Author: beckera2

What if I told you staphylococcus aureus, a gram positive bacteria, was living on your skin right now? This common bacteria is found on the nose or the skin of 25-30% of a healthy population at any given time. Although not usually harmful, this bacteria can cause infection by simply breaking through the skin or penetrating our mucous membranes. Staphylococcus aureus is the bacteria responsible for the dreaded years of the pimple pizza face; and although this bacteria shares a commensal relationship with us, we definitely were not friends in high school. Although infection from staphylococcus is generally mild, some forms of the infection can cause serious infection.

In recent decades, an antibiotic resistant form of staph has emerged. The name is MRSA and it has us begging for mercy. Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccous Aureus is so stubborn that it is resistant against an entire class of antibiotics known as beta-lactams which target the cell wall of the bacteria causing the cell to burst and die (sounds like a painful death).

Although this bacteria has acquired a resistance strong enough to fight even broad spectrum antibiotics, scientists have discovered an entirely new class of antibiotics within the soil samples that has been successful at combating MRSA. This compound called malacidin gives hope to the fight against antimicrobial resistance as the ability of bacteria to become immune to treatment is a great threat to humanity. The discovery of this antimicrobial in soil is very promising to scientists as technological advances allow for rapid recombination of DNA from various organisms found within the soil that are hard to grow within a petri dish. Soil is a great place to look for new antibiotics since in this environment bacteria compete with each other for nutrients and resources and use various techniques to kill their opponents.

Another source of antibacterial resistance stems from a gram negative enterobacteria. In comparison to gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria have an outer membrane that gives them extra protection against compounds such as antibiotics. Specifically, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), a family of gut bacteria that become resistant to carbapenem, an antibiotic that targets both gram negative and gram positive bacteria. Immunocompromised individuals are the most susceptible to infection by this category of bacteria, especially those patients who require ventilators in hospital settings. In an Indian hospital, a hypervirulent strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae was identified. This was the first report of this hypervirulent form of this infectious organism and poses a HUGE threat to public health.

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem all over the world. As antibiotics are misused, resistance continues to increase– a scary a idea to think that bacteria may outsmart its human counterpart. We must fight the resistance.

Who will win?

What is giardiasis?

Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia. Giardiasis spreads through eating or drinking contaminated food or water and person to person contact. Although this condition can be found all over the world, it is more common in developing countries that lack water quality control and sanitary conditions

What are the causes of giardiasis?

Although G. lamblia is found in human and animal feces, the most common way to contract giardiasis is to drink contaminated water which includes bodies of water such as lakes and even swimming pools. These parasites can also survive outside of a host for long periods of time, making them especially infectious when consumed accidentally or unknowingly. Although possible, contracting an infection from food that has been contaminated is less common because of heating; however, poor sanitation standards can contribute to the spread of the parasite.

Giardiasis can also be spread through personal contact including sexual acts such as anal sex or even changing a child’s diaper.

Treatment and prevention of giardiasis?

In most cases, giardiasis eventually clears up on its own; however, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics if prolonged infection occurs. Certain antibiotics are commonly used to treat giardiasis such as Tinidazole, Nitazoxanide and Paromomycin.

Although giardiasis cannot 100% be prevented, washing your hands lowers the risk of exposure. AVOID DRINKING UNTREATED WATER. Know where your traveling, and find out if the water is safe for consumption. Be cautious and practice safe sex.

What is an FMT and how is it being used for treatment?

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is an investigative treatment for those suffering from recurrent antibiotic-resistant C. difficile infection. During a fecal transplant, stool from a healthy donor is screened and transplanted into the colon of the patient. The stool sample can be administered through multiple routes including naso-enteric tube, capsules, and colonoscopy. The goal behind this treatment is to repopulate the patient’s healthy microbiome that inhibits the growth of C. difficile. Since the microbiome experienced dysbiosis during antibiotic treatment, the healthy gut community that normally competes with C. difficile, needs to be regrown. Without this bacteria, C. difficile is able to establish itself within the gut of patient causing abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, and fever.

Check out the latest updates on the proposal to get FMT approved by the FDA.

What diseases may be helped by manipulating the microbiota?

Researcher’s are also exploring the effects of FMT on other gastrointestinal diseases including Chron’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Although the exact cause of these diseases is unknown, deregulation of the immune response against healthy gut bacteria may contribute to the onset and perpetuation of certain gastrointestinal diseases. For example, in a study examining the role of gut bacteria in health and disease patients with Chron’s disease were found to have a low amount of F. prausnitzii, a bacteria which has known anti-inflammatory properties. An excessive amount of Desulfovibrio species was also found in those with ulcerative colitis. This species of bacteria can have pathogenic consequences due to its ability to generate sulfides. Other factors including genes and environmental factors play major roles in these diseases; however, studying the microbiome allows insight and hopeful relief for those suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

Oh, CRAAP

The CRAAP Test, developed by Sarah Blakeslee, of the University of California, is used to properly assess how reliable and accurate a resource is. Each component of the system offers insight on how to evaluate a resource by examining:

Currency: Consider the date of publication. Is the information and resource recent? Checking the currency is important in making sure that the information is the most present and up to date research or idea.

Relevance: Sources should be relevant to the topic being discussed. Although some links may not fully encompass all of the ideas that you want to present, making sure that they are related is important to keep your ideas focused.

Authority: Is the author an expert? Having a Ph. Din microbiology doesn’t mean that you are a rocket scientist.

Accuracy: Correctness is key.

Purpose: Always check for bias. Sources can be written for many reasons including for entertainment, education, or persuasion. Understanding the purpose allows you to analyze any potential underlying motives.

The articles chosen for this post were evaluated using the CRAAP guidelines. The link pertaining to the study was written by doctors and microbiologists and reported on the gut bacteria pertaining to gastrointestinal diseases. Their purpose was to explore the dysbiosis within the intestines of patients suffering from different diseases. The article was published within the last 5 years, although more recent studies could show updates to their findings. The link pertaining to the FMT policy was created by a nonprofit stool bank that looks to expand access to fecal transplants by conducting research on the human microbiome. Although one could argue for underlying bias, openBiome lists all of the studies that have been published and their sources. They continue to update their website as studies are published and any updates on the regulation of fecal transplant use.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton