Antibiotics in failing health - super bugs - honey, maggots, etc - various

[Guest guest]

Antibiotics in failing health

By Karen Augé

Denver Post Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 06/17/2007 12:08:15 AM MDT

 

The last time a new tuberculosis drug was developed, Richard Nixon was in

the White House and Dr. Michael Iseman was a young resident in a New York City

hospital. That drug, Rifampin, " was the biggest thing to hit TB in 30 years, "

said Iseman, now a doctor at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in

Denver. Since then, Iseman has become a recognized authority on TB and

Rifampin has remained the centerpiece of TB treatment. Now, however, a

growing number of tuberculosis strains are not fazed by the drug - as in the

highly publicized case of Andrew Speaker, who is being treated at National

Jewish. Tuberculosis isn't the only infection increasingly impervious to the

antibiotics in medicine's arsenal. In the past decade, federal agencies -

such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes

of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration - have warned that antibiotic

overuse has led to evolving drug-resistant bacteria.

At the same time, the agencies say, there is a dearth of research dollars for

new antibiotics - creating a looming medical crisis. " Infections that were

once easily curable with antibiotics are becoming difficult, even impossible, to

treat, " the Infectious Disease Society of America warned in its report " Bad

Bugs, No Drugs. " " The problem is dollars, not chemistry, " said Christopher

Spivey, a spokesman for the Boston-based Alliance for the Prudent Use of

Antibiotics. Antibiotics not as profitable Antibiotic development

requires huge investments of money, $400 million to $800 million, according to a

study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. To provide as much

income as drug companies get from the sale of one drug to a person who, for

example, takes a weight-loss pill daily, a company would have to sell

antibiotics to 200 to 500 people with an illness like pneumonia, Spivey said.

There are currently under development 50 drugs each for

obesity, pain and Type II diabetes, according to PhRMA, a group representing

the nation's leading drugmakers. There are just nine new drugs in the works

for tuberculosis and eight for malaria. For staph infections and drug-

resistant staph infections, PhRMA lists 23 drugs under development. This

isn't a new trend. FDA approval of new anti-bacterial drugs has dropped 56

percent in 20 years, according to a 2004 study by Brad Spellberg, a professor of

medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Work on new TB drugs

has languished in part because of the widespread, mistaken belief that the

disease was no longer a problem in this country, said Mel Spigelman, director of

research and development for the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development.

Iseman said that on the world market drugmakers are discouraged from developing

antibiotics. " There is a tendency - in global use - for knock-offs, " Iseman

said. " Companies simply choose not to honor

patent protections and it's done under the seemingly noble rubric of, 'we have

patients dying of - whatever disease - in our country and we can't afford your

drug, so we're going to make our own.' " In its report, the

infectious-disease society recommended incentives, such as tax breaks, for

antibiotic research and development. Difficult to draw attention

Still, drug companies don't get much public sympathy these days, which could

make it politically tough for members of Congress to grant those tax breaks,

Iseman said. Antibiotic development " won't get on the radar until there is a

really good killing plague, " Spivey said. In that respect, Speaker may have

unintentionally done a favor for TB drug research by drawing attention to the

disease, Spivey said. Since 2000, interest in TB has picked up, said the TB

Alliance's Spigelman. While only a handful of new TB drugs are in the

pipeline, even that is progress, Spigelman said. " In 2000, we

had zero, " he said. This year, the National Institutes of Health will

spend $158 million on TB- drug research. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

has pledged $900 million over the next decade. Four drug companies - Bayer,

Novartis, AstraZeneca International and GlaxoSmithKline - now have units working

on infectious diseases, including TB. Bacteria, however, reproduce every 10

minutes or so, while it takes humans about 20 years to develop means to battle

new strains, Iseman said. " They have the ability to adapt to our drugs, " he

said. " So if you're in Vegas, you bet on the bugs. " Staff writer Karen Augé

can be reached at 303-954-1733 or kauge.

