Blis Technologies positive on sales ahead
Source: Stuff- May 2015 (http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/68789679/blis-technologies-positive-on-sales-ahead)
Dunedin's Blis Technologies says sales growth is set to continue backed by extra capacity at its production plant.
The oral health probiotic manufacturer released its annual report today which showed a doubling of revenue to $2.631 million in the year to March 31, 2015.
The listed company reported a loss of $1.373m for the March 2015 year, narrower than a $1.54m loss in the prior financial year.
Blis Technologies chief executive Barry Richardson on Friday said sales growth was set to continue.
The company commissioned a new lozenge production plant and blister packing capability in Dunedin that is now contributing to revenue. A second blister pack machine is to be installed in the coming weeks.
Richardson said that the lozenge production plant along with a nutritional formulation plant are tangible outcomes of a strategy to move more into higher value finished products alongside the ingredients already being supplied through Blis distributors.
"Optimism is warranted, especially given the revenue earned in the second half of the year was 34 per cent higher than the first half due to a number of projects culminating and beginning to contribute to revenue during the year," Richardson said.
Blis products had performed well in clinical trials in Europe and new Blis products had been launched in Poland and Italy. New international distribution agreements had been negotiated, and access issues had been overcome in the United States for ingredients.
All indications were that sales growth in ingredients will continue in the United States. Finished product sales were expected to continue growing in Europe, Asia and Australasia.
CWRU dental researchers find some immune cells change to prolong inflammation
Source: EurekAlert (May 2015)
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine have unraveled one of the mysteries of how a small group of immune cells work: That some inflammation-fighting immune cells may actually convert into cells that trigger disease.
Their findings, recently reported in the journal Pathogens, could lead to advances in fighting diseases, said the project's lead researcher Pushpa Pandiyan, an assistant professor at the dental school.
The cells at work
A type of white blood cell, called T-cells, is one of the body's critical disease fighters. Regulatory immune cells, called "Tregs," direct T-cells and control unwanted immune reactions that cause inflammation. They are known to produce only anti-inflammatory proteins to keep inflammation caused by disease in check.
But using mouse models, the researchers studied how the body fights off a common oral fungus that causes thrush. They found that these harmful invaders activate a mechanism in Tregs that could transform the inflammation-fighting cells into cells that allow the disease to flourish.
The study
When the immune system functions normally, disease-fighting T-cells produce inflammatory secretions -- proteins that can cause symptoms, such as soreness or swelling at the infected site. This process is evident, for example, when a cut or glands swell from the infection's inflammatory reaction.
Once the invader is gone, the disease-fighting cells -- with help from Treg cells -- normally shut down those proteins to control long-term inflammation.
But the researchers found that, during oral thrush, yeast sugars on the surface of the disease-causing fungus act as a binding agent and can activate a small population of Treg cells to make inflammatory proteins themselves. (The researchers are calling this novel subset of malfunctioning cells Treg-17 cells).
"An excess of these malfunctioning cells can lead to the inflammatory disease process instead of stopping it," she said.
Other binding agents normally found in the body may create these cells and contribute to continued inflammation, the researchers concluded.
Other researchers have reported the presence of these cells in many human inflammation conditions, such as psoriasis, periodontitis and arthritis. Until now, however, the mechanisms of how these cells developed were not completely understood, Pandiyan said.
The implications
The findings will help researchers understand the origin of cells they suspect may keep the disease active or, at a minimum, don't battle inflammation. Pandiyan believes the knowledge could lead to new ways to fight diseases, such as:
Using the converting Tregs (Treg-17) to identify chronic inflammation, including oral inflammation.
Using the persistence of Treg-17 cells to indicate an excessive amount of the inflammatory proteins.
Using the presence of the binding agent that triggers the cell's conversion as a point to use medicines to block its connection to Tregs.
Future studies will investigate whether these cells are actually perpetrating inflammation.
###
The study, "TLR-2 Signaling Promotes IL-17A Production in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Regulatory Cells during Oropharyngeal Candidiasis," was recently reported in Pathogens.
CWRU Department of Biological Science researchers Natarajan Bhaskaran, Samuel Cohen, Aaron Weinberg and Yifan Zhang contributed to the study.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
Probiotic bacteria may help conquer 'superbugs'Andrew Russell | Trib Total Media http://triblive.com/news/healthnews/7797681-74/probiotics-bacteria-probiotic#axzz3VvL0oLW3
Julia Saltsman, 31, of Murrysville poses with her husband, Brandon Saltsman, 31 and their dog Tinkerbell at their home in Murraysville, Friday, March 27, 2015. Julia underwent a fecal transplant to help her body bounce back from an infection of Clostridium difficile, a tough-to-treat bacterium.
Stopping antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that kill about 700,000 people a year could take vaccines, more powerful drugs and better ways to identify dangerous bacteria, federal authorities warn.
But a growing number of doctors sees hope in something available: the helpful bacteria known as probiotics, long trumpeted in yogurt, unpasteurized sauerkraut and fermented cheese.
Advocates expect the micro-organisms will become one key to preventing and treating drug-resistant infections, which a British study found might cause 10 million annual deaths by 2050 if left unchecked. Gastroenterology specialists in Western Pennsylvania recommend probiotics in select cases, such as persistent infections of clostridium difficile, known as C. diff.
