Category Archives: Bacteria

How to: boost resistance to tuberculosis

Posted on 5 October 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

Most kiddies receive the very effective Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis during childhood, but as they grow up, the protection afforded by this vaccine wanes. Since cases of adult TB are on the rise, receiving an immune upgrade would … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bacteria, Disease, Immunology, Medicine, Microorganisms, Science, Vaccines | Tagged immunity, mycobacterium tuberculosis, protection, TB, tuberculosis, vaccine | Leave a comment

A Marvellous Month of Infectious Science

Posted on 4 October 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

Cold weather helps to spread flu across the country A very cool new study from McMaster University researchers shows how weather patterns impact the spread of influenza A virus across Canada. Using outbreak data gathered over more than 13 years, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bacteria, Disease, Immunology, Microorganisms, Science, Vaccines, Viruses | Tagged antibodies, bacteria, emergence, influenza, pain, rice, rotavirus, speed, T cell, vaccine | Leave a comment

Vaccine delivers an immune double whammy to fight tuberculosis

Posted on 20 June 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

Vaccination is a hugely important public health intervention, perhaps the biggest in the history of mankind. While many childhood diseases are now effectively controlled by immunisation programs (as long as parents vaccinate their kids), there is still no effective vaccine … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bacteria, Disease, Immunology, Microorganisms, Science, Vaccines | Tagged adaptive, adenovirus, immunisation, immunity, innate, lung, pathogen, public health, tuberculosis, vaccination, vesicular stomatitis virus | Leave a comment

How to survive the bacterial antibiotic revolution

Posted on 14 May 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

These days, we have a pretty serious problem when it comes to our ability to kill resistant bacteria causing serious illness. People petition governments to urge action, while drug companies lament over how those pesky bacteria evolved to defeat their … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bacteria, Disease, Microorganisms, Science | Tagged allicin, antibiotic, antimicrobial, bacteria, clostridium difficile, defensin-1, E. coli, garlic, honey, manuka, microbes, MRSA, probiotics, pseudomonas aeruginosa, resistance, salmonella, shigella, superbug, yoghurt | 1 Comment

Antibiotics hit your gut microbes hard

Posted on 13 February 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

These days, most doctor’s are acutely aware of the problems of overprescribing antibiotics. Historically given as more of a placatory gesture – ‘I have to prescribe something, else this patient will think I’m an incompetent buffoon’ – their overuse almost … Continue reading →