The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have given clearance for the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay. It is the first assay available to identify both Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rapidly and at the same time from patients with positive blood cultures.

This will make it possible for doctors to use the right treatment at the right time for patients with bloodstream infections.

Thomas Davis, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Clinical Microbiology, Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana, said “The BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay provides a rapid, definitive identification of SA and MRSA from blood cultures. This allows for more appropriate isolation procedures and agent-specific antimicrobial therapy, resulting in reduced patient morbidity and mortality as well as an overall reduction in healthcare costs,”

Vince Forlenza, Executive Vice President, BD, said “The launch of the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay in the United States further demonstrates BD’s commitment to helping healthcare providers rapidly identify, prevent and control HAIs. It also illustrates our desire to provide customers with a complete menu of assays and tools to combat these potentially deadly infections.”

The BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay gives a result within two hours directly from a positive blood culture. The makers say the assay is easy to perform and takes up less technologist time when compared to traditional microbiology algorithms, which can take up to two days to come back with results.

Studies have indicated that if doctors have crucial microbiology data earlier on it is possible to reduce mortality, length of hospital stay, as well as variable costs.

Currently, the BD GeneOhm™ MRSA assay quickly detects people who are colonized with MRSA and gives infection control professionals a better opportunity to break the chain of MRSA transmission.

http://www.bd.com.

Poultry workers in the United States are 32 times more likely to carry E. coli bacteria resistant to the commonly used antibiotic, gentamicin, than others outside the poultry industry, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. While drug-resistant bacteria, such as E. coli, are common in the industrial broiler chicken environment, this is the first U.S. research to show exposure occurring at a high level among industrial poultry workers. The results are published in the December, 2007, edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.

“The use of antimicrobials in industrial food production has been going on for over 50 years in the United States,” said the study’s lead author, Lance B. Price, who serves on the research faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, and is a scientific advisor to the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. “Some estimates indicate that well over half of the antimicrobial drugs produced in the United States are used in food animal production. In the U.S. alone, over nine billion food animals are produced annually.”

The study was conducted with poultry workers and community residents in the eastern shore regions of Maryland and Virginia, and it confirms similar studies in Europe showing that poultry farmers and workers are at risk of exposure to drug resistant E. coli bacteria. The Maryland and Virginia regions on the Delmarva Peninsula are among the top broiler chicken producing regions in the U.S., producing more than 600 million chickens annually.

In the study, researchers conducted in-depth analyses of 49 study participants, 16 working within the poultry industry and 33 community residents. Stool samples from the participants were tested for resistance to the antimicrobials ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriazone, gentamicin and tetracycline. Findings showed that poultry workers had 32 times greater odds of being colonized with gentamicin-resistant E. coli than other members of the community.

“One of the major implications of this study is to underscore the importance of the non-hospital environment in the origin of drug resistant infections,” said Ellen K. Silbergeld, PhD, senior author of the study.

Price, PhD, and other researchers note that as food animal production shifted from the independent farmer to large-scale, industrialized operations, the use of antimicrobials in feeds intended to stimulate growth has increased. Currently 16 different antimicrobial drugs are approved for use in U.S. poultry production with gentamicin reported to be the most widely used.

A new, completely natural treatment for the drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus infection (MRSA) has been developed specifically for schools and athletic facilities. Utilizing extremely high levels of activated oxygen, or natural ozone, the 20-hour process developed by CleanZone Systems is able to purify indoor structures with an efficacy rate of better than 99 percent.

“The process uses no chemicals, leaves no residue and is highly effective,” said Housh Khoshbin, CleanZone’s chief executive officer. “Moreover, it seems to be one of the least expensive solutions available, with typical school treatments costing significantly less that the oft-quoted range of $1.75 per square foot.”

Initially confined to hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers and the like, MRSA is now found in schools and athletic facilities, causing school districts across the country to take increased precautions to reduce the likelihood of staph infection in their facilities.

Using a similar process, CleanZone Systems has been treating homes and businesses for toxic mold, odors and other allergens with great success. The treatment takes advantage of a patent-pending process that not only destroys surface bacteria, but also follows the indoor air flow to kill bacteria and viruses in fabrics, behind walls and in other difficult to reach areas that common spray disinfectants can’t reach.

