Pneumonia is a leading cause of death and hospitalization, costing health care systems billions of dollars and an estimated 600,000 adult deaths worldwide each year. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and the term describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections. Although all age groups may be affected, the highest rate of pneumococcal disease occurs in young children and older adults. In addition, persons suffering from a wide range of chronic conditions (eg, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and immune deficiencies are at increased risk.
The research, published today (24 April) in Nature Microbiology, describes how the new tool, called TRAnsmision Clustering of Strains (TRACS), uses genomics to distinguish between closely related bacterial strains.
When many disease-causing bacteria come into contact with penicillin, they do not necessarily die immediately, but instead enter a brief survival mode known as antibiotic tolerance.
In a new study published in Cell, scientists in the Bork Group at EMBL Heidelberg reveal that microbes living in similar habitats are more alike than those simply inhabiting the same geographical region.
Australian researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognize a sugar found only on bacterial cells – an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections.
A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae-responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections-to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body.
A new scientific review has uncovered how complex microbial communities, including those in the human gut and the natural environment, act as powerful engines that drive the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
This innovative assay detects key fungal pathogens with 100% accuracy, addressing urgent diagnostic needs for infections affecting immunocompromised patients.
Researchers in Japan have successfully generated lung cells similar to alveolar epithelial type 2 (AT2) cells from mouse embryonic fibroblasts without using stem cell technology.
Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Imperial College London have created a novel method for identifying bacteria with remarkable speed, significantly reducing the waiting time from several days to just a few minutes.
Pathogen shown to break down plastic used in sutures, stents, wound dressings and implants – raising new questions over device safety and hospital infections.
Australian and Dutch researchers have uncovered a remarkable evolutionary adaptation in birds that could hold vital clues for combating avian flu and respiratory infections in humans, including pneumonia and COVID-19.
Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat that could supplant cancer mortality within a few decades. Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, found that the emergence of resistance can be explained by how bacteria develop defenses against virus infection.
An AI model trained on large amounts of genetic data can predict whether bacteria will become antibiotic-resistant.
Researchers from Spain conducted a study on sink drains across various wards in a contemporary university hospital that follows advanced cleaning protocols.
The most detailed study to date on the mechanisms by which a common type of bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, adapts to living on the human body could help improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of certain infections.
The group of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella, E.coli and others, is present at low levels as part of a healthy human gut microbiome.
Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently developed a novel lysosomal strategy for clearing viruses and their variants.
Most of the disease-causing bacteria secrete matrix-like layers around themselves called biofilms. These biofilms act as thick barriers limiting the entry of drugs and helping the bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
Scientists studying animal viruses with the potential to infect humans have discovered a critical protein that could facilitate the spread of a family of organisms known as arteriviruses.
There is an urgent need for more careful antibiotic management to protect older people living in residential aged care from the dangerous spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or 'superbugs', researchers from Flinders University and SAHMRI warn.
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