[Sept 2005] Missing the Airborne MRSA Threat

Hardly a day goes by without hearing about latest government or NHS initiative to combat the spread of MRSA. For the most part the focus is on hygiene and in particular, hand washing initiatives. An improvement in this area, we are told, is the key to preventing the spread of these antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Recently however, there were some very significant dissenting voices - six of them to be precise. All leading players in the field of Microbiology and Bacteriology. In an open letter to The Times, they stated that unless the airborne spread of the bacteria could be halted, hospital acquired infections (HAI's), would continue to be a huge problem for our hospitals. [ See the Professors' letter at the end of this article ]

[Jan 06)] Overuse of Antibiotics

In this first newsletter of 2006 I want to highlight the findings of a recently produced European Commission. The report highlighted a point which we have been making for some time. Put simply, the overuse of antibiotics has been a major contributor in the plight we find ourselves in today.

[Feb 06] Latest MRSA figures

In the UK the Health Protection Agency (HPA) released their annual figures on MRSA bloodstream infections this month.  Despite all the effort the numbers haven’t changed much.

[July 06] Latest Global News

Kansas State University say that common houseflies may have the capacity to carry superbugs!

Researchers at Kansas State reported their findings in the June issue of Applied and Environmental Microbioligy.

Early research has indicated a connection between antibiotic resistance and food of animal origin. Experts are now examining the role that insects that develop in decaying organic material (specifically manure) may play in transmitting antibiotic resistant bacteria to residential settings.

How Long Should We Use Antibiotics?

It is generally agreed that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics (including animals in the food chain) in recent decades has greatly contributed to the position we find ourselves today (Ed. note - for more on this see the article on Australian research later in this
newsletter). One important aspect of antibiotic use is the duration of treatment. Just what is the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for common infections?

Promising New Wound Dressing

Wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers need oxygen to heal but administering the oxygen in the gaseous form has not proven terribly successful. This new dressing supplies 'dissolved oxygen' to the wound area and research shows that the dissolved oxygen promotes the closure of the wound.

Ever heard of platensimycin?

No? Well you just might in the not too distant future. It is a compound, found in soil microbes in South Africa and it may be the source of a powerful new antibiotic. In the laboratory of the drug giant Merck, it wiped methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci as well as other antibiotic-resistant microbes.

Less Antibiotic Use In Food Animals Leads To Less Drug Resistance In People, Study Shows

Australia's policy of restricting antibiotic use in food-producing animals may be linked with lower levels of drug-resistant bacteria found in its citizens, according to an article in the May issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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