 

A history of antibiotics and drug resistance 1920s-'50s: Scientists

harness the power of living organisms to fight bacteria, ushering in the era of

antibiotics. 1928: Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, above,

accidentally discovers that a mold juice he names penicillin can kill

staphylococcus bacteria. 1940: Oxford University pathologist Howard Florey

isolates pure penicillin and demonstrates how it can cure a wide range of

pathogens, including strep infections, gonorrhea and syphilis. 1943:

Penicillin becomes the first antibiotic to be put in widespread use. 1944:

Russian-born microbiologist Selman Waksman, working in the United States with

soil microbiologist Albert Schatz, discovers streptomycin, a powerful antibiotic

that proves effective against tuberculosis. 1958: American molecular

geneticist Joshua Lederberg wins the Nobel Prize in medicine for demonstrating

the way bacteria interact and exchange genetic material - a key

concept behind drug resistance. 1967: The first penicillin-resistant

pneumonococcal bacteria are reported in Papua New Guinea. 1968:

Drug-resistant Shigella diarrhea kills 12,500 people in Guatemala. 1970-72:

Penicillin-resistant gonorrhea spreads around the world, transmitted in part by

U.S. servicemen, who contract the disease from prostitutes in Southeast Asia.

1976: Several weeks after attending an American Legion convention in

Philadelphia, 34 people die from a mysterious form of pneumonia that thwarts

available treatments and comes to be known as Legionnaires' disease.

1980s-'90s: The public-health effects of drug-resistant bacteria become clear,

prompting new concerns about infectious diseases. 1986: The U.S. Food and

Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the

Department of Agriculture establish a national anti- microbial-resistance

monitoring system to track food-borne microbes. 1988-95: Studies

in Finland, the Netherlands and other European countries find increased drug

resistance in farm animals. Many of the livestock are fed antibiotics as

growth-promoters. 1990: Puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, dies

of toxic-shock syndrome induced by an aggressive strain of streptococcus that

acts too quickly for antibiotics to work. 1992: An influx of immigrants

sparks a tuberculosis epidemic in New York and other cities, forcing local

officials to remobilize dormant TB prevention efforts. The federal government is

spending just $55,000 a year monitoring drug resistance. 1995: A form of

staph infection that is resistant to methicillin results in almost a

half-billion dollars in direct medical costs and claims 1,409 lives in New York

City hospitals. 1996: Japanese bacterial geneticists detect the world's

first staph infection capable of resisting the powerful antibiotic vancomycin.

1997: Health officials report the percentage of

antibiotic-resistant cases has surged from 2 percent in 1991 to 43 percent in

1997. 1998: The Institute of Medicine contends that overuse of antibiotics

has brought about widespread drug resistance, estimating that as many as half of

the prescriptions for the drugs given each year to outpatients are unnecessary.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spends more than $11 million

a year monitoring drug resistance. 2000: The Food and Drug Administration

approves one of the newest major new antibiotics, Bayer's ciprofloxacin

hydrochloride, known as Cipro. Cipro makes news the following year as a

treatment for a spate of unsolved anthrax poisonings. Source: CQ Researcher

online; compiled by Denver Post librarian BarryOsborne

http://test.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_6160047

 

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Q & A: Killer bugs

 

David Batty explains the dangers of MRSA and Clostridium difficile

 

Monday June 18, 2007

SocietyGuardian.co.uk

 

What is MRSA?

MRSA is the most prevalent type of hospital-acquired infection in England, which

strikes around 100,000 people each year and costs the NHS £1bn, accounting for

44% of cases. MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus

aureus, is one of a family of staphylococcal bacteria. First identified in the

1960s, it is resistant to conventional antibiotics, including penicillin and

methicillin. Experts so far have uncovered 17 strains of MRSA with differing

degrees of drug resistance. US scientists have detected a strain called VRSA,

which is resistant to vancomycin - the drug used to treat MRSA when all others

have failed.

 

How dangerous is MRSA?

It is estimated that between 20% and 40% of people in the UK carry MRSA, mostly

in the nose or on the skin. So-called community-acquired MRSA (C-MRSA) usually

is relatively harmless for the general population, although it can cause boils

or other minor infections. However, patients in hospital tend to be older,

sicker and weaker than the general population, making them more vulnerable to

the bacteria. MRSA can cause significant infections in deep wounds, on medical

devices such as artificial hip joints or heart valves, or if it gets into the

bloodstream via intravenous catheters, particularly in severely ill patients

such as those undergoing chemotherapy. Bloodstream MRSA infections can lead to

kidney, liver and heart failure. What about the new killer MRSA?

