April 23rd Human interaction with our microbial and its impact on health and disease
In a recent lancet article, Rook et al examine our place within the microbial world. They conclude that it amounts to a tug-of-war between managing beneficial microbes, excluding harmful ones, and diverting as much energy as available into other essential functions.
April 5th: Ugly ducklings – bacterial contamination of plastic ducks in bathwater
A new study shows that rubber ducks used as bath-time toys can be a reservoir of bacteria and fungi. The study showed that the liquid released when ducks were squeezed contained potentially pathogenic bacteria in 12 out of 19 toys studied.
April 3rd: Preventing transmission of norovirus infections – the impact of hygiene
A 2018 study shows how microbial modelling can be used to assess the effectiveness risk of hand and surface hygiene in preventing transmission of norovirus infection from person to person via hands and surfaces. In the UK up to 3 million people suffer a bout of norovirus vomiting and diarrhoea e
Sept 13th: Community carriage rates of Clostridium difficile in healthy volunteers from four regions of England
Faecal samples from 1365 healthy asymptomatic volunteers from 4 regions in England were screened for the presence of Clostridium difficile between Dec 2013 and July 2014. Carriage rate of C.
Sept 8th: Antibiotic resistance genes in domestic washing machines and dishwashers and the impact of laundering on antibiotic resistant bacteria.
A study of 29 washing machines and 24 dishwashers showed that genes encoding for resistance to β-lactamase antibiotics were present in 79% of the washing machines and 96% of dishwashers.
