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A study of two large European patient cohorts has found that for every 10% increase in butyrate-producing bacteria in a patient's gut, the risk of hospitalization for any infection falls by between 14 and 25% across two large national cohorts. Microbiota alterations are common in patients hospitalized for severe infections and preclinical models have shown that anaerobic butyrate-producing gut bacteria protect against systemic infections. These bacteria were investigated because they are commonly depleted in patients hospitalized for severe infections. Secondly, butyrate may have protective effects in several intestinal diseases (other than infections). The relationship between microbiota disruptions and increased susceptibility...

A type of bacteria that causes dental plaque may be behind a treatment-resistant form of colorectal cancer, a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature found. The particular bacterium, which appears to shield tumor cells from cancer-fighting drugs, was found in 50% of the tumors tested in the study. The discovery, experts say, could pave the way for new treatments and possibly new methods of screening. Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and is expected to kill more than 53,000 people in the nation in 2024, according to the American Cancer Society. Rates...

Tomatoes could help fight off bacterial infections in your gut, a new study has found. One of the world's most widely consumed vegetables (or perhaps fruit?), they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and other compounds – two of which scientists at Cornell University in the US have identified for their potent bacteria-killing properties in a series of cell experiments. The research team, led by Cornell microbiologist Jeongmin Song, was interested in Salmonella, a genus of enteric bacteria that invade the intestine, often causing food poisoning. Specifically, the team focused on one typhoidal serotype of Salmonella, Salmonella enterica Typhi, which lives...

A common microbe found in sewage, marine sediment, soil, and the GI tracts of pets and farm animals may play a defining role in multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that a toxin produced by certain C. perfringens bacteria may be the long sought-after trigger that degrades the blood-brain barrier and kicks off the relentless inflammation and brain cell degradation characteristic of MS. “If this is the environmental trigger for MS, we can now start talking about a vaccine, monoclonal antibodies, or some other therapy,” says Rashid Rumah, co-author...

Researchers have discovered the link between the gut microbiota and Alzheimer's disease. For the first time, researchers have found that Alzheimer's symptoms can be transferred to a healthy young organism via the gut microbiota, confirming its role in the disease. The study supports the emergence of the gut microbiome as a key target for investigation in Alzheimer's disease due to its particular susceptibility to lifestyle and environmental influence. The study shows that that the memory impairments in people with Alzheimer's could be transferred to young animals through transplant of gut microbiota. Alzheimer's patients had a higher abundance of inflammation-promoting bacteria...

If you’re searching for a deadly infection, look no further than your local fast-food soda fountain. A survey of the water dispensed from soda fountains in fast food restaurants revealed that a shocking 41% of them were contaminated with coliform bacteria, an indicator of water impurity. Further analysis showed that the water was contaminated with some of the deadliest “superbug” germs known to science. These include antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Campylobacter jejuni, as well as listeria, salmonella and E. coli.

Most bacterial and viral infections are contagious, and different types of pathogens may lead to symptoms of varying severity. Some illnesses may require antibiotics or antiviral treatments, while others may be prevented with the help of vaccinations. In this article, we take a look at the primary differences between bacterial and viral infections. We explore how these infections are transmitted and treated and what you can do to prevent getting and passing them on.

There’s a warning about a dangerous bacteria that might have infected a local woman who’s still recovering after nearly two months in the hospital. An online fundraising effort says she contracted the bacterial infection after eating fish and is now a quadruple amputee. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a warning about a bacterial infection that people can get by eating raw or undercooked fish or by exposing an open wound to coastal waters. A friend tells us this San Jose woman likely got this specific infection after eating undercooked tilapia. A San Jose mother’s life...

Part of the reason cases of syphilis — as well as other STIs — are rising is because public health efforts to control these diseases are underfunded.

Research found a connection between gut microbiota and distal symmetric polyneuropathy. The team finds a potential causal role of the gut microbiota in distal symmetric polyneuropathy symptoms. Distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) is a common, progressive and debilitating neuropathy complication closely associated with diabetes. While more than half of all patients with diabetes will develop diagnosable DSPN, no effective treatments are available. The gut microbiota has been implicated in maintaining glucose homeostasis and affecting the nervous system through the gut-brain and neuroimmune-endocrine axes. Previous studies have demonstrated the impact of gut microbiota on neurodegenerative disorders in the central nervous system. Significant...

Rice is a staple food for billions of people in Asia and Africa. It's also a versatile ingredient for many iconic dishes from around the world, including dolmades from Greece, risottos from Italy, paella from Spain, and rice puddings from the United Kingdom. Despite its universal appeal, the question asked in every kitchen, be it a professional one or your own home, is whether you should pre-wash (or rinse) your rice before cooking. What do chefs and cooks say? Culinary experts claim pre-washing rice reduces the amount of starch coming from the rice grains. You can see this in the...