A rare mutation of C-MRSA produces the lethal toxin Panton-Valentine Leukocidin

(PVL), which killed the 18-year-old Royal Marine Richard Campbell-Smith in

November 2004. PVL destroys white blood cells, leaving the immune system too

weak to fight the infection. Signs of infection include pneumonia, very high

temperatures and coughing up blood. Only a quarter of victims survive PVL if it

spreads to the lungs. It was thought the disease had been eradicated in the

1950s, but a microbiologist who gave evidence at Mr Campbell-Smith's inquest

said she had seen two cases of PVL in nine weeks. The Health Protection Agency,

which tackles infectious diseases, has revealed that two people - a patient and

a healthcare worker - died in a West Midlands hospital in September 2006 after

contracting PVL. What about Clostridium difficile?

A virulent new strain of bacteria, Clostridium difficile (C diff), is linked to

three times as many deaths as MRSA. Unlike MRSA, C diff is not resistant to

antibiotics and not officially recognised as a superbug by the Department of

Health (DoH). It is a common bacteria carried harmlessly in the gut of half of

all children aged under two and many adults. But it causes diarrhoea, which can

be life-threatening in elderly patients. The bacterium was recorded as the

underlying cause of death in 2,074 patients in England and Wales in 2005,

according to an ONS study published earlier this year. It was mentioned as a

contributing factor in the deaths of 3,807 people in 2005 - a 69% rise on the

previous year when the bacterium was mentioned on 2,247 death certificates.

The increase in cases is blamed on the use of antibiotics, which kill off other

bacteria in the gut that would have ensured C diff did not become toxic. Another

problem is that C diff is not killed off by

measures used to combat other hospital-acquired infections. It produces hardy

spores which are not destroyed by the alcohol wipes now used by doctors and

nurses to prevent the spread of most bacteria. Surfaces must be cleaned with

bleach and hands should be thoroughly washed with soap and water. How

prevalent is MRSA in hospitals?

MRSA has reached epidemic levels in UK hospitals. Cases of MRSA in England and

Wales have increased by 600% in the last decade, and rose by 3.6% to 7,647 in

2003-04 alone, according to government figures. The public spending watchdog,

the National Audit Office (NAO), has estimated that deaths from

hospital-acquired infections including MRSA are as high as 5,000 a year.

Last year the Conservative party estimated that around 96,000 hospital patients

in England were carrying MRSA in 2004. This is 13 times greater than the DoH

figures for the same year, which only cover cases where MRSA is detected in

patients' blood. Records from 63 of England's 175 hospital trusts obtained under

the Freedom of Information Act revealed that 34,432 inpatients were found to be

carrying the superbug in 2004. This equates to an average of 547 cases per trust

and a national total of nearly 96,000. What do the latest figures show?

In England, cases of MRSA dipped slightly in 2005, from 7,233 to 7,087,

according to the Office for National Statistics. But the drop falls far short of

a government target to halve the number by 2008. The number of deaths related to

MRSA increased by almost a quarter over 2003-04. MRSA now is six times more

likely to be a factor in the deaths of people in NHS hospitals than anywhere

else. A total of 1,168 people had MRSA recorded on their death certificate as a

principal cause of death or a contributory factor in 2004, a rise of 213 from

the previous year. Why have rates of healthcare-acquired infections soared?

Patients groups and healthcare professionals blame falling standards of hygiene

for the rising rates of C diff and MRSA. The latest cleanliness survey of

England's 394 NHS trusts by the Healthcare Commission found that a quarter

failed to comply with hygiene regulations. The commission said 14% of trusts

were unable to sign a declaration that they " keep patients, staff and visitors

safe with systems to ensure risk of healthcare-acquired infection to patients is

reduced " - a failure rate almost double that in the previous year's survey.

Public services union Unison blames this situation on the decline in hospital

cleaning staff. Since the 1980s, when the NHS started to contract out cleaning

to the private sector, the number of cleaners has almost halved - from 100,000

to 55,000 in 2003-04. Doctors and nurses also have been accused of failing to

always wash their hands between treating patients. The Patients Association

believes that large NHS deficits have led some

hospitals to cut their cleaning contracts, further increasing the risk of

infection. The overuse of antibiotics is also blamed for the rising rates

of MRSA. Over-reliance on the drugs has helped to speed up the ability of germs

to mutate for self-preservation. Many people ignore their doctor's advice to

finish an entire course of antibiotics. This means that not all of the bugs are

killed off and the ones that survive are most likely to be drug-resistant.

What is the government doing to tackle MRSA?

