Foodborne Illness News

September 6, 2016

Ancient Feces: Diseases Carried On Silk Road

How Antibiotics May Enable Growth of Pathogens

Paradigm Shift in Multidrug Resistance

Stomach 'Bug?' Norovirus Spreads Easily by Air

Latest Headlines

updated 1:02am EDT

Bacteria in Smokeless Tobacco Products May Be a Health Concern

Aug. 26, 2016 — Several species of bacteria found in smokeless tobacco products have been associated with opportunistic infections, according to a new paper. An estimated 8 million people use smokeless tobacco ... read more

Solving a 48 Year Old Mystery: Scientists Grow Noroviruses in Human Intestinal Cell Cultures

Aug. 25, 2016 — For the first time, scientists have grown human noroviruses, the leading viral cause of acute diarrhea worldwide, in human intestinal cell cultures ... read more

New Types of African Salmonella Associated With Lethal Infection

Aug. 22, 2016 — The first global-scale genetic study of Salmonella Enteritidis bacteria, which is a major cause of blood poisoning and death in Africa and food poisoning in the Western World, has discovered that ... read more

How Norovirus Gets Inside Cells: New Clues

Aug. 18, 2016 — Researchers have identified the protein that norovirus uses to invade cells. Norovirus is the most common viral cause of diarrhea worldwide, but scientists still know little ... read more

Scientists Find a Salty Way to Kill MRSA

Aug. 16, 2016 — Scientists have discovered a new way to attack Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The team has revealed how the bacteria regulates its salt ... read more

Study of Brain Activity Shows That Food Commercials Influence Children's Food Choices

Aug. 12, 2016 — Food advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry, with approximately $1.8 billion annually aimed at children and adolescents, who view 1,000-2,000 ... read more

Parasite Proteins Prompt Immune System to Fight Off Ovarian Tumors in Mice

July 22, 2016 — Scientists identified the specific proteins secreted by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that cause the immune system in mice to attack established ovarian ... read more

Travelers Import Superbugs

July 19, 2016 — Many tourists returning from India were found colonized with multidrug-resistant 'superbugs'. Microbiologists also isolated a strain possessing a gene which can make these life-threatening bacteria ... read more

Battling Toxoplasmosis: International Team Describes Step-by-Step Progress

July 15, 2016 — Researchers from 14 leading institutions in the United States, United Kingdom and France suggest novel approaches that could hasten the development of better medications for people suffering from ... read more

Most Siblings of Food Allergic Kids Do Not Have Food Allergy

July 12, 2016 — The risk of food allergy in siblings of an affected child is only minimally higher than in the general population, new data suggests. The study found that the majority (53%) of siblings of food ... read more

Viruses Might Be More Likely To Get You Sick In The Morning

One New Discovery Could Treat 3 Neglected Diseases

Disease Crisis Looms Over IS-Held Falluja: WHO

Two-Hour Test Boosts HIV Care in Rural Africa

Gastrointestinal Illnesses Cost the Swiss Health Care Sector Up to EUR 45 Million Per Year

Aug. 12, 2016 — Acute diarrhea entails annual health care costs of EUR 29 to EUR 45 million in Switzerland. Thereof, around a quarter is due to infections of the diarrhea-causing pathogen Campylobacter, say ... read more

Colistin-Resistant Gene Detected in US for the Second Time

July 11, 2016 — For the second time, a clinical isolate of a bacterial pathogen has been detected in the US, which carries the colistin resistance gene, mcr-1. It may also be the first plasmid-mediated colistin ... read more

Researchers, Farmers Collaborate to Prevent E. Coli

July 6, 2016 — A collaborative study involving microbiologists, epidemiologists, animal scientists, veterinarians, graduate students, undergraduates and farmers could lead to better prevention practices to limit ... read more

Study Finds Sensing Mechanism in Food Poisoning Bug

July 5, 2016 — Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that a type of pathogenic bacteria found in shellfish use to sense when they are in the human gut, where they release toxins that cause food ... read more