About CleanZone Systems

Clean Zone Systems, LLC is a forward-looking Lisle, Illinois-based company actively committed to improving indoor air with a natural, breakthrough technology that is eco-friendly, non-invasive and lab tested to eradicate mold, bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms in living and working environments.

http://www.cleanzonesystems.com

A DNA-based therapy could slash the development time of new drugs to combat antibiotic resistant superbugs.

Scientists from the John Innes Centre have proven that by taking a short stretch of DNA from a bacterium and delivering it with an existing antibiotic they can switch off antibiotic resistance.

Together with technology transfer company PBL, the scientists have launched a spin-out company, Procarta Biosystems Ltd, to develop the technology.

“The DNA sequence acts as a decoy, disrupting gene expression and blocking resistance”, said Dr Michael McArthur from JIC.

“We are putting genetic information directly into drugs. This is the first application of a DNA based therapy”.

The scientists have also patented a way of discovering decoys in bacteria without necessarily having to know the genes involved. This means they can develop effective new drugs against any bacterium within a couple of years and at a fraction of the normal cost.

The technology can give fresh patent life to existing antibiotics when combined with a decoy they can be patented as a new drug.

This comes at a time when the number of new antibiotics receiving approval has dramatically declined. Faced with antibiotic resistance the pharmaceutical industry is unlikely to be able to deliver new products.

“Natural resistance will always be hot on the heels of a new antibiotic because they co-evolve”, said Dr McArthur. “Ours’ is not a traditional pharmaceutical approach and provides a completely new challenge to bacteria”.

The technology can also be used to improve the production of antibiotics by bacteria and to produce enzymes and other compounds using bacteria for use in industrial processes.

Many industrial processes are harsh and unsustainable, using petrochemicals, high temperatures and creating toxic by-products. In industrial biotechnology, also called “white biotechnology”, bacteria make medically and commercially important compounds biologically.

“By using bacteria, many industrial processes could be cleaned up”, said Dr McArthur.

The Procarta scientists found that the bacterium Streptomyces produces a particularly high yield of enzymes and proteins. Unusually, it can also secrete the proteins it produces so they do not have to be extracted.

“Streptomyces is the enzyme producing bacterium with bells and whistles, set to make a major contribution to a market already predicted to be worth £400 million by 2010″, said Dr McArthur.

We use the products of white biotechnology in our everyday lives. They contribute to ingredients in the food we eat, energy we use that has been generated with renewable biomass rather than fossil fuels, medicines we take, and everyday products such as detergents, paint and paper.

JOHN INNES CENTRE
Norwich Research Park
Colney
Norwich
NR4 7UH

http://www.jic.bbsrc.ac.uk

Scientists from The University of Manchester have pioneered new ways of tweaking the molecular structure of antibiotics – an innovation that could be crucial in the fight against powerful super bugs.

The work, led by chemical biologist Dr Jason Micklefield in collaboration with geneticist Professor Colin Smith, is published online and will appear in next issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Using funding from the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), scientists working in The School of Chemistry and the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre have paved the way for the development of new types of antibiotics capable of fighting increasingly resistant bacteria.

Micklefield, Smith and colleagues were the first to engineer the biosynthesis of lipopeptide antibiotics of this class back in 2002.

They have now developed methodologies for altering the structure of these antibiotics, such as mutating, adding and deleting components.

This innovation provides access to thousands of lipopeptide variants that cannot be produced easily in any other way.

Dr Micklefield said: “The results from this work are essential in the development of the next generation of lipopeptide antibiotics, which are critical to combat emerging super bugs that have acquired resistance to other antibiotics.

“The potent activity of this class of antibiotics against pathogens that are resistant to all current antibiotic treatments makes them one of the most important groups of antibiotics available.

“Our work relies on interdisciplinary chemical-biology, spanning chemistry through to molecular genetics. It follows the tradition of pioneering work in natural product biosynthesis and engineering that has come out of the UK.”

Scientists in Manchester have been doing work on calcium dependant antibiotics (CDA), which belong to the same family of acidic lipopeptides as daptomycin.

In 2003 daptomycin became the first new structural class of natural antibiotic to reach hospitals in more than 30 years.

But researchers say there is already evidence that bacteria are evolving and becoming resistant to daptomycin – leading to the emergence of dangerous new super bugs.

Dr Micklefield added: “If we are to successfully fight and control potent new super bugs in the future, we need to be developing the next generation of antibiotics now.”