Surveillance of MRSA and C diff is now mandatory for hospitals. The Health Act

(2006) introduced a statutory hygiene code for hospital and care homes in

England, which is enforced by the Healthcare Commission. What do the

experts say?

The microbiologist Mark Enright, of Imperial College, London, warns that

government initiatives such as more frequent handwashing by doctors and nurses

are insufficient to control the rise of MRSA. This is because more than 95% of

UK patients who contract hospital superbugs are infected with the two most

virulent types of MRSA, uncommon in other countries. He says rates of infection

would only fall significantly by screening all patients and isolating those with

strains 15 and 16 of MRSA.

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

18.06.2007: Quarter of NHS trusts miss targets for superbug

04.06.2007: Health watchdog plans superbug spot checks

27.04.2007: Hospitals to target C difficile bug

06.04.2007: Call to screen all prospective hospital patients for superbug

13.03.2007: Hospital tests new weapon in MRSA fight

23.02.2007: Deaths caused by two superbugs soar

 

http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2105843,00.html

 

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Drug resistant bugs prevalent outside hospital setting as well

Posted : Tue, 29 May 2007 10:04:01GMT Author : Jack Myers

A report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine warned that

drug-resisted bacteria are infecting people outside hospitals in community

settings such as prisons and public housing.

 

Researchers from a Chicago hospital revealed that the number of cases of

drug-resistant staph infections has increased by seven times, from 24 cases per

100,000 to 164 cases per 100,000 in the period between 2000 to 2005.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are often

associated with hospitals and are termed as " super bugs " .

 

Such types of bacteria are resistant to standard antibiotic treatments.

According to the report, a community-associated form of bacteria, known as

CA-MRSA was discovered in 1998. CS-MRSA was prominent in community areas such as

jails and public housing projects.

 

Some of the other risk factors include intravenous drug use, living in

overcrowded housing, playing certain sports, tattooing and poor hygiene. Lead

researcher Bala Hota of Chicago's Rush University Medical Center, said that

future infections can be prevented by understanding the factors associated with

the infection.

 

" An understanding of factors promoting acquisition and emergence of CA-MRSA may

aid in the development of prevention strategies,” Hota said.

 

According to figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, over 90,000 people die each year in the US due to MRSA infections.

Doctors attribute the rise in infection to indiscriminate prescribing of

antibiotics.

2007 Respective Author

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/67188.html

 

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Need for new drugs to tackle 'superbugs' 7th June 2007

By PBR Staff Writer

Antibacterials used to treat hospital-acquired infections, mostly targeting

gram-positive organisms such as MRSA, generate revenues of approximately $1.5

billion annually in the US alone. Although MRSA has grabbed the headlines, more

worrying is the emergence of MDR gram-negative organisms, resistant to almost

all currently available drugs - highlighting a crucial unmet need in the market.

'Content Nosocomial infections are infections acquired by patients in the

hospital setting. Across the US and Europe it is thought approximately five to

10% of hospitalized patients develop a nosocomial infection during their stay,

and these infections often result in significant morbidity and mortality.

Datamonitor estimates that up to 3.7 million patients develop nosocomial

infections in an average year in the US alone.

 

Bacterial pathogens are the most common cause of nosocomial infections,

contributing significantly to the hospital antibacterial market's sales of $6.7

billion in 2005. Among the 21 different classes of antibacterial drugs, the

classes that have clearly dominated in terms of both sales and volume use

include parenteral cephalosporins and parenteral broad-spectrum penicillins,

accounting for 21% and 15% of total sales in 2005, respectively.

 

Rise in multi-drug resistant bacterial strains

 

Overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics, improved survival of critically ill

patients, the rising population of immuno-compromised patients and the rise in

use of indwelling medical devices have all contributed to the emergence of

difficult to treat strains such as methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus

(MRSA) and vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE). In 2004 the National

Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system found that MRSA strains accounted for

almost 63% of all S. aureus infections in ICUs in the US. Increases in MRSA

rates have also been reported in Europe, with the highest rates - 44% - being

observed in the UK.

