Infectious diseases news and infectious diseases widget

Background: Recent data indicate that full efficacy of a hand rub preparation for hygienic hand disinfection can be achieved within 15 seconds (s). However, the efficacy test used for the European Norm (EN) 1500 samples only the fingertips. Therefore, we investigated hand coverage using sixteen different application variations. The hand rub was supplemented with a fluorescent dye, and hands were assessed under UV light by a blind test, before and after application. Fifteen non-healthcare workers were used as subjects for each application variation apart from one test which was done with a group of twenty healthcare workers. All tests apart from the reference procedure were performed using 3 mL of hand rub. The EN 1500 reference procedure, which consists of 6 specific rub-in steps performed twice with an aliquot of 3 ml each time, served as a control. In one part of this study, each of the six steps was performed from one to five times before proceeding to the next step. In another pa

(Lifespan) Rhode Island hospital researchers report that findings from a new study of retail meat in the Providence, RI area indicate little to no presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study, prompted by the identification of such organisms in retail meat in Canada, Europe and Asia, is among the first in this country to look at the possible spread of infection through retail meat. The study was published in the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment.

(University of Melbourne) A vaccine developed by University of Melbourne researchers that could eradicate a fatal form of brain disease will be delivered to Peru next week, and could soon be commercially available thanks to multi-million dollar funding.

Measles has once again been declared an epidemic, and deaths have been reported in the United Kingdom. In the U.S., 11 new cases of measles were recently reported in the San Diego area, all among non-immunized children. David Tayloe, Jr. M.D, FAAP, President-elect, American Academy of Pediatrics warns that unproven concerns about vaccine safety have created a backlash that threatens to unleash, once again, deadly diseases on our children. (PRWeb Oct 29, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/measlesvaccine/pediatricimmunization/prweb1515534.htm

(University of Iowa) Like something from a horror movie, the swarm of bacteria ripples purposefully toward their prey, devours it and moves on.Researchers at the University of Iowa are studying this behavior in Myxococcus xanthus, a bacterium commonly found in soil, which preys on other bacteria.

(Infectious Diseases Society of America) A new study raises the question, do barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants increase the public health risk of tuberculosis?

(McMaster University) Popular media coverage of infectious diseases greatly influences how people perceive those diseases, making them seem more dangerous, according to a new study from McMaster University.

(University of Adelaide) University of Adelaide scientists are part of an international research team that has uncovered the first example of a bacterium causing disease in humans by targeting a molecule that is incorporated into our bodies from our diet. The discovery has been published in the prestigious international journal Nature.