“It may not be the only answer, but it will be part of the answer,” said Dr. Hossam Kandil, chief of gastroenterology at Forbes Hospital in Monroeville.
Kandil often suggests probiotics as a supplemental treatment, including for patients with colon inflammation, diarrhea or infections.
Others take probiotic pills in concert with prescribed antibiotics, which can scrub a patient's gut of bacteria — good and bad — in an effort to wipe out infection. Taken alone, antibiotics might leave the body vulnerable to debilitating bugs, such as C. diff, that can overwhelm immune defenses, doctors said.
The White House last week presented a five-year, $1.2 billion plan to fight the superbugs.
Doctors suspect probiotics prevent harmful bacteria from polluting the bloodstream.
“That's what we theorize, but the real answer of how it works is not clearly defined,” Kandil said.
Researchers generally agree the bacteria promote healthy digestion and strengthen the immune system, helping to keep the destructive microbes from multiplying too much.
BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY
No matter the scientific explanation, Americans in record numbers are latching onto probiotics-rich products. Dietary supplements with the bacteria account for $4 billion to $5 billion of the $32 billion supplements industry in the United States, according to the Washington-based Natural Products Association.
Sales in the probiotics category climbed about 13 percent in the past year, association CEO Daniel Fabricant said. He said the products picked up speed in the late 1990s and keep gaining popularity as more studies suggest tangible health benefits.
“Not everyone likes a tasty yogurt. Not everyone likes milk,” Fabricant said. “If you can get it in a pill, I think that's really what drives a purchase decision.”
Manufacturers intend their probiotic offerings to support health, not to treat specific ailments, he noted.
The federal Food and Drug Administration regulates and lists probiotics as supplements, not as medications that companies can market with proven effects.
The agency declined to say whether anyone has applied to manufacture and market a probiotic product as a medication. Doctors said that using the bacteria in clinical settings has proved mostly safe, although exceptions might apply for immune-compromised patients and for babies and in other limited circumstances.
“There aren't too many scenarios in which they've been shown to be helpful. For many things people take them for, they're not necessarily going to be effective,” said Dr. Marc B. Schwartz, a gastroenterology and nutrition specialist at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland.
Although promising evidence has led more physicians to suggest probiotics during the past five to 10 years, he rarely recommends them to patients.
Schwartz said self-medicating with dietary supplements carries risks and might encourage people to delay seeking an accurate medical diagnosis.
“Not that it would necessarily cause direct harm, but it might not be the solution to the problem at hand,” he said.
THE ‘ULTIMATE PROBIOTIC'
When Julia Saltsman, 31, of Murrysville developed a relentless C. diff infection in August, Schwartz suggested probiotics — just not in the conventional sense.
He recommended instead a little-known procedure: a fecal transplant. In short, the approach attempts to rebuild a more complete, healthy bacteria community in the gut by injecting another person's fecal matter through an enema or similar method.
Saltsman's donor was her husband, Brandon, 31. The infection had kept her from work and put her in the bathroom up to 30 times a day.
“I had no good bacteria at all” after rounds of antibiotics that lasted for more than two months, she said, crediting the fecal transplant at UPMC Shadyside with restoring her health.
The transplants have soared in popularity in the past few years, logging an effectiveness rate estimated about 90 percent for C. diff infections, said Catherine Duff, founder of the national Fecal Transplant Foundation. Allegheny Health Network, based in the North Side, also offers the procedure.
“Fecal transplant is the ultimate probiotic,” Duff said.
She cited almost 100 domestic clinical trials exploring the approach and projected that physicians will perform as many as 5,000 of the procedures nationwide in 2015, up from fewer than 20 estimated in 2012.
“No one really wants to keep using human feces,” said Dr. Cliff McDonald, a senior adviser for science and integrity at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
McDonald said researchers need to develop targeted, refined probiotic treatments that could be tailored for circumstances. Just taking one probiotic supplement does not ensure a vibrant spectrum of bacteria in the digestive tract, he said.
The CDC has not made recommendations about the products. McDonald acknowledged “growing evidence that there's some benefit” but said reviewers need a better sense of what probiotic blends and doses might work for specific ailments.
“Whatever the final product is, (it) has to have the evidence behind it,” he said.
Dog Kisses On The Mouth Healthy? Probiotics For Humans Discovered In Dog Germs
Source: Inquisitor (March 2015) http://www.inquisitr.com/1950360/dog-kisses-on-the-mouth-healthy-probiotics-for-humans-discovered-in-dog-germs/
Dog kisses on the mouth may have a health benefit to humans. Scientists involved in the University of Arizona study believe that canines might offer probiotic benefits to people that are equal in health to a cup of yogurt or taking a probiotic supplement.
WSOC-TV 9 reports that scientists need volunteers and financial assistance for funding the project that will help tell them if dogs possess a probiotic useful to people. The study is especially geared towards the elderly, to find out if the same positive effects that children experience will result for them. Reports have already been published that children raised around dogs have less immune problems, such as asthma and other allergies. Antibiotics are key in eliminating disease-causing bacteria, but it’s countered with killing off the good bacteria. Probiotics are essential in helping reduce this drawback.
As the University of Arizona’s dog study indicates, dogs are great companions and this project could reveal if the “introduction of a dog into the home of older adults improves their sleep, their muscle and bone strength, their ability to move around, and their overall happiness and quality of life.”