 

At the same time, Enterococcal infections have also become increasingly

difficult to treat. In addition to their intrinsic resistance to beta-lactam

antibiotics, the prevalence of VRE and aminoglycoside resistant E. faecalis

strains has also been on the increase. Furthermore, these organisms are becoming

increasingly resistant to most of the available antimicrobial agents, as

illustrated by the recent emergence of vancomycin-intermediate/resistant strains

of S. aureus. Clostridium difficile has also emerged as an important nosocomial

pathogen. New, more virulent strains, such as BI/NAP1, which affects mainly

Canada and the US, and a similar strain known as O27, observed in the UK, are

spreading faster and have a higher mortality rate than the previously known

strains.

 

While gram-positive organisms account for the majority of hospital acquired

infections, there has been a significant increase in multi-drug resistant

gram-negative bacteria such as extended-spectrum beta lactamase producing

Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Worryingly, some strains of

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii have become resistant to all

currently available antimicrobials. Since gram-negative organisms exhibit

intrinsic resistance to several antibiotics, additionally acquired resistances

leave very few options for treatment.

 

For patients who have acquired a nosocomial infection, empirical treatment is

initiated depending on the site of infection and the suspected organism.

Vancomycin in combination with agents to cover for potential gram-negative

organisms is the preferred choice of therapy, since gram-positive organisms such

as S. aureus and in particular MRSA account for the majority of surgical site

infections, blood stream infections and hospital acquired pneumonia. On the

other hand, urinary tract infections, which are predominantly caused by gram

negative organisms such as E. coli, are usually treated with monotherapy.

Datamonitor estimates that the annual antibiotic spend for nosocomial infections

in the US ranges from $550 million for urinary tract infections, to $250 million

for bloodstream infections.

 

Lack of effective products

 

Due to the rising rates of multi-drug resistant gram positive bacterial

infections, the majority of newly introduced products and products in late stage

development target bacteria such as MRSA. Among the antibacterials introduced

since 2000 targeting such pathogens, linezolid (Zyvox) has been the most

successful, owing to its parenteral and oral formulations.

 

However, the MRSA market is likely to become increasingly crowded with drugs

such as daptomycin, launched in 2003, tigecycline, launched in 2005, as well as

dalbavancin and telavancin, both expected in 2007, intensifying the competition.

Tigecycline has generated much enthusiasm due to its ability to target both

gram-positive and gram-negative organisms; its disadvantage being the lack of

coverage for pseudomonas infections.

 

Although these new agents targeting gram-positive organisms have been welcomed

by the infectious disease community, there is a significant opportunity for new

antibacterials which can treat multi-drug resistant gram-negative organisms - a

crucial unmet need for the hospital market. Among pharma companies active in the

market for systemic antibiotics, Johnson & Johnson appears to be the first to

have spotted this gap. It looks best positioned here with two in-licensed

compounds, doripenem from Shionogi and ceftobiprole from Basilea, both of which

have already been filed for approval with the FDA. 'End Intelliext

http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_feature.asp?guid=82EEDB4A-\

0D95-4A73-91CF-91D55664DA83

 

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Food 'may be spreading superbugs' Last Modified: 27 May 2007

Source: PA News

 

 

 

Harmless bacteria in everyday foods could be helping to create superbugs by

sowing the seeds of drug resistance, say scientists.

 

Research has shown that many kinds of food carry bacteria-bearing genes that

make microbes immune to antibiotics.

 

Although these bacteria are harmless, or even beneficial, they can hand the

genes over to other bugs which are not.

 

Bacteria in close proximity to each other commonly swap genetic information -

a process known as horizontal gene transfer.

 

In hospitals, horizontal gene transfer is already recognised as an important

way of spreading antibiotic resistance.

 

US scientists led by Dr Hua Wang, from Ohio State University, tested a variety

of ready-to-eat food samples, including seafood, meats, dairy products,

delicatessen items and fresh produce.

 

The samples were bought from several US grocery chain stores. With the

exception of processed cheese and yoghurt, all contained antibiotic-resistance

gene-carrying bacteria.

" Despite the fact that this study only screened for a limited number of

resistance markers, it illustrated the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant

commensals (harmless bacteria) and antibiotic-resistance genes in retail foods, "

said Dr Wang, who spoke about the findings at the annual meeting of the American

Society for Microbiology in Toronto, Canada.

 

" The data indicate that food could be an important avenue for

antibiotic-resistant bacterial evolution and dissemination. "

 

The meeting heard that the problem was not confined to food.

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/food+may+be+spreading+super\

bugs/533442

 

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Could honey beat MRSA?