NOLabs AB, the Swedish medtech company developing innovative nitric oxide-containing medical devices based on the NitroSense(R) Technology, reported that it has achieved another important milestone in the development of a new line of products for wounds infected by MRSA-bacteria. MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is particularly troublesome in hospital-acquired infections due to its resistance to several traditional antibiotics.

In experiments performed at the Malmoe University Hospital in Sweden, researchers showed that NOLabs’ technology has a promising ability to kill a wide range of pathogens, including MRSA.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 126,000 hospitalisations are related to MRSA and 19,000 deaths are associated with serious MRSA infections every year in U.S. hospitals. Patients at risk for infection with MRSA include those with severe disease, recent surgery or indwelling medical devices, such as urinary catheters.

Goran Beijer, CEO of NOLabs says: “The recent results show that we are on the right track towards products with an enormous potential globally. The anti-microbial effect of NO will be key in several products that will prevent and/or treat infection depending on dosing. We are now accelerating our development program and expect to have the first products on the market during 2008.”

NOLabs’ NitroSense(R) Technology assures controlled, local delivery of pure nitric oxide in a well-defined concentration range during a well-defined time period. The main areas are prevention of catheter related urinary tract infections, relief of neuropathic pain and wound care products with an anti-bacterial effect.

For more information please visit our home page: http://www.nolabs.com

NOLabs is a Swedish medtech company developing and marketing nitric oxide-containing medical devices for various medical applications. Nitric oxide is a natural substance, produced by the human body. Its physiological effects include the control of local blood supply and the protection against microbes. In particular, NOLabs focuses on prevention of infection and pain relief for patients suffering from diabetes-related complications such as chronic wounds and neuropathic pain. Another focus area is the prevention and treatment of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. NOLabs has developed the innovative, cost efficient and highly effective NitroSense(R) Technology with a significant potential to address serious health issues that impact the lives of over 100 million people.

Researchers speaking at a conference in Cardiff, UK, earlier today, 28th November, said that while doctors don’t know if CA-MRSA (community associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is likely to spread as fast in the UK as it has in the US, they are worried about it.

The new strains of CA-MRSA appear to stick to damaged skin and airways more easily than the hospital based MRSA strains prevalent in the UK, and they reproduce more quickly.

The researchers, led by Dr Marina Morgan from the Royal Devon & Exeter Foundation NHS Trust, told delegates at the Federation of Infection Societies Conference 2007 at the University of Cardiff, that if CA-MRSA spreads in the UK as fast as it did in the US, then many patients will be admitted to hospital with a wrong diagnosis and given the wrong antibiotics, and by the time doctors realise what is happening it could be too late.

CA-MRSA is mainly spreading in the US and is a major cause of infection among American children.

As Morgan explained:

“The new community associated MRSA strains appear to be more virulent and more easily spread between people.”

“These community associated versions have been found in people with few, if any, reasons to have MRSA. Typically they haven’t recently been in hospital, or / and are not looking after or living with people with MRSA,” she added.

Compared with hospital MRSA the CA-MRSA strains respond to a wider range of antibiotics, but they are more virulent. The majority of them also produce a toxin called Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) that kills white blood cells, the immune system’s first line of defence against pathogens like staph.

Morgan said that:

“Although the resistant strain is not yet widespread in the UK, we have seen increasing numbers of PVL-toxin producing Staphylococcus aureus infections, mainly presenting with recurrent boils and abscesses.”

The body responds by producing even more white blood cells to compenstate for those killed off by the first onslaught of PVL, and this produces the severe boils and abscesses, explained Morgan.

CA-MRSA is spread from human to human through close contact, so it spreads among family members, staff and children in nurseries, and also in athlectic teams, said Morgan.

Infection by the PVL form of MRSA can in a small proportion of cases lead to very severe infections like septicaemia and a deadly form of pneumonia called necrotizing pneumonia where the toxin eats away at lung tissue.

“With this type of necrotising PVL pneumonia, even with the strongest antibiotics, more than 60 per cent of otherwise healthy young and fit people will die,” said Morgan.

Morgan went on to explain that these infections are easy to miss, and can be dismissed as recurrent boils. It is not until the infection becomes serious that doctors then realize it could something more serious.

“Then, with severe invasive infections like pneumonia, early diagnosis is vital as treatment with the correct antibiotics and massive doses of immunoglobulin can save children’s lives,” she explained.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as a result of investigating CA-MRSA outbreaks among children, athletes, military recruits, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, men who have sex with men, and prisoners, there are certain factors that increase the risk of infection and spread. These factors include: close contact (skin to skin), open wounds or cuts or grazes, unclean surfaces and frequently touched items, crowded living conditions and poor hygiene.