The University of Arizona’s Department of Psychiatry is partnering with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and colleagues at the University of Colorado at Boulder to conduct the study of dog kisses on the mouth provide a healthful effect on older people who are more prone to life-threatening diseases.
Related research has suggested that dogs “enhance” good bacteria in human bodies, possibly improving overall general health.
Volunteers in the dog kisses study must be between the ages of 50 and 80 and haven’t had a dog in the last six months. Potential participants shouldn’t have had antibiotics in the last six months, either. Lastly, volunteers selected for the study must be willing to foster a dog for three months.
Those with Bipolar 1 disorder, schizophrenia, or have had substance abuse or drinking problems won’t be considered for this trial. Those who’ve had any conditions that alters immune functioning are exempt from the study. This would include interference of the GI tract, Chrohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Autoimmune disease is listed as another condition participants must not have had.
ABC News reports that Dr. Charles Raison is leading the UA study. He’s a professor of psychiatry at the university’s College of Medicine.
“If the dogs and human owners look similar microbiota-wise… then it means dogs are basically having probiotic-enhancing microbiota of human owners,” Raison says.
Results of this “dog kisses” study will be interesting to see if canines can really offer more for humans than ever thought possible.
Ointment fusidic acid linked to MRSA superbug rise
Source: The New Zealand Herald (Mar 2015)
Use of a common antibiotic lowers resistance and could mean minor ailments once again become killers.
The frequent use of the ointment is fuelling a rise in infections resistant to fusidic acid, and a multi-drug-resistant strain of staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Photo / Thinkstock
An ointment used to treat common childhood skin infections is driving the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
New research has found growing use of the topical antibiotic fusidic acid is the cause behind the emergence of a new multi-drug-resistant strain of hospital superbug.
Researchers say the finding is a stark warning that urgent measures are needed to curb antibiotic use.
Clinical microbiologist Dr Deborah Williamson from the University of Otago is presenting research on the findings at the Australian Society for Infectious Diseases conference in Auckland today.
Dr Williamson said the use of the topical antibiotic fusidic acid had risen dramatically as had a rise in cases of staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterial skin infection which causes boils, school sores and crusty ulcers.
But the frequent use of the ointment is fuelling a rise in infections resistant to fusidic acid, and a multi-drug-resistant strain of staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
MRSA is a superbug that cannot be treated with antibiotics, making minor infections and injuries potentially deadly. People most at risk are often elderly or very sick hospital patients.
The study found a genetic link between fusidic acid resistance and methicillin resistance, which explained how use of the antibiotic was causing the increase in MRSA.
"The capacity to treat serious infections is really becoming less in all parts of the world," Dr Williamson said.
"Without urgent action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill."
Antibiotics
Source: http://www.wral.com/get-smart-will-an-antibiotic-cure-a-cold-fix-a-sore-throat-/14464928/
Feb 2015
Antibiotics have been around for decades to clear up bacterial infections. Illnesses like strep throat, pneumonia and some kinds of bronchitis and ear infections all can be cleared up with a round of the life-saving medications.
But not every cough, sore throat or earache requires a course of the bacteria killers. Why? Because common colds, the flu and other everyday ailments are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Antibiotics don't kill viruses.
Here's a list of common illnesses with information courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about whether they are caused by a virus or bacteria and whether antibiotics are indicated. Of course, it's always best to chat with your doctor if you're feeling under the weather.
Cold
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
Flu
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
Chest Cold (in otherwise healthy children and adults)
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
Sore Throat (except strep)
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
According to N.C. Get Smart, only 1 in 5 children with a sore throat who see a doctor actually have strep throat.
Bronchitis (in otherwise healthy children and adults)
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
Runny Nose (with green or yellow mucus)
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
Fluid in Middle Ear
Cause: Virus
Antibiotics needed: No
Read more at http://www.wral.com/get-smart-will-an-antibiotic-cure-a-cold-fix-a-sore-throat-/14464928/#jkmC7Tgbz67RjF2F.99
How The Overuse Of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plague
Your body is comprised of an estimated 30 trillion human cells, but it is host to more than 100 trillion bacterial and fungal cells, the friendly microbes that co-evolved with our species. In fact, 70 to 90% of all cells in the body are nonhuman.
For hundreds of thousands of years, human cells and bacterial cells have peacefully coexisted in a symbiotic state that contributed to the health and equilibrium of the human body. But the extensive overuse of antibiotics since their discovery and subsequent production in the last century has spurred the rise of “superbugs,” which are resistant to several kinds of antibiotics. Superbugs infect over 2 million people in the US every year, and kill about 23,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Microbiologist Dr. Martin J. Blaser, Director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU and author of Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, believes the overuse of antibiotics actually goes even further, and contributes to a host of modern maladies, including diabetes, obesity, asthma, allergies, and certain kinds of cancers.
In this exclusive interview with Life Extension®, Dr. Blaser discusses antibiotic overuse and what we can do to prevent and solve even more catastrophic health problems in the near future—which he refers to as an “antibiotic winter”—as well as ways to stop the destruction and decline of beneficial bacteria.
Read more.
Flu Vaccine Just 18% Effective This Year
By Brenda Goodman, MA
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD (http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20150226/flu-vaccine-effectiveness)
Feb. 26, 2015 -- It’s no secret this year’s flu shots didn’t work as well as doctors had hoped. But the news got worse Thursday when the CDC revised its estimates of the flu vaccine’s effectiveness downward even further, from 23% to 18%.
