Janet Bristier: Powtoons Reprocessing Presentation
Using cartoon videos to improve communications with staff about reprocessing medical devices From the PICNet 2016 Educational Conference [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="http://picnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/10_Janet-Bristier_Safehandling-2015.mp4"][/video] You can view details of the conference here....
New research finds how ‘superbugs’ build their defences
Scientists at the University of East Anglia are getting closer to solving the problem of antibiotic resistance. New research published today in the journal Nature reveals the mechanism by which drug-resistant bacterial cells maintain a defensive barrier. The findings pave the way for a new wave of drugs that kill superbugs by bringing down their defensive walls rather than attacking the bacteria itself. It means that in future, bacteria may not...
New species of tick-borne bacteria causes Lyme disease
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., have discovered a new species of tick-borne bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The new species, provisionally named Borrelia mayonii, after the clinic, has been found only in the upper Midwest but may be present elsewhere. Six patients with the infection were identified by the researchers. The patients had symptoms similar to, but not precisely the same as, those caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, until now...
Zika virus options: GMO mosquitos, pesticides, and bacterium Wolbachia
This in-depth article in Forbes.com explains various options for combatting Zika virus, and also debunks the recent media myth that GMO mosquitos have in any way contributed to the Zika outbreak. ...
Rare BC clay kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that a rare clay used as medicine by aboriginals in northern B.C. contains antibacterial properties that could be used to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The grey-green clay, known as Kisolite, has been used for centuries by the Heiltsuk First Nations to treat a range of ailments, including ulcerative colitis, arthritis, neuritis, phlebitis, skin irritation, and burns. Locals have also historically used the clay for...
Probiotics: Roadblocks to Research
From The Boston Globe: Probiotics are everywhere these days, in pills and powders marketed as super supplements. Probiotics are said to improve digestive and immune health. They’re touted as potential treatments for conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to eczema to tooth decay. Scientific evidence, however, does not necessarily support those claims. Studies in rodents and small groups of humans point to possible health benefits of consuming probiotics. But there have been...
Zika virus continues to spread
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported this week that a dozen cases of Zika virus have been confirmed in the United States, is expanding its advisory that pregnant women should avoid travel to countries currently seeing high rates of infection. The agency's initial list contained 14 countries, but the CDC on Friday added eight more -- in South America, the Caribbean and Polynesia -- as places where the reach of the...