Lab-Tested Diagnosis Needed When Treating Patients With Persistent Diarrhea

June 28, 2016 — Persistent diarrhea, which is diarrhea that lasts at least 14 days, is an illness typically caused by parasites or bacteria and requires accurate diagnosis in order to determine what treatment to ... read more

Salmonella in Meat Products Reduced by 90 Percent in New Research

June 23, 2016 — An old technology that uses natural bacteria predators, called bacteriophages, is the focus of new research. The technique is being used to reduce salmonella bacteria in meat ... read more

Treatment of Humans, Pigs May Reduce Endemic Tapeworm Infection

June 22, 2016 — The transmission of Taenia solium, a pork tapeworm species that infects humans and causes late-onset seizures and epilepsy, can be stopped on a population-wide level with mass treatments of both pigs ... read more

Tainted Frozen Vegetables Prompt Latest Ingredient-Driven Foodborne Illness Outbreak

June 21, 2016 — An ongoing incident of Listeria contamination linked to frozen vegetables is causing illnesses across state and national lines. At least 350 products use the vegetables, which are distributed to ... read more

Researchers Improve Biosensors to Detect E. Coli

June 14, 2016 — Researchers have developed a portable biosensor that makes it easier to detect harmful bacteria. The simple sensor is able to detect and amplify the signal of the food pathogen Escherichia coli (E. ... read more

Antibiotics Against Severe Salmonella Infections in Africa Increasingly Ineffective

June 14, 2016 — Salmonella infections in the bloodstream, caused by Salmonella enterica bacteria, are still the cause of many deaths in southern regions and Southeast Asia. Children between the age of two and five ... read more

Switched-on Salmonella: Fluid Forces Guide Disease Traits of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

June 8, 2016 — In new research, researchers explore the effects of physiological fluid shear on ST313 -- a particularly dangerous type of Salmonella, which is resistant to multiple antibiotics and currently ... read more

Plant-Based Sweeteners May Help Individuals Control Their Blood Glucose Levels

June 8, 2016 — A new study shows that it is possible to reduce the level of sugar in muffins without affecting their textural properties by replacing half of the sugar content with stevianna or inulin, which are ... read more

New Material Kills E. Coli Bacteria in 30 Seconds

June 6, 2016 — Researchers have developed a new material that can kill the E. coli bacteria within 30 ... read more

Children in Developing World Infected With Parasite -- Even Without Appearing Ill -- May Be More Prone to Stunted Growth

May 4, 2016 — Children infected even just once with a certain type of waterborne parasite are nearly three times as likely to suffer from moderate or severe stunted growth by the age of two than those who are not ... read more

Bacteria Use Traffic-Cop-Like Mechanism to Infect Gut

May 3, 2016 — A study has found that a cellular syringe-like device used to invade intestinal cells also acts as a traffic cop -- directing bacteria where to go and thereby enabling them to efficiently carry out ... read more

'Tropical' Parasitic Disease Emerges in Canadian Arctic

Apr. 28, 2016 — An outbreak of an intestinal parasite common in the tropics, known as Cryptosporidium, has been identified for the first time in the Arctic. The discovery was made in Nunavik, Quebec. The discovery ... read more

Answer to Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Could Already Be on the Market

Apr. 26, 2016 — The rise of antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens is an increasingly global threat to public health. In the United States alone, antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens kill thousands every year. ... read more

Soy Shows Promise as Natural Anti-Microbial Agent

Apr. 25, 2016 — Soy isoflavones and peptides may inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses, according to a new study. Soybean derivatives are already a mainstay in food products, such ... read more

Downwind Safety on the Farm

Apr. 13, 2016 — New field research measured how far common bacteria -- including Salmonella and E. coli -- are likely to travel downwind from manure application sites. Proper spacing can ensure food ... read more

New Assay Offers Improved Detection of Deadly Prion Diseases

Apr. 8, 2016 — Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are a family of rare progressive, neurodegenerative illnesses that affect both humans and animals. TSE surveillance is important ... read more

Friday, August 12, 2016