To reduce risk of CA-MRSA infection, the CDC advises:

* Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water, or an alcohol-based sanitizer.
* Clean and cover cuts and scrapes with a bandage until they are healed.
* Do not touch other people’s wounds or bandages.
* Do not share personal items such as towels and razors.

Unotron, manufacturers and marketers of the nation’s leading SpillSeal® washable keyboards and mice, urge parents and educators to distribute “Ten Steps to Protect Students from MRSA Infections,” a two-page color brochure published by the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID). In brief, easy-to-read segments, the brochure outlines ten important recommendations for sports teams and classroom teachers to protect against bacterial infections, and can be ordered from the RID Web site http://www.hospitalinfection.com.

“This brochure can literally be a lifesaver, and it supports Unotron’s quest to minimize the threat of infection in academic settings,” said Joseph Carabello, a director of Unotron.

The brochure recommends as a first step that everyone – parents, educators, and students alike – adopt careful hygienic habits, especially by washing hands frequently with soap from pump dispensers, not shared bars of soap. Hand sanitizers can be carried in backpacks and totes for regular use when soap and water is not available. Also, students should avoid sharing gym clothes towels and other personal items.

The publication also advises that educators establish anti-infection classroom practices. Dispensers of hand sanitizer and a first-aid kit should be available in every classroom. Sports equipment and locker room facilities should be cleaned thoroughly by applying detergent to the surface for at least three minutes. Also, cuts or abrasions sustained by students should be treated by the school nurse or another adult with clean hands.

Finally, school authorities should mandate procedures and choose products for infection control. Regular screenings for MRSA should be conducted among athletes, coaches, and gym teachers, all of whom are at higher risk for infection. Applying anti-microbial coating to sports equipment and other frequently touched surfaces provides added protection. These high touch surfaces can be examined regularly for infection by taking periodic culture samples. Purchasing washable computer keyboards and accessories is also recommended.

“We are gratified that the brochure underscores the importance of washable computer keyboards,” said Carabello. “Unotron is committed to helping ensure the safety of students and educators worldwide.”

Unotron’s patented SpillSeal® keyboards and mice feature a fully sealed structure that allows for washing and disinfecting, providing an easy solution to the problem of bacterial infection ?” especially in academic settings where multiple students and teachers share equipment. They can be immersed in commercial grade detergents or antibacterial solutions and rinsed under tap water, without damaging the product or impacting functionality.

Solid matter and fluids remain on the outside of the Unotron keyboard and are easily flushed off, ensuring that the keyboard is sanitized.

Unotron’s patented keyboard design, manufacturing and assembly cover the way that each dome is welded into its key assembly, sealing it against liquid or airborne penetration. SpillSeal® protected to IP66 and NEMA 4X standards, Unotron’s washable corded and wireless optical mouse product line is available with or without a scroll wheel in standard or overmolded rubberized finish.

The newly patented Unotron ScrollSeal Washable Optical 3-button Mouse and Unotron SteriMax Washable Optical 3-button Mouse complement Unotron’s SpillSeal® corded and wireless computer keyboards and receivers, as well as its SmartRest SRC5 Smartcard Readers and external SAC2 Standalone Smartcard Readers.

About Unotron

With 30 years of OEM manufacturing experience, Unotron maintains a global footprint with offices located across North America, Europe and Asia, making everyday computing clean and safe for organizations around the world. Unotron designs, manufactures and markets high quality, washable data input and security devices that are easily cleaned and disinfected to mitigate the spread of infection in healthcare, education, commercial and government environments. Unotron holds patents for SpillSeal® technology and draws upon a catalogue of patents in automated manufacturing systems and office products.

A type of bacterium widely found on our skin and in the environment has now become a major threat in hospitals where it can cause serious infections, such as pneumonia in severely ill patients. Like the well known bacterium MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) the new types of Acinetobacter baumannii are resistant to nearly all antibiotics, so doctors have very few treatments available, and three resistant strains are currently circulating in the UK.

A molecular method designed by the Health Protection Agency has been successfully implemented by medical researchers at the Royal Free Hospital, part of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, as a quick and accurate means of identifying which strain of the bacterium is infecting a patient, scientists heard today (Wednesday 28 November 2007) at the Federation of Infection Societies Conference 2007 at the University of Cardiff, UK, which runs from 28-30 November 2007.

