Tagged: Mycobacterium tuberculosis

My top 10 TB facts for World TB day - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 24, 2015 •

• ESR,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• Robert Koch,
• TB,
• tuberculosis,
• WHO,
• World TB Day

For World TB day, here are my top 10 TB facts. Read More

Will new antibiotic Teixobactin save us all? Umm, not quite. - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Jan 08, 2015 •

• antibiotic discovery,
• antibiotic resistance,
• antibiotics,
• bacteria,
• Gram-negative,
• Gram-positive,
• Klebsiella,
• MRSA,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• Nature,
• Pseudomonas,
• soil,
• Staphylococcus aureus,
• Superbugs,
• TB,
• Teixobactin

Researchers in Germany and the USA have just published a paper in the journal Nature describing a new antibiotic they have called Teixobactin (1). This study is good news; the World Health Organization warned last year that cancer chemotherapy and routine surgery will soon become life-threateningly risky because of the worldwide rise in antibiotic-resistant … Read More

Monday Micro – World TB Day - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 25, 2013 •

• Anton Villemin,
• Auckland University,
• consumption,
• fireflies,
• Gates Foundation,
• Global Fund,
• Luke Harris,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• Robert Koch,
• TB,
• tuberculosis,
• World TB Day

Yesterday, the 24th of March, was World TB Day which aims to build awareness for tuberculosis, a lung disease which kills about 2 million people around the world each year. That’s 3 people a minute. Why the 24th March? This was the day, in 1882, that Dr Robert Koch* announced he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, … Read More

Glow sushi! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 18, 2012 •

• Auckland University,
• David Tobin,
• Don Love,
• fluorescence,
• fluorescent proteins,
• GFP,
• GloFish,
• jellyfish,
• Lalita Ramakrishnan,
• Mycobacterium marinum,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• sushi,
• TB,
• tuberculosis,
• World TB Day,
• zebrafish

When I first heard of this (and thanks to the lovely Alan Huett for the heads up), I immediately thought it was due to the common bioluminescent bacteria often found on fish and which can show themselves if said fish is left too long before eating. It turns out to be sushi made using genetically modified fluorescent zebrafish … Read More

The return of sanatoria? - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 07, 2012 •

• antibiotic resistance,
• MDR-TB,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• sanatoria,
• TB,
• TDR-TB,
• tuberculosis,
• XDR-TB

In the pre-antibiotic era, the gold standard treatment for the lung disease tuberculosis (TB) was plenty of rest and fresh air. Facilities to house TB patients, known as sanatoria, sprang up in Europe and North America in the late 19th century, usually up mountains or in isolated forests. Although no controlled studies have established the effectiveness of any … Read More

Sniffer bees - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 26, 2011 •

• bees,
• Diagnosis,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• tuberculosis

Anyone entering New Zealand via the International arrivals terminal at Auckland may well have been welcomed by one of MAF Biosecurity’s sniffer dogs. These lovely animals are specially trained to search baggage, mail and cargo to locate undeclared or forgotten agricultural products. But one day you may be greeted by bees too. Honeybees can be trained to recognise particular … Read More