That means for all ages, getting vaccinated cut the risk of needing medical treatment for flu symptoms by just 18%.
“That’s crummy, at best. This year was a bum year,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert and a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN.
And there’s more bad news: Early numbers show that for the second flu season in a row, the FluMist nasal spray, aimed mainly at children, didn’t work at all for kids ages 2 through 8.
That was a bit awkward for the CDC, which had just advised doctors that they choose the nasal spray over the shot for younger kids. Previous studies had suggested that FluMist was more protective than injections for kids in this age group.
Today the agency's advisory committee changed its position, telling doctors to use either kind of vaccine in children, with no particular preference for the nasal spray.
The vaccine-effectiveness percentage is just an average. The real effectiveness probably sits in a range between 6% and 29%, says Brendan Flannery, PhD, of the Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC.
When the vaccine is a good match to the strains of flu making people sick, vaccine effectiveness has been as high as 60%.
This season’s dominant flu strain, H3N2, is different from the strains included in the flu vaccine, though.
So far this season, 86 children have died of the flu, and more than 13,000 people have been hospitalized with it, according to the CDC. The highest rate of hospitalizations is in adults older than 65. Most adults who've had to go to the hospital have had at least one underlying medical condition.
Experts say even though this flu season’s vaccine wasn’t up to par, people shouldn’t give up on getting their annual flu shots.
Overuse of Antibiotics Caused Infections by Bug That Killed 29,000 in 1 Year
Source: Scientific American, Feb 2015. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/overuse-of-antibiotics-caused-infections-by-bug-that-killed-29-000-in-1-year/
By Yasmeen Abutaleb
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Overuse of antibiotics made Americans more vulnerable to a strain of bacteria that caused nearly half a million infections and contributed to at least 29,000 deaths in a single year, U.S. public health officials warned in research published on Wednesday.
The study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused on the Clostridium difficile bacterium, which can cause deadly diarrhea. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlight how overprescription of antibiotics has fueled a rise in bacteria that are resistant to treatment.
People who take antibiotics are most at risk of acquiring C. difficile because these medications also wipe out "good" bacteria that protect a healthy person against the infection.
"Antibiotics are clearly driving this whole problem," Clifford McDonald, CDC senior advisor for science and integrity, said on a conference call with reporters.
One in every three infections occurred in patients 65 and older, the study found, with more than 100,000 C. difficile cases found in U.S. nursing homes. The bacteria often spreads through the hands and equipment of health care professionals and hospital surfaces rife with bacteria.
The rate of hospitalizations for C. difficile doubled from 2000 to 2010, according to the study, partly due to the emergence of a particularly dangerous strain, NAP1, that is more likely to cause infection in patients.
The data used in the study are from 2011, and the rate of disease was projected to have continued increasing through 2012.
Part of the increase comes from a more sensitive laboratory test that better detects the infection, McDonald said.
Yet much of the problem still lies in poor detection and diagnosis methods, CDC officials said.
In 2010, for example, Brooklyn teacher Peggy Lillis, 56, developed painful diarrhea one morning, her son, Christian Lillis, told reporters.
After a telephone consultation, her doctor prescribed medication not suited to treating C. difficile. She died less than 36 hours later, after emergency room physicians diagnosed her with C. difficile.
"C. difficile must be diagnosed quickly and correctly," said Michael Bell, deputy director of CDC's division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.
Breastfeeding may influence immune system development in early life
Source: Medical News Today http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289637.php
A series of studies set to be presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology's Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, claim an infant's immune system development and susceptibility to asthma and allergies may be influenced by a number of factors that shape what bacteria is in their gut, such as gestational age at birth, breastfeeding and delivery by Cesarean section.
Babies who were breastfed at 1 and 6 months had specific gut microbiome compositions, which the researchers say may affect immune system development.
The research team, including Dr. Christine Cole Johnson, chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, says the findings further support the "hygiene hypothesis" - the idea that early childhood exposure to pathogens affects later-life risk of disease.
"For years now, we've always thought that a sterile environment was not good for babies. Our research shows why. Exposure to these micro-organisms, or bacteria, in the first few months after birth actually help stimulate the immune system," says Dr. Johnson.
"The immune system is designed to be exposed to bacteria on a grand scale," she adds. "If you minimize those exposures, the immune system won't develop optimally."
Other studies have supported this claim. In June 2014, for example, Medical News Today reported on a study published in the journal Allergy and Clinical Immunology, in which researchers found exposing babies to bacteria and allergens in the first year of life may reduce the risk of allergies, wheezing and asthma later in life.
Breastfed babies 'at lower risk of pet-related allergies'
In this latest research - consisting of six studies - Dr. Johnson and colleagues set out to determine whether maternal or birth factors, as well as breastfeeding, affect the composition of gut bacteria - or the gut microbiome - in infants, and whether these compositions influence their risk of developing allergies or asthma.
In addition, the team assessed whether specific compositions of gut bacteria influenced the development of regulatory T cells (Treg) - white blood cells that regulate the immune system.
To reach their findings, the researchers analyzed data from the Wayne County Health, Environment, Allergy and Asthma Longitudinal Study (WHEALS), which investigates how environmental and biological factors influence the development of allergies and asthma in early life.