“Some of these new strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, known as epidemic clones, can spread rapidly and widely between patients and have the potential to cause outbreaks”, says Kerry Williams of the Royal Free Hospital. “We currently encounter two of them at our hospital, so we need a reliable and rapid means of identifying and discriminating between the different clones. We can now get a result from a patient’s sample in just four hours. The test also allows us to predict how likely we are to be facing an outbreak”.

The drug resistant strains of the bacteria are especially dangerous in intensive care units where, as well as causing pneumonia, they can infect wounds or cause urinary tract infections such as cystitis.

“Like MRSA, Acinetobacter baumannii can be found on the skin without actually causing an infection, this is known as colonisation. The new test is important because it means we can rapidly identify patients who are colonised with drug resistant strains of the bacteria so that special infection control measures can be put in place. The patient can quickly be isolated if necessary”, says Miss Williams. “This reduces the risk of transmission to other patients and the possibility of an outbreak occurring. The ability to distinguish between the clones circulating is also important because it allows us to monitor transmission in our hospital”.

Currently all the Royal Free Hospital strains of bacteria are sent to a reference laboratory for typing by a method called pulsed field gel electrophoresis. The new test, called multiplex-PCR, gives results comparable to the ones produced by the reference laboratory.

The multiplex-PCR, based on identifying unique gene sequences in the bacteria, has the potential to be developed as a rapid screening tool for intensive care units in other parts of the country. It should eventually lead to better patient management with faster and more appropriate treatments for individuals and prompt control of infections to reduce the risk of transmission to other patients.

Take Care Health Systems, one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), today announced its 102 clinics nationwide are fully stocked with flu shots in anticipation of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Influenza Vaccination Week from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2. According to the CDC, each year an average of 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized for flu complications and 36,000 die from the flu.

“Annual vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the flu and is best performed early in the season, which can last as late as May,” said Sandra Ryan, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer for Take Care Health Systems. “Take Care Health Clinics, which are open seven days a week with no appointments and accept most major insurance plans, offer an accessible, convenient and affordable way for individuals to protect themselves and their loved ones against the flu this year.”

Flu shots are available any day of the week at all Take Care Health Clinics throughout flu season with no appointments necessary and extended hours on evenings and weekends. Take Care Health Providers offer the vaccine to patients 9 years of age and older – in fact, the CDC has declared Tuesday, Nov. 27 as childhood immunization day. The cost of a flu vaccination at Take Care Health Clinics is $24.99 and is often covered by insurance.

Due to influenza’s unpredictability, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that the influenza vaccine be offered throughout the entire flu season, even after it has appeared or begun appearing in a community. It takes two weeks after the vaccination for the body to be fully prepared to protect against the flu.

Most insurance plans are accepted at the clinics including Aetna, CIGNA, Coventry, Great-West, Humana, MultiPlan, UnitedHealthCare, many local Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, and Medicare and Medicaid. Individual insurance plans accepted in each market are clearly posted on TakeCareHealth.com and clinic signage.

Take Care Health Clinics are professional, walk-in health care centers, staffed by nationally certified and licensed nurse practitioners and physician assistants who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy. Take Care Health Providers offer diagnostic screenings; school, sports and camp physicals; and vaccinations for flu, hepatitis B, meningitis and tetanus. Providers write prescriptions, as clinically appropriate, that can be filled at the patient’s pharmacy of choice.

Take Care Health Systems manages 102 locations in 11 states, including: Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, Orlando, Fla., Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa, Fla. and Tucson, Ariz. Further expansion in 2007 is planned for Cleveland and Nashville, Tenn.

About Walgreens

Walgreen Co. (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG) is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,059 stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico, including 77 Happy Harry’s stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens is expanding its patient-first health care services beyond traditional pharmacy through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, and Take Care Health Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary that manages convenient care clinics at drugstores. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives, Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service, Inc., Walgreens Home Care, Inc. and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, LLC.

About Take Care Health SystemsSM

Take Care Health SystemsSM, one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens. Take Care Health Clinics managed by Take Care Health Systems combine best practices in health care and the expertise and personal care of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in providing high-quality, accessible and affordable health care to all individuals. Take Care Health Systems maintains a detailed quality assurance program including collaborating physician review to ensure quality care, patient safety and state scope of practice compliance. Patient care is provided by Take Care Health Services, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market.