Pseudomonas Alert

Technique For Early Detection Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Link: Technique For Early Detection Of Superbug Superbug Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Which Particularly Infects Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounts for 10 per cent of all hospital infections.

While the superbug is very difficult to cure as it is highly resistant to antibiotics, early detection makes a huge difference to a patient's chances of survival.

Now for the first time, the University of Sunderland - led team has discovered a technique that can identify the superbug within 24-48 hours of infection, greatly increasing a patient's chances of survival.

The team is led by Professor Paul Groundwater and Dr Roz Anderson at the University of Sunderland, in collaboration with colleagues Professor John Perry, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, Professor Arthur James, Northumbria University and Dr Sylvain Orenga, bioMérieux, France

Prof Groundwater says: "This superbug has a massive impact on people who are immunocompromised, for example patients with severe burns, cancer and AIDS.

"It is calculated that 28 per cent of people who have undergone transplant surgery are infected by pseudomonas aeruginosa. We hope our research will make a big difference in the survival rate of many thousands of vulnerable people throughout the world.

Contact Lenses Can Damage Sight

Link: KeepTheDoctorAway - Contact Lenses Can Damage Sight.

New research claims infected contact lenses can cause users to lose their sight.

The study by Spire Leeds Hospital and St James’s University Hospital in Leeds reveals

one patient from Yorkshire loses their sight each year as a result of infections caused by the misuse of contact lenses.

James Ball headed the study and found that there are two infections which are most dangerous. These include Pseudomonas an aggressive bacteria and Acanthamoeba a protozoan infection. If diagnosed early, the first infection can often be treated easily; however the second is exceptionally difficult to heal.

“My concern is that contact lens suppliers have faced tougher competition as refractive eye surgery has improved,” says Ball.

“Patients are being advised that lenses can be worn continuously day and night for an entire month. This dramatically increases the risk of infection – ultimately it can cause loss of sight.”

Oragenics to Receive European Patent for Its IVIAT(TM) Biomarker Technology

Link: Oragenics to Receive European Patent for Its IVIAT(TM) Biomarker Technology.

IVIAT(TM) is a unique discovery platform designed to identify genes of pathogenic bacteria that are specifically present when humans have infections. Dr. Robert Zahradnik, Oragenics' President and CEO, stated, "The IVIAT(TM) technology has already proven its ability to identify novel targets for such infectious agents as Vibrio cholerae (cholera), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes infections in persons with compromised immune systems in addition to causing one out of ten hospital acquired infections.

Vaccine Trials Underway

Link: PharmaLive: Intercell Receives Milestone Payment From Merck & Co. Inc Triggered by Initiation of Phase II Clinical Trial of Investigational Vaccine to Prevent S. aureus Infection.

Hospital acquired infections caused by bacteria are one of the major causes of death and serious illness. Intercell has embarked on a large scale, comprehensive and multi-target antigen identification program to contribute to vaccine efforts in this field. Besides Merck�s S. aureus vaccine, based on an antigen identified by Intercell, Intercell is developing a vaccine against hospital acquired infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa - a clinical Phase II/III trial is expected to be initiated in 2008 – and has ongoing preclinical programs for Enterococcus and Klebsiella vaccine discovery.