disinfect the lockers and showers with a chemical spray.
The gym, locker rooms and weight rooms were temporarily quarantined from public use.
A week later, the infection was confirmed as MRSA staph, which can lead to skin infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections, all dangerous conditions because of their resistance to common antiobiotic remedies.
It also was learned that the only means of contagion was through open wounds, and the teacher-coach was allowed to return to school so long as the affected area was covered.
In the meantime, students have been asked to follow basic safety hygiene and not share shower towels and remove gym clothing from lockers for regular washing.
In addition, the school weight room now has spray bottles of disinfectant on hand, and student athletes are asked to use them after they are done with their workouts.
— Beulah Beacon
Bismarck Tribune
Belfield Police Commissioner Sharon Dorval hung a poster at the local post office with pictures of a dozen dead cats, alleging they were removed from Belfield and killed, possibly shot.
She and others are looking for more information. The cats were in various stages of decomposition, which might mean they were killed over time.
Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy confirmed that one of his officers found several killed cats dumped at an oil field site northwest of town.
Tuhy said it wasn’t clear how long the animals had been there. Some were found in pieces.
“Where do you start investigating?” he asked.
One possibility is that all the cats belonged to the same person, who decided to dispose of them.
Authorities say if the cats were killed in city limits, someone could be in trouble for illegally discharging a weapon in town. Animal cruelty charges also could apply.
— Billings County Pioneer
Infection alert
A confirmed staph infection had Beulah school officials moving quickly to protect students and staff.
When a staff member-coach was diagnosed with the kind of staph bacteria that’s resistant to antibiotics on Jan. 18, it didn’t take school officials long to have students remove all their belongings from gym and weight room lockers, and disinfect the lockers and showers with a chemical spray.
The gym, locker rooms and weight rooms were temporarily quarantined from public use.
A week later, the infection was confirmed as MRSA staph, which can lead to skin infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections, all dangerous conditions because of their resistance to common antiobiotic remedies.
It also was learned that the only means of contagion was through open wounds, and the teacher-coach was allowed to return to school so long as the affected area was covered.
In the meantime, students have been asked to follow basic safety hygiene and not share shower towels and remove gym clothing from lockers for regular washing.
In addition, the school weight room now has spray bottles of disinfectant on hand, and student athletes are asked to use them after they are done with their workouts.
— Beulah Beacon
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