The researchers analyzed stool samples collected from babies at 1 and 6 months following birth.
The results of their analysis revealed that a mother's race/ethnicity, an infant's gestational age at birth, prenatal and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure, the presence of pets in the home and whether a baby was born via Cesarean section or vaginal delivery influenced an infant's gut microbiome composition.
They also found that babies who were breastfed at 1 and 6 months had specific gut microbiome compositions, compared with babies who were not breastfed, which the researchers say may affect immune system development. In addition, babies who were breastfed at 1 month were at lower risk of pet-related allergies.
The researchers also identified a specific gut microbiome composition among children with asthma who experienced flare-ups or night-time coughing within the first year of life.
What is more, they found - for the first time - that an infant's gut microbiome composition was associated with levels of Treg cells.
Commenting on their findings, Dr. Johnson says:
"The research is telling us that exposure to a higher and more diverse burden of environmental bacteria and specific patterns of gut bacteria appear to boost the immune system's protection against allergies and asthma."
In May 2014, MNT reported on a Danish study in which researchers claim longer breastfeeding duration is associated with higher levels of "friendly" gut bacteria in infants.
Written by Honor Whiteman
Probiotics are the real happy foods
"The benefits of eating foods like these are that they are needed to restore and maintain our inner ecosystem."
People who eat healthy diets rich in vitamins and nutrients can attest to the fact that the better you eat the better you feel, in general.
Research has shown that probiotics help keep your digestive tract running smoothly and makes your gut happy. In addition, research is now finding that psychobiotics, which are a subset of probiotics, can help elevate your mood, making you happy and healthy.
Probiotics, and psychobiotics, are a type of bacteria found in certain foods that can produce and deliver important chemicals like serotonin to the brain. It’s good bacteria. Not only do they aid digestion and boost the immune system, but now they are being proven to help with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.
So where can you find these probiotics?
One of the most popular sources of probiotics. READ MORE
'Superbug' outbreak at hospital raises questions about medical scope and cleaning process
Source: https://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/superbug-outbreak-raises-questions-medical-040827377.html
Associated Press
By Alicia Chang
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A "superbug" outbreak suspected in the deaths of two Los Angeles hospital patients is raising disturbing questions about the design of a hard-to-clean medical instrument used on more than half a million people in the U.S. every year.
At least seven people — two of whom died — have been infected with a potentially lethal, antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria after undergoing endoscopic procedures at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center between October and January. More than 170 other patients may also have been exposed, hospital officials said.
The infections may have been transmitted through two contaminated endoscopes that were used to diagnose and treat pancreatic and bile-duct problems. The instruments were found to have "embedded" infections even though they had been cleaned according to manufacturer's instructions, said Dr. Robert Cherry, the hospital's chief medical and quality officer. Five other scopes were cleared.
Hospital officials said they immediately removed contaminated medical devices and adopted more stringent sterilization techniques.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, health officials sought to reassure the public that there is no broad danger.
"This outbreak is not a threat to public health," said Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, deputy director of acute communicable disease control and prevention for the LA County Department of Public Health.
Infections of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, have been reported at hospitals around the country, and some have been linked to the type of endoscope used at UCLA. The duodenoscope is a thin, flexible fiber-optic tube that is inserted down the throat to enable a doctor to examine an organ. It typically has a light and a miniature camera.
Doctors first discovered the problem in mid-December when a patient underwent an endoscopic procedure and developed an infection that couldn't be treated with antibiotics.
An investigation was launched and doctors employed high-tech techniques to find other cases — a process that took several weeks, said Dr. Zachary Rubin, medical director of clinical epidemiology and infection prevention.
It was determined that CRE infections had been passed on from one "source case" patient between Oct. 3 and Jan. 28, Rubin said.
The hospital has notified potentially exposed patients through letters and phone calls and is offering free testing and treatment options.
Attorney Kevin Boyle said Thursday that one of his clients, an 18-year-old student, was among those infected after he entered the hospital for a procedure that involved using an endoscope to examine his pancreas.
"After he had the procedure he was released. Then he came down with his illness, and when they studied him and noticed he had the CRE bacteria in him they quickly put two and two together," he said.
Boyle declined to release the teenager's name or say where he attends school but said he spent 83 days in the hospital at one point and was released but recently relapsed and is currently hospitalized. He said the family doesn't blame UCLA but is considering suing the endoscope's manufacturer.
Health inspectors visited UCLA after being notified and found "no breaks and no breaches" in its disinfection process, Schwartz said.
"You can very easily do everything right and still have some contamination," said Dr. Deverick Anderson, an infectious-disease expert at Duke University. "We're finding this is a problem, but it's probably one that we don't have a very good solution to right now."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued an advisory warning doctors that even when a manufacturer's cleaning instructions are followed, germs may linger. The device's complex design and tiny parts make complete disinfection extremely difficult, the advisory said. Between January 2013 and December 2014, the FDA received 75 reports involving 135 patients in the U.S. who may have been infected by tainted scopes.
In a statement, the FDA said it is trying to determine what more can be done to reduce such infections. But it said that pulling the device from the market would deprive hundreds of thousands of patients of "this beneficial and often life-saving procedure."
"The FDA believes at this time that the continued availability of these devices is in the best interest of the public health," the agency said.