A Florida man nearly lost his leg when he contracted a nasty flesh-eating bacterial infection — after being bitten by a family member during a fight. Donnie Adams, of Tampa Bay, developed a small, painful bump after a relative sunk their teeth into his right thigh as he attempted to break up a tussle at a family gathering in February. Assuming it was just a harmless lesion, he took himself to get a tetanus shot and a course of antibiotics, the Tampa Bay Times reported. However, three days later, Adams could barely walk. The 52-year-old returned to Florida Northside Hospital...

A Florida resident surprisingly contracted flesh-eating bacteria after he was bitten by a man he is related to while trying to break up a fight at a family get-together. Donnie Adams was at a family function in Tampa Bay, Florida, in February 2022 when he intervened in a fight between two relatives. According to WSAV, one of the family members bit Adams on the thigh before he could stop the altercation. The wounded man said he immediately went to the hospital for a tetanus shot and antibiotics, but the treatments did not stop an infection from developing. “By the third...

A deadly bacteria with a roughly 50 percent fatality rate worldwide has made its way to the US Gulf Coast, where it has been declared endemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has confirmed three cases of infection from the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, which can cause potentially lethal melioidosis if not treated. “It is an environmental organism that lives naturally in the soil, and typically freshwater in certain areas around the world. Mostly in subtropical and tropical climates,” Julia Petras, an epidemic intelligence service officer with CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, told...

A deadly bacteria that kills up to 50 percent of people it infects has now been listed as endemic along the US gulf coast. Dr Julia Petras, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who made the warning, said Burkholderia pseudomallei was now likely lurking in soil and stagnant water across the 1,600 miles from Texas to Florida. People infected with the bacteria suffer melioidosis, a severe condition that can trigger pneumonia and sepsis and can be fatal. Doctors are now on alert for the disease, which can initially be misdiagnosed as another infection. The CDC...

An article shows that melatonin, despite its antioxidant effects and role in regulating sleep cycles, can worsen inflammation of the intestine and impair the action of gut microbiota. Melatonin is popularly known as the "sleep hormone" and is often taken as a so-called food supplement without a doctor's prescription by people with sleep problems. "It's generally thought to be harmless. However, our study shows that the ingestion of melatonin supplement can have adverse effects on health," said Cristina Ribeiro de Barros Cardoso. Melatonin can act as an antioxidant and improve several physiological or pathological conditions. "We started out in this...

Public health authorities are investigating an outbreak of bacterial infections across the United States caused by over-the-counter eyedrops contaminated with a rare “extensively drug-resistant” bacterial superbug. At least 68 patients in 16 states are suffering from severe side effects after using Artificial Tear eyedrops that were infected with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Tuesday. Last month, Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops, a product used to lubricate dry eyes, was recalled by its manufacturer Global Pharma Healthcare. The drops were distributed by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma and sold at drug stores...

When parts of the liver are removed, the body can replace the missing tissue. A team of researchers has now discovered that the success of this process depends to a large extent on gut bacteria. The results of the study could help to improve the prognosis after liver surgery in case of liver cancer and other diseases. A healthy gut microbiome consists of many types of bacteria. They play an active role in digestion. Some break down carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), for example. "Liver cells need these fatty acids to grow and divide," says Prof. Klaus-Peter Janssen ....

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), one of the most common forms of dementia, has no cure. Now, a group has identified three bacteria involved in DLB—Collinsella, Ruminococcus, and Bifidobacterium. Their findings suggest new avenues for diagnosis and treatment. The onset of DLB is associated with abnormal deposits of alpha-synuclein, a protein in the brain. A research group discovered that three intestinal bacteria, Collinsella, Ruminococcus, and Bifidobacterium, were associated with patients with DLB. The bacteria Akkermansia, which degrades the intestinal mucosa, increased. On the other hand, the bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the gut decreased. On the other...

Doctors and patients should be on the lookout for symptoms of this worrying infection.A drug-resistant strain of bacteria is quickly becoming more common, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in a health alert. The bacteria, shigella, causes an infection called shigellosis that can come with gastrointestinal symptoms, like diarrhea and stomach cramps. An increasing percentage of shigella samples are turning out to be extensively resistant, meaning they have resistance to all five recommended antibiotic treatments, the CDC said. The news comes as norovirus, aka the stomach flu, is spreading the U.S. In 2015, no shigella infections were caused...