Health officials were worried enough about an unusually virulent outbreak of food-borne illness from the E. coli bacteria, which has infected more than 1,500 people in Germany and killed at least 17. But the concern jumped to …
Infectious Disease
Q&A: A Food-Safety Expert Explains Germany’s E. Coli Outbreak
As of Tuesday evening, a virulent and mysterious type of E. coli had killed 16 people in northern Germany and Sweden and sickened 1,150 others in Germany alone.
Mystery Virus in South Korea Claims Second Victim
Health officials in South Korea reported that a second person has died after being infected with an unknown virus.
U.S. Measles Caseload Hits a 15-Year High
So far this year, 118 cases of measles have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — the highest number for the January-to-May period since 1996 and double the median number of yearly cases …
Should We Destroy the Last of the World’s Smallpox Virus?
Global health officials at the World Health Conference in Geneva will decide this week whether to preserve or destroy the last known stockpiles of smallpox — one of the deadliest diseases in human history.
Measles Outbreak: Cases Rise in Europe and U.S.
The global outbreak of measles is continuing to spread, with cases rising in Europe and certain parts of the U.S., including California.
Could a Spoonful of Sugar Help the Medicine Work?
When it comes to having a sweet tooth, bacteria take the cake. Which is why, in a new study in mice and lab-dish cells, researchers were able to use the sweet stuff to lure bacteria out of hiding and kill them with antibiotics.
Thought Bedbugs Were Bad? Try Bedbugs With MRSA
(Updated) The one bright side to having bedbugs — if you wanted to be optimistic about it — has always been that at least the tormenting critters didn’t transmit disease. But now researchers in Vancouver report that they’ve …
First Case of Bubonic Plague in 2011 Appears in New Mexico
Turns out, the plague isn’t just ancient history. New Mexico health officials recently confirmed the first human case of bubonic plague — previously known as the “Black Death” — to surface in the U.S. in 2011.
Do I Have MRSA? FDA Approves Superbug Diagnostic Test
A newly approved diagnostic test can rapidly identify whether a patient’s Staphylococcus aureus infection is resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics.
A Scientist Catches a Mosquito-Borne Virus and Gives It to Wife as STD
Unless you are a disease-vector biologist studying in the field in West Africa, don’t attempt this explanation at home.
NDM-1 Superbug Mutation Shows Up in New Delhi Drinking Water
Scientists have discovered a dangerous pathogen lurking in the drinking water in Delhi. It’s not a superbug per se, but a supergene — a genetic mutation that can be acquired by a variety of bacteria to make them impervious to …
Are Cavities Really Contagious?
So much can be communicated in just one kiss — including the bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, which flourish on teeth and gums and cause cavities.