The manufacturer of the devices, Olympus Corp. of the Americas, an arm of Japan's Olympus Corp., said in a statement that it emphasizes the importance of meticulous manual sterilization of its instruments. It says it is giving new supplemental instructions to users of the endoscopes and is working with the FDA on the infection problem.
The company is also being investigated for possible violations of false claims and anti-kickback laws. It disclosed Feb. 6 that it has been under federal investigation since 2011 for possible violations of laws that typically ban improper payments to doctors or other customers.
That statement said the company is talking with the Justice Department to "resolve the matters under investigation."
___
Associated Press writers John Rogers and Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles, and AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.
___
Contact Alicia Chang at https://www.twitter.com/SciWriAlicia .
Swine flu claims another life, officials start surveillance
Source: The Indian Express, Feb 2015. (http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/swine-flu-claims-another-life-officials-start-surveillance/)
By: Express News Service | Chandigarh | Posted: February 10, 2015 4:11 am
Four days after a woman died of swine flu, the H1N1 virus claimed another life in the city when a resident of Kaimbwala village died in Government Medical College and Hospital on Monday.
Immediately, the health officials started surveillance of 300 houses in the vicinity of the place where the 36-year-old man lived. Eight persons in close contact with him were administered tamiflu tablets.
The patient had reported to the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 16 on Sunday. Later, he was shifted to GMCH when his condition deteriorated. In the morning, he died.
An official said that both fatal cases had been reported from slum areas — the first case was from Bhaskar Colony — where awareness of the disease was low. Both patients came to the hospital when their condition had deteriorated.
So far, a total of nine swine flu cases have been reported in the city. On Monday, one patient from Sector 15 was tested positive of H1N1.
The isolation ward at PGI is packed with patients from the adjoining states of Punjab and Haryana.
As many as 20 H1N1 positive cases (nine from Punjab, six from Haryana, and five from Chandigarh) have been reported at PGI to date. Of them, six patients died.
In the city, swine flu cases have been reported from different areas. “There might be several cases of H1N1 influenza, but it is not severe in all. In only a few cases where the patients have very low immunity, the influenza is causing complications,” said Dr Anil Garg, nodal officer of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.
He said that in the areas where deaths had been reported, the transmission of H1N1 had been prevented in the community by the administration by taking effective measures.
CATEGORIES OF PATIENTS
Swine flu patients are divided in three categories.
Patients with mild fever plus cough and sore throat with or without bodyache, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting fall in category A. They neither require oseltamivir nor testing for H1N1.
Category B has two sub-categories, and these patients may require home isolation and oseltamivir, but no H1N1 testing is required.
Patients in sub-category B (i) are those who have high-grade fever and severe sore throat, in addition to category A symptoms. High-risk individuals are placed in sub-category B (ii). They include children with mild illness but with predisposing risk factors, pregnant women, persons aged above 65, patients on long-term cortisone therapy, patients with lung/heart/liver/kidney diseases, blood disorders, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and neurological disorders.
Patients in category C require testing, immediate hospitalisation and treatment. These are patients who, in addition to the symptoms of category A and B, have additional symptoms of breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, sputum mixed with blood, bluish colouration of nails, and worsening of underlying chronic conditions.
More Americans Using Yoga, Fish Oil, Probiotics for Health
Alicia Ault, Feb 2015, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/839610
Americans' love affair with yoga may be more than just a passing fad. New data from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) show that from 2002 to 2012, the use of yoga doubled among adults.
Overall, 34% of adults used any complementary approach in 2012, of whom about 21 million, about 10% of the population, reported using yoga, according to the most recent complementary health questionnaire, conducted by the National Institutes of Health's NCCIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Herbal supplements, fish oil, meditation, and acupuncture are also being embraced by Americans.
Just more than 11% of 18-to-44-year-olds used yoga in 2012, up from 6.4% in 2002. Fewer older Americans used yoga (7.2% of those 45-64 years old and 3.3% of those older than 65 years), but the increases among those ages were also significant, said NCCIH and National Center for Health Statistics researchers in a February 10 briefing with reporters.
"The changes in yoga are very striking," said Josephine P. Briggs, MD, director of the NCCIH. The researchers did not analyze the reasons for the increase, but the prevalence of yoga studios may be a clue, said Dr Briggs. "It's a clear and not totally surprising finding," she told reporters.
Recent studies have shown yoga can be beneficial for health and wellness, and some healthcare providers are incorporating the practice into treatment, especially for back pain, said Dr Briggs.
Yoga is also being taken up by more children. Just under 2 million children practiced yoga in 2012, which is an almost 1% rise. Yoga was most popular among better-educated non-Hispanic whites, as were most complementary or alternative practices. The majority of children who practice yoga did so in conjunction with deep breathing or meditation; fewer did it as part of a class.
"Natural" Supplements Still Most Popular
Herbal supplements (nonvitamin, nonmineral supplements) are the most popular complementary or alternative modality, with almost 18% of adults reporting use in 2012. The supplements were the most popular therapy among children as well.
For both adults and children, fish oil was most commonly used. Dr Briggs said it was unclear why children would be taking fish oil, and that more research was needed in that area.
The researchers reported significant increases among adults and children in use of probiotic and prebiotic supplements (along with rising sales), as well as of melatonin, but there was a decrease in the use of glucosamine/chondroitin, Echinacea, and garlic.
