Candida Auris a “Perfect Storm” Superbug

Candida Auris a “Perfect Storm” Superbug

How an invasive fungus got health officials' attention. Try as they might, the infection control specialists at Royal Brompton Hospital could not eradicate the invasive fungus that was attacking already gravely ill patients... read more

Mechanisms of Severe Mortality-associated Bacterial Co-infections Following Influenza Virus Infection

Mechanisms of Severe Mortality-associated Bacterial Co-infections Following Influenza Virus Infection

The mechanisms of severe morbidity following influenza-bacteria co-infections mainly include failure of an antibacterial immune response and pathogen synergy. Moreover, failure to resume function and tolerance might be one... read more

A Randomized Trial of the Amikacin Fosfomycin Inhalation System for the Adjunctive Therapy of Gram-Negative VAP

A Randomized Trial of the Amikacin Fosfomycin Inhalation System for the Adjunctive Therapy of Gram-Negative VAP

Clinical failures in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by gram-negative bacteria are common and associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization. In this trial of adjunctive aerosol therapy... read more

Prevalence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria among nursing home residents

Prevalence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria among nursing home residents

Multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) are associated with an increasing proportion of infections among nursing home (NH) residents. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to critically... read more

Viral coinfection is shaped by host ecology and virus-virus interactions across diverse microbial taxa and environments

Infection of more than one virus in a host, coinfection, is common across taxa and environments. Viral coinfection can enable genetic exchange, alter the dynamics of infections, and change the course of viral evolution. Yet,... read more

Lung Microbiome: Key to Respiratory Ills?

Lung Microbiome: Key to Respiratory Ills?

Recently, JAMA discussed this research and its potential clinical applications with 2 experts on the front lines, Jack Gilbert, PhD, a microbial ecologist at the University of Chicago and director of its new Microbiome Center... read more

Komodo dragon-inspired synthetic peptide DRGN-1 promotes wound-healing of a mixed-biofilm infected wound

Komodo dragon-inspired synthetic peptide DRGN-1 promotes wound-healing of a mixed-biofilm infected wound

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are multifunctional molecules that have a high potential as therapeutic agents. We have identified a histone H1-derived peptide from the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), called VK25. Using... read more

New Guidelines for Accurate Diagnosis of C. difficile Infection

New Guidelines for Accurate Diagnosis of C. difficile Infection

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), a potentially lethal bacterial infection, causes colon inflammation and is responsible for 3,700 deaths in Europe per year. This highly symptomatic infection causes fever, diarrhea,... read more

World's most threatening superbugs ranked in new list

World's most threatening superbugs ranked in new list

The World Health Organization has drawn up a list of the drug-resistant bacteria that pose the biggest threat to human health. Top of the list are gram-negative bugs, such as E. coli, which can cause lethal bloodstream infections... read more

Fecal microbiota transplantation a decolonization treatment option

Fecal microbiota transplantation a decolonization treatment option

The use of fecal microbiota transplantation is an option to eradicate highly drug-resistant enteric bacteria carriage, according to results from a small pilot study conducted by French investigators. A prospective study of... read more

Study shows brute force antibiotics can overcome resistance

Study shows brute force antibiotics can overcome resistance

Researchers at the University College London have developed a new method that may overcome antibiotic resistance in bacterial cells. The team used sensitive equipment to measure the mechanical forces that four different antibiotics,... read more

Scientists develop potential new TB vaccine

Scientists develop potential new TB vaccine

Researchers are working on a potential new tuberculosis vaccine that would be the first new TB vaccine in a century to combat drug-resistance. The new vaccine uses biobeads to place antigens from the tuberculosis bacterium... read more

Cholera bacteria infect more effectively with a simple twist of shape

Cholera bacteria infect more effectively with a simple twist of shape

The bacteria that cause the life-threatening disease cholera may initiate infection by coordinating a wave of mass shapeshifting that allows them to more effectively penetrate the intestines of their unwitting victims, according... read more

Best Conditions for Legionella Growth

Best Conditions for Legionella Growth

Researchers have identified the optimal conditions for the growth of Legionella which causes a very serious, often deadly, type of pneumonia, Legionnaires' disease. Inspired by a number of large Legionnaires' outbreaks,... read more