Vital Technologies, Inc.

The Texas Department of State Health Services is reminding swimmers and skiers to take precautions to avoid infection from Naegleria fowleri, an ameba assumed to be present in all rivers, lakes, ponds, tanks and streams. The ameba can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, an infection of the brain. Though PAM is rare, it is almost always fatal. The ameba thrives in warm, stagnant water but may be present in any body of fresh water.

The public was well-served today with the release of a report by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) about hospital-acquired infection rates at specific facilities in New York State. But more information is needed about how to correct these problems, such the high rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections identified in the report.

Researchers at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center are injecting a modified herpes virus into melanoma tumors, hoping to kill the cancer cells while also bolstering the body's immune defenses against the disease.

Deadly diseases including plague, Ebola and Rift Valley Fever are being targeted as part of a new multi-million pound international partnership involving African researchers and the London International Development Centre (LIDC).

Lyme disease in the U.S. is caused by the tick-borne bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and usually begins with a skin lesion, after which the bacteria spread throughout the body to the nervous system, heart or joints. About 60 percent of untreated individuals develop arthritis, which affects the knees in particular.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have devised a microscale tool to help them understand the mechanical behavior of biofilms, slimy colonies of bacteria involved in most human infectious diseases. Most bacteria in nature take the form of biofilms. Bacteria are single-celled organisms, but they rarely live alone, said John Younger, associate chair for research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the U-M Health System.

The British Medical Journal examines the outcome of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, last week.

A recent study carried out by the Health Protection Agency and LACORS (Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services) has revealed the presence of Salmonella and E. coli bacteria in a small number of samples of ready-to-eat shelled nuts. Consumption of nuts has gone up, reflecting a growing preference for snacks that are both healthy and convenient.

It is based on detecting short, repetitive DNA segments in the genome of bacteria. Every single bacterial strain has such characteristic repeats. "With this method we are able to identify bacterial strains as well as clarify their genetic relationships. Furthermore, we can show how new pathogenic variants develop," says Manfred Höfle, researcher at the HZI. The results have now been published in the current issue of the scientific journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

"Patients, policymakers, and practitioners all agree that reliable, accurate, and consistent quality measures are essential elements in improving health care services. This report is a clear indication that the efforts hospitals continue to make to prevent and control infections are having a positive impact on patient care.

Additional research is called for and patients with moderate to severe periodontitis should receive evaluation and possible treatment to reduce their risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a special consensus paper by editors of The American Journal of Cardiology and Journal of Peridontology in the July 1, 2009 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier.

An unusual study at the Department of Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital examined for the first time whether the incision technique used in major abdominal surgery had an effect on the results. Neither physician nor patient knew what kind of incision had been made. The study of 200 patients showed that pain perception and the healing process were unrelated to the technique used to open the abdominal cavity.

Calixa Therapeutics Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of CXA-101 in patients with complicated urinary tract infections. CXA-101 is a new broad-spectrum, parenteral cephalosporin antibiotic with excellent in vitro and in vivo activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including drug resistant isolates. Calixa is investigating CXA-101 as a potential treatment for serious bacterial infections in hospitalized patients.

Otitis media, more commonly known as an ear infection, is the most frequently diagnosed illness in children less than 15 years of age in the United States and is the primary cause for emergency room visits. More than 80 percent of children will experience at least one ear infection before their third birthday. Much research has been dedicated to preventing this common childhood disease at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

With temperatures predicted to soar this week, the UK's longest established meningitis charity - the Meningitis Trust - is urging people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease, as cases are known to peak during hot summers. Viral meningitis is a disease that can cause life-changing after-effects and although it is very rarely life-threatening, it can take people a long time to recover.

A new computer model developed at MIT can help solve a problem that has plagued drug companies trying to develop promising new treatments made of antibodies: Such drugs have a relatively short shelf life because they tend to clump together, rendering them ineffective. Antibodies are the most rapidly growing class of human drugs, with the potential to treat cancer, arthritis and other chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Helicobacter pylori survives in the body by manipulating important immune system cells. This is shown in a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy. The discovery may lead to new treatments against the common peptic ulcer bacterium. About half of the world's population carries Helicobacter pylori, mainly in the stomach. Most infected individuals never experience any symptoms, but around 10% get peptic ulcers and around 1% develop stomach cancer.

Enigma Diagnostics Limited, the decentralised and point-of-care molecular diagnostics company, announced successful independent testing for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to evaluate the performance of the Enigma FL (Field Laboratory). BVD is considered to be one of the main threats to cattle (1), affecting the majority of herds in the UK.

A new scientific system developed by a St. Michael's Hospital physician, designed to rapidly evaluate the world's air traffic patterns, accurately predicted how the H1N1 virus would spread around the world, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. St. Michael's Hospital scientist and infectious disease physician Dr. Kamran Khan and colleagues analyzed the flight itineraries of the more than 2.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has found E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that can cause serious food borne illness) in a sample of prepackaged Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough currently under recall by the manufacturer and marketer, Nestlé USA. The contaminated sample was collected at Nestlé's facility in Danville, Va. on June 25, 2009. On June 19, the FDA and the U.S.