Those numbers suggest that use has risen or fallen, with the publication of studies either confirming or questioning the benefits of a particular supplement, said the researchers.
Because many of these products can interact with traditional medications, and previous studies have shown that patients generally do not disclose use to their physicians, "it is very important for health care providers to ask," said Dr Briggs.
However, patients also have some responsibility, she said. "The need to talk to your primary care physician about all practices is good medicine and results in better integrative care," she said.
A Complement, not a Substitute
Previous survey data have shown that most of those who use complementary or alternative modalities do it as an adjunct to traditional medicine, said Barbara Stussman, BA, a statistician with the National Institutes of Health, in the briefing.
The overall use of complementary and alternative modalities has not changed significantly over the three periods the complementary health questionnaire has been incorporated into the National Health Interview Survey for adults: 2002, 2007, and 2012. It has continued to be about 32% to 35% of the adult population.
The same is true for children, with about 12% of 4-to-17-year-olds using alternative therapies at this time. Overall, 45.6% of children used complementary approaches to treat a specific health condition, which is a slight rise from 2007, when children were first incorporated into the survey. Acupuncture was used most often to treat a health condition, with 70% of respondents saying it was the modality of choice.
Other popular modalities included deep-breathing exercises, whether alone or in combination with other approaches. That was the second most-used treatment after supplements. Equally popular was chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, with 20 million adults and 1.9 million children using the modality. Eighteen million adults and just less than 1 million children practiced meditation.
Participants were surveyed about acupuncture, Ayurveda, biofeedback, chelation therapy, chiropractic care, energy healing therapy, special diets (including vegan, Atkins, and Ornish), traditional healers, guided imagery, homeopathic treatment, hypnosis, naturopathy, herbal supplements, massage, meditation, progressive relaxation, qi gong, tai chi, and yoga.
The complementary health questionnaire is given every 5 years as part of the National Health Interview Survey. The 2012 data are based on surveys of 88,962 adults and 17,321 interviews with adults about children aged 4 to 17 years.
On the basis of these data, analyses of cost and effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies will be published later, said the researchers.
The survey is part of the annual National Health Interview Survey. Data are collected by the US Census Bureau and analyzed by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Flu vaccine gives only ‘low protection’ in UK this winter, experts warn
Source: The Guardian (Feb 2015) http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/05/flu-vaccine-low-protection-uk-this-winter
Still important not to discourage those in at-risk groups from having flu jab, says Public Health England
The low effectiveness of the flu jab is said to be caused by a mismatch between the influenza strain used to make the vaccine and the main strain spreading in the UK this winter. Photograph: David Cheskin/PA
The flu vaccine issued this winter only provides “low protection” against the main strain of the virus spreading around the UK, health experts have warned.
The vaccine was estimated to work in just 3% of cases in lab tests, compared with a more typical past effectiveness of 50%, Public Health England (PHE) said.
It said the problem was caused by a mismatch between the A(H3N2) influenza strain used to make the vaccine and the main A(H3N2) strain that has been spreading in the UK this winter. PHE said recent studies in the US and Canada echoed the findings and linked it to genetic “drift” in the virus.
Deputy chief medical officer John Watson said: “The latest data show that levels of flu are generally decreasing in the UK. We do see ‘drift’ in the flu virus from time to time, but even so, I want to reassure people that it is still the best overall way to protect yourself and your family from flu, along with good hand hygiene.
“Antiviral drugs are available and effective, and doctors should prescribe them for those at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill due to flu.”
The findings on the vaccine’s mid-season effectiveness were published on Thursday in Eurosurveillance, based on an analysis of 1,314 patients.
Study author Dr Richard Pebody, PHE’s head of flu surveillance, said: “The World Health Organization monitors influenza globally and each year recommends the strains of flu virus that should be included in the flu vaccine for the forthcoming flu season. It takes from February through to August/September to produce sufficient quantities of the flu vaccine. If a change in the virus is detected once production has started it is not possible to change it.
“Throughout the last decade, there has generally been a good match between the strains of flu in the vaccine and those that subsequently circulate, so it’s crucial that these results do not discourage people in at-risk groups from having flu vaccination now, or in the future.
“The current vaccine is still expected to protect against flu A(H1N1)pdm09 and flu B – both of which may yet circulate this season – so anyone in an at-risk group should still get vaccinated if they have not already.
“It’s not possible to fully predict the strains that will circulate in any given season, and there is always a risk of a drift occurring as we have seen this year. However, it’s important to be aware that this does not occur every season. Flu vaccine is still the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus which can cause severe illness and deaths each year among at-risk groups, including older people, pregnant women and those with a health condition, even one that is well managed.
“Our findings also mean that the early use of antivirals to treat and help prevent serious cases of flu in vulnerable patients is even more important this season.”
Flu was one reason cited for the death rate in England and Wales being almost a third higher than normal for this time of year.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 28,800 deaths were registered in the fortnight ending 23 January. This is 32% higher than the average for that period over the previous five years (21,859).
The ONS suggested that the flu virus and the cold snap could be to blame for the increased death rate.
The latest analysis by PHE found that deaths among people aged over 65 have been higher than expected for six weeks, even taking the time of year into account.
