Latest Antibiotic resistance Stories

Scientists have shed new light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to treatment with antibiotics Scientists have shed new light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to treatment with antibiotics. Researchers have mapped the complex molecular structure of an enzyme found in many bacteria. These molecules – known as restriction enzymes – control the speed at which bacteria can acquire resistance to drugs and eventually become...

Land and marine iguanas and giant tortoises living close to human settlements or tourist sites in the Galápagos islands are more likely to harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria than those living in more remote or protected sites on the islands, researchers report in a new study. Feces collected at several different sites from free-living reptiles harbored Escherichia coli bacteria that were resistant to ampicillin, doxycycline, tetracycline, and trimethoprin/sulfamethoxazole. Another...

Antibiotics in pig feed increased the number of antibiotic resistant genes in gastrointestinal microbes in pigs, according to a study conducted by Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. Published in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the comprehensive study focused on understanding the effects of conventional, in-feed antibiotics in U.S. farms. For decades, many producers of pigs,...

BOSTON, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) today praised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for acting to limit certain extra label uses of cephalosporins in major animal species - cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys - where misuse and overuse are cause for great concern. Extra label use occurs when use of a drug does not comply with the approved labeling. Such use occurs when a drug is not used for indicated:...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday that it will begin restricting the use of some antibiotics in cows, pigs and poultry due to concerns that infections in humans may be growing resistant to treatment. The FDA's order applies to a common class of drugs known as cephalosporins, which are given to healthy animals as a cautionary measure for potential infections. The FDA will begin to ban the use of cephalosporin drugs in April for disease prevention in livestock....

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Food and Drug Administration did the right thing in limiting the use of cephalosporins in food animal production, and I urge them to keep moving forward so that we can save antibiotics and avert a public health crisis," said Stephen McDonnell, founder and CEO of Applegate, the leading producer of natural and organic meats and cheeses. "The American people support the FDA's action, and Applegate is committed to educating...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming today praised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for limiting the use of cephalosporins in food animal production. Cephalosporins are vital treatments for children suffering from infection; unlike other antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines, they carry no warnings or precautions for pediatric use. They also are important medicines for treating people...

Agency issues order prohibiting certain uses in food-producing animals SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued an order that prohibits certain uses of the cephalosporin class of antimicrobial drugs in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys effective April 5, 2012. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090824/FDALOGO) Antimicrobial drugs are important for treating disease in both humans and animals. This new order...

Embrace Health, Inc. announces the launch of its new Recovery Program for MRSA / Staph infections on 30 November 2011. Port Townsend, WA (PRWEB) December 21, 2011 Embrace Health, Inc. (a leader in Staph Infection and MRSA Treatment education online since 2008) announced a new educational program [launched worldwide on November 30, 2011] called the Recovery Program exclusively for sufferers of Staph Infections. This Staph Infection resource is a comprehensive collection of educational...

Scientists and clinicians are saying that there needs to be a review of penicillin dosing guidelines for children. Current guidelines for penicillin use in children have remained unchanged for nearly 50 years. A new study published in the British Medical Journal found that some children may not be receiving effective doses, which could potentially lead to failed treatment and contribute to antibiotic resistance. Oral penicillins account for about 4.5 million of the total 6 million...