Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Contributed by Siddarth David & Dr. Tamhankar

A study published in the published in the Journal of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Society has shown rising rate of infections, particularly prevalent among children between under the age of 5. After analysing a nationwide data base of reports from microbiology laboratories from 1991-2011, the study showed the increase of prevalence of "extended-spectrum beta-lactamase" (ESBL) producing bacteria and resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was highest among children under 5 years.


This means treatment with last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems translating to longer hospital stays, higher health care costs, and increased mortality. The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, had called for stronger steps to counter ESBL-producing bacteria in 2013, given the significant threat they pose to public health in the US. The study also calls for more research into defining the risk factors for these infections in children, their prevalence in different settings, and their molecular epidemiology. 

Thursday, October 8, 2015

New Blood Test to potentially identify Antibiotic resistant infection in an Hour

Contributed by Siddarth David and Dr. Tamhankar

Given that identifying and treating blood infections that are antibiotic resistant takes up to three days, researchers Brigham Young University, Utah, USA are in the process of  developing a speedier blood test to detect such infections. 

Working on a fund from the National Institutes of Health, of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the researchers have developed an opto-fluidic microchip. The device is still in  design but will first filter out a sample's blood cells to isolate bacteria and DNA from the bacteria will be extracted, sequenced and scanned for matches with known sequences of drug-resistant strains. Potentially harmful bacteria DNA will get flagged with fluorescing molecules.

After perfecting and testing the technology it should be available in the next few years, this can significantly reduce the time for detecting antibiotic-resistant infections and mortality associated with it. 

Read The ``TRUE LIFE STORY``of a family infected with MRSA