Peanut Allergy Probiotics: Latest By Australian Scientists
Source: Inquisitor (http://www.inquisitr.com/1808172/peanut-allergy-probiotics-cure-for-deadly-peanut-allergies-found-by-australian-scientists/)
Having a peanut allergy can be scary, but probiotics might be the answer for millions of people. Researchers in Australia conducted a study in which children were given the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus with a peanut protein, and after a short while, many of the children appeared to be cured of their peanut allergies.
According to the SpreadIt, there are about 15 million people with peanut allergies in America alone. These new findings could be life changing for many children and families around the globe.
“Scientists from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne gathered a group of 60 children under the age of 10 with peanut allergies for 18 months. During the clinical trial, 30 allergic children were given a daily dose of peanut protein together with a strain of probiotic bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosusin in increasing amounts. The other 30 children received a placebo along with the peanut protein. At the end of the trial, researchers found that 80% of the children, who had taken the oral immunotherapy treatment, could eat peanuts without any reaction,” reports the SpreadIt.
Treating a peanut allergy with probiotics allows a patient to build up a tolerance to peanuts, making their allergy disappear, so to speak. Although these food allergies can range from mild to severe, most people who are allergic to a specific food don’t want to take chances. Some doctors say that each time a person eats something they are allergic to, the reaction can be worse, so a lot of people with food allergies choose to stay away from whatever it is that bothers them. A cure would be widely welcomed mainly because of the danger of such an allergy. Peanut allergies, of course, can be fatal.
According to NewsMax, the results in the study mentioned above were very positive. Out of nine children treated with the probiotic, seven responded well and were able to tolerate peanuts. These odds are extremely promising, but more research will need to be conducted before Lactobacillus rhamnosus treatment becomes the cure (or part of it).
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the next step in the process is to ensure that the children who were treated and “cured” can actually eat peanuts over the next several years of their lives without redeveloping the allergy. If the probiotics work to cure this allergy, there is hope for people with food allergies all over the world.
Do you think that researchers will eventually find a cure for food allergies?
[Photo courtesy of Koladorina via Wikimedia Commons]
The bacteria in your gut may help you destress, says new research
By Sravanth Verma http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/health/the-bacteria-in-your-gut-may-help-you-destress-says-new-research/article/423731#tab=comments&sc=0
A recent study has found a link between the kind of bacteria you have in your gut and your mental anxiety levels. This throws up some interesting questions in the study of anxiety relief.
The study published in the journal Psychopharmacology feeding the "good" bacteria in the gut has a positive correlation with anxiety relief.
The researchers used prebiotics to test the hypothesis. Prebiotics are not to be confused with probiotics. Probiotics are the "good" bacteria in our guts that help in digestion and are the subject of many studies indicating that they play a huge role in our physiological health. Prebiotics on the other hand are the carbohydrates that serve as food for those bacteria.
For the study, 45 healthy people between 18 and 45 were placed on a prebiotic or placebo course every day for three weeks. At the end of this period, they completed tests for the researchers to assess their emotional states.
Those who received the prebiotic were seen to pay less attention to negative information, and more attention to positive information as compared to those who received the placebo. Prebiotic recipients were also found to have less cortisol in their saliva. Cortisol levels are higher in people under stress.
Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, the study's lead author, said in a statement, "Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut. Our study shows that the gut–brain connection is a two-way street."
But the research is still only a pilot test, and more work needs to be done to confirm this link. "It's becoming a very interesting question in the field," said Dr. Roger McIntyre, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto. "The animal data looks really interesting, and looks very suggestive, but we're still waiting for that convincing human study," McIntyre said.
Current treatments for anxiety include pharmaceuticals, counselling and therapies such as yoga and meditation. "I think pre/probiotics will only be used as 'adjuncts' to conventional treatments, and never as mono-therapies," Burnet told HuffPost. "It is likely that these compounds will help to manage mental illness... they may also be used when there are metabolic and/or nutritional complications in mental illness, which may be caused by long-term use of current drugs."
Flu Vaccine Losing Effectiveness
Source: Time Warner Cable (http://rochester.twcnews.com/content/news/796328/flu-vaccine-losing-effectiveness/)
If you've been sniffling, coughing and getting an upset stomach, you're not alone. It turns out that the flu vaccine this year is 10% less effective for the average person.
Doctors said normally the flu vaccine is about 2/3 or 66% effective. This year, it's about 55%. Doctors said that's because the strains of flu used in this year's vaccine aren't necessarily the same strains we are seeing now. Despite those numbers, doctors still highly recommend getting a flu shot.
"55% effectiveness means that among people who didn't get a flu shot 100 might get the flu out of a certain group," infectious disease specialist, Dr. Paul Graman said.
According to the New York State Department of Health, the number of confirmed flu cases in the state rose 154% between December 13th to the 20th.
4 Summer Foods That Can Help Trim Your Waist
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-raphael-kellman/4-summer-foods-that-will-_1_b_5597364.html
If you haven't heard about the microbiome, which The Mayo Clinic calls "the most important discovery since germ theory and genetics," let me tell you a bit about it before revealing what fresh and delicious summer foods will help you shed those hard-to-lose pounds that may have accumulated around your midsection.
The microbiome is a rich hidden universe of trillions of bacteria that live within and all around us. It turns out that there are 10 times more bacteria in and on our bodies than there are human cells! Much of this bacteria is extremely beneficial, especially the bacteria in our gut, as it controls our metabolism, our appetite, and even regulates our mood by aiding in the production of serotonin and other brain chemicals.
For the past eight years