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Clinical

  1. February 16, 2019

    Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids

    Chronic Wasting
    Disease (CWD), is a fatal prion infection affecting free-ranging and captive
    cervid herds. Cervids are hooved ruminant mammals that include deer, caribou,
    elk, and moose. 

    ...
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  2. September 11, 2018

    Antibiotic Resistance in Vietnam

    Antibiotic resistance is of widespread concern and is particularly critical in developing countries, like Vietnam, where there is a higher burden of infectious disease. In these countries, the cost of new and improved antibiotics can be insurmountable, leading to the use of outdated and ineffective antibiotics. Furthermore, self-diagnosis and self-treatment can lead to antibiotic resistance and an...
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  3. May 30, 2018

    The Financial Impact of Resistant Microorganisms

    antibiotic resitance around the globe
    From 2002 to 2014, the rate of antibiotic-resistant infections doubled from 5.2% to 11% while the overall rate of bacterial infections has remained relatively constant (13.5 million to 14.3 million). Treating an antibiotic-susceptible infection costs an average of $1,394, while an antibiotic-resistant infection costs an average of $3,698.
    There were approximately
    ...
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  4. May 11, 2018

    Parasites Taking a Toll on Unsuspecting Veterans

    Recently, cases of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and hepatic pain in the United States have been described among Vietnam War veterans. The cause is Clonorchis sinensis, one of the most prevalent parasites in the world which is still transmitted in many regions of Asia. It is also known as the liver fluke worm. The fluke worm, Opisthorchis viverrini is another potential source

    ...
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  5. April 27, 2018

    Bacteria in Unexpected Places: The Breast Microbiome

    In recent years, greater appreciation for microbes inhabiting human body sites has emerged. In the female mammary gland, milk has been shown to contain bacterial species, reaching the ducts from the skin. Researchers have also discovered a diverse population of bacteria within tissue collected from sites all around the breast in women ages 18 to 90, not all of whom had a history of lactation...

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  6. April 06, 2018

    67 Lives a Day; How Carrot Broth is Changing Public Health.

    While GBS screenings are the standard in the US and in Europe, there are still parts of the world where the 1 in 5 women globally who carry GBS may not receive screening or treatment. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded a study led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, involving more than 100 researchers who published a series of 11 research papers reporting on GBS occurances...

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  7. March 23, 2018

    Under the microscope with Kombucha

    Kombucha, an effervescent beverage originating in Asia, has received much attention lately in the neutraceutical and alternative health industries as being an anti-carcinogenic, fermented tea. It is believed to help regulate the gut microbiome, aid in metabolism and cell proliferation, increase detoxification, and help protect the liver.

    Kombucha originated in China over 2,000 years ago and...

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  8. March 16, 2018

    Could Alzheimer’s Disease be a Response to Infection?


    Recent research suggests that Alzheimer’s could be due to amyloid plaque forming around an infectious agent. 

    Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that affects more than three million people each year. There are limited treatment options and no cure. While it generally affects those over the age of 60, it has been diagnosed in peop
    ...
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  9. March 09, 2018

    A Not So Sweet Relationship? Trehalose and C. difficile

    Dietary sugar and Clostridium difficile are not usually two things you hear of in one sentence, but it was recently discovered that a sugar additive, trehalose, may encourage the virulence of Clostridium difficile.

    The supporting study titled “Dietary trehalose enhances virulence of epidemic Clostridium difficile” was very recently published in January 201...
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  10. March 02, 2018

    Which gut organisms can promote cancer?

    According to the American Cancer Society, “colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, excluding skin cancers” and is responsible for over 50,000 deaths annually.

    In a recent newspaper article published in New York Times, “Gut Microbes Combine to Cause Colon Cancer, Study Suggests” by Gina Kolata, researchers have found a
    ...
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  11. February 12, 2018

    A New Weapon Against Resistant Gram Negatives

    Antibiotic development has had its challenges recently; and while the concern of drug-resistant Gram-negative has been vastly described since the past couple of decades, there is a growing light at the end of the tunnel with the recent approval of the broad spectrum antimicrobials between 2015-17. Even more encouraging is the potential regulatory filing and approval of several antimicrobial candidates...

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  12. January 26, 2018

    Fluoroquinolone Resistance and Screening Methods


    Fluoroquinolones have been the staple of antimicrobial therapy since the launch of the flagship representative "Ciprofloxacin" by Bayer in the early 1980s.

    Fluoroquinolones have a fluorine atom attached to the core quinolone molecular ring and this modification results in a class of broad-spectrum bactericidal agents that show increased stability and potency against both Gram

    ...
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  13. January 12, 2018

    The Illness in our Pockets; Cellphones and the Spread of Disease.

    Think of your daily morning routine. You wake up, shower, get dressed, eat, gather your belongings, and make your way out the door to work or wherever the day takes you. Most everyone has a mental checklist of the items we can’t forget in order to function properly throughout the day. I can’t speak for everyone, but most of our lists  follow these general guidelines; “Phone, keys, wallet, beverage of cho...

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  14. December 15, 2017

    Legionnaires' Disease at Disneyland

    The Happiest Place on Earth just made news in November for all the wrong reasons. Disneyland recently shut down two contaminated cooling towers after health officials discovered the towers had elevated levels of Legionella bacteria.

    Eleven separate cases of Legionnaires’ disease have surfaced in the Anaheim area. The victims were infected sometime between late August and October. A...

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  15. December 08, 2017

    Hep A Strikes in San Diego

    On September 1, 2017, San Diego County officials declared a state of emergency due to a major outbreak of Hepatitis A in the region.  

    Since November 2016, 544 infections and 20 deaths have been reported. In comparison, for the last five years, San Diego County has recorded only 28 cases annually on average. Among the recent outbreak of reported cases, the majority have been homeless i...

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