Blog
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March 17, 2025Posted: March 16, 2025Read MoreGlyphosate, a chemical used in many RoundUpĀ® herbicides, may be to blame for the rise in cases of celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Though the proponents of glyphosate have always maintained that it has no effect on human or animal cells, an ever-increasing amount of research suggests that the herbicide may suppress healthy gastrointestinal flora, including microbes needed to properly digest gluten...
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December 26, 2024Posted: December 25, 2024Read MoreIntroduction to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity.Ā¹ Ironically, humans are to blame; yet, in recent years, the increase of AMR strains in animals, specifically companion animals, has also risen.
Today, leading animal veterinarian organizations are calling on veterinarians, producers, breeders and pet owners...
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December 23, 2024Posted: December 22, 2024Read MoreSmall Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when excessive bacteria populate the small intestine, leading to digestive issues like bloating, diarrhea, and nutrient malabsorption. Our latest blog post delves into SIBO's causes, symptoms, and diagnostic methods, providing valuable insights for those seeking to understand this condition.
Learn more about SIBO and its impact on digestive health...
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December 20, 2024Posted: December 19, 2024Read MoreTwo hundred years ago, give or take the odd decade, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was an environmental bacterium,Ā¹ apparently not one, as far as medical records in the pre-microbiology days can be discerned, associated as a human pathogen.Ā²
Today, P. aeruginosa is associated with a high number of multidrug-resistant infections,Ā³ many of which are nosocomial. Those especially vulnerable to the bacterium are...
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December 09, 2024Posted: December 08, 2024Read MoreCleanrooms and the protection of product carry two risks from contamination: particle deposition and particle dispersion. Airborne particle contamination in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors is a major topic of concern due to the risk of introducing particles, as impurities into products, and due to the potential to transfer microorganisms. Air quality assessments are partly based on the amount...
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November 26, 2024Posted: November 25, 2024Read MoreThe cold and flu season is upon us.
Flu season tends to peak in the winter months, between December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you have not stocked up yet on necessary testing supplies for your laboratory, we are listing a few key items that you may want to grab now.
Seasonal influenza continues to pose a significant health risk and remains a focus...
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November 20, 2024Posted: November 19, 2024Read MoreIt's been one year since the revised United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <797> was implemented. Over the course of the year, we have received feedback that many teams have faced challenges with the increase in environmental monitoring requirements and frustration over how this has affected their facility. Many pharmacies contract with third-party vendors to conduct their air sampling and other environmental...
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October 28, 2024Posted: October 27, 2024Read MoreThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, approximately one in six Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.(1) One of the most serious pathogens associated with these illnesses isĀ Listeria monocytogenes.
This environmental pathogen can contaminate a variety of foods, survive and multiply at refrigeration...
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October 14, 2024Posted: October 13, 2024Read MoreRecent studies have shown that many tattoo inks contain dangerous chemicals and potentially infectious bacteria. Despite their cultural popularity and potential hazards, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the tattoo industry. The FDA considers tattoos and permanent makeup as cosmetics, so they do not regulate inks used for the purpose of injection into skin; they do not...
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October 11, 2024Posted: October 10, 2024Read MoreIn December of 2022, President Biden signed the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) into law, ushering in new regulations that significantly expanded the authority of the FDA over personal care companies. There have been years-long efforts to increase the FDA's oversight of the personal care and cosmetic industry, stemming from growing concerns regarding product safety. In 2018, there...
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October 08, 2024Posted: October 07, 2024Read MoreCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) refers to a group of bacteria within the Enterobacterales order that have developed resistance to carbapenem antibiotics. Carbapenems are a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics used as a last-resort treatment for serious infections caused by multi-drug-resistant bacteria.
Enterobacterales include pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae...,
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October 07, 2024Posted: October 06, 2024Read MoreDengue cases in the Americas surged threefold in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay are the most severely affected countries. PAHO officials warn that this outbreak has the potential to be the worst the Americas have faced to date.1
As of March, PAHO had confirmed over...
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September 16, 2024Posted: September 15, 2024Read MoreWhen performing Growth Promotion on new batches of media, one of three plating techniques can be used: Spread Plate, Pour Plate, or Membrane Filtration. Each method aids in enumeration of the cells in the inoculum, but each is different in technique. Below we offer our Top 5 Best Practices for each plating method to help you ensure proper growth promotion of your agar media.
Spread Plate Method Best...
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September 12, 2024Posted: September 11, 2024Comments: 1Read MoreGlobally, millions of individuals are affected by UTIs each year, of which, a portion of these cases may be caused by consuming ExPEC from food reservoirs. Additional studies are necessary to clarify the relationship between UTI risk and the presence of ExPECs in food reservoirs. It is important for researchers to identify the level of risk ExPECs pose to human health.
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September 09, 2024Posted: September 08, 2024Read MoreThe birthrate in the United States has hit a new record low, according to an analysis of 2023 birth certificate data published this past spring by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last yearās slowdown marks an end to the uptick in new babies that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 3,591,328 babies were born in the U.S. in 2023, down 2% from the 3,667,758 born in 2022...