Carmel Thomason

18/ 6/2007

 

 

WONDER STUFF? Manuka UMF honey, from New Zealand, is being used to cut the risk

of MRSA infection in throat cancer patients at The Christie Hospital in

Manchester

 

MRSA is still a serious threat for many UK hospitals. It is not because the

superbug is any more infectious than many other type of bacteria, but rather its

growing resistance to antibiotics makes it so difficult to control.

 

A New Zealand professor, however, believes he may have found an answer to the

current crisis.

 

For the past 25 years, Prof Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit of

the University of Waikato, has been studying the antibacterial properties of

manuka honey, made by bees that collect pollen from the manuka bush. The

medicinal properties of honey have been well-known for thousands of years.

Ancient Greek and Egyptian societies used it to help heal burns and sores.

 

Even up until the First World War, its antibacterial properties were being used

for treating wounds. Later, widespread use of penicillin and other antibiotics

to treat infection, saw honey relegated to the kitchen cupboard. However, that

could all change.

 

" All honey has some degree of antibacterial activity, " Prof Molan explains. " In

many honeys, the activity is due to hydrogen peroxide, a well-known antiseptic,

which is made in the honey by an enzyme that the bees add. " However, in manuka

honey I found an antibacterial activity that other honey doesn't have -

something that comes from the plant's nectar, which is different. "

 

This unique activity (the Unique Manuka Factor - UMF) has many applications for

human well-being, including wound care.

Dressing

 

Professor Molan recently researched an MRSA outbreak in a New Zealand's largest

hospital, in which all victims were treated with manuka honey ApiNate Dressing

(manuka honey which is impregnated into a calcium alginate fibre dressing). The

results were astonishing.

 

" A couple of years ago, Waikato hospital took up my suggestion to use Manuka

honey to try to prevent MRSA infections, " he says.

 

" In one of the wards, where they had a long-history of problems with MRSA, the

charge nurse tried putting honey dressings on all patients with wounds when they

had an MRSA outbreak. As well as clearing up the wounds which were already

infected, there were no cases of cross infections.

 

" Now, whenever they get a patient with MRSA, rather than putting them in

isolation they just put honey dressings on everybody with open wounds and

they've never had a case of cross infection since.

 

" We've since tested manuka honey against MRSA and other superbugs, and they are

all very sensitive to it. "

 

There are now wound dressings made purely with manuka honey and sterilised to

hospital standards, which are available as registered medical products on the

NHS drug tariff.

 

" They are being used but I don't think people have really caught on to the idea

that it can be the answer to the MRSA problem.

 

" People don't realise just how much evidence there is and the reason why honey

works - it's not just an antibacterial activity - there are other beneficial

healing elements, so even if a wound isn't infected it's still the best thing to

use to get the most rapid healing without scarring. "

 

Christie Hospital, in Manchester, is currently trialling manuka honey to see if

it can reduce the risk of MRSA in mouth and throat cancer patients.

 

Survival rates for mouth and throat cancer patients have improved over the last

15 years, thanks to more effective combination of surgery, chemotherapy and

radiotherapy.

 

Unfortunately, one side-effect is mucositis, an inflammation and infection of

the lining of the mouth and throat.

 

The year-long study, due to finish in two months, is looking at whether manuka

honey can reduce this inflammation and prevent infection.

 

So far, 60 Christie patients have taken part in the research and, if the results

are positive, doctors hope to undertake further trials with larger numbers of

patients.

 

Meanwhile, after demonstrating its effectiveness, Prof Molan is continuing

research to determine the exact science behind manuka honey's anti-inflammatory

properties, why it is so effective in cleaning up wounds and how it stimulates

the white blood cells to speed up the healing process.

 

url

 

Manuka honey: What to look for

18/ 6/2007

 

 

IN addition to its use in hospitals, manuka honey can also be used in the

home, both in its pure form to aid digestion and for first aid as ointments and

dressings.

 

But Prof Molan says to take care when buying products that they contain the

unique manuka factor of UMF. " You need to make sure that it says UMF, or

non-peroxide activity, " he says. The UMF trademark is an attempt to prevent

customers being mislead by companies who imply their ordinary manuka honey,

which has the same properties as ordinary honey, is as beneficial as Active UMF

Manuka honey.

 

" One easy way to tell the difference is that genuine UMF Manuka honey is usually

sold in a plastic, rather than a glass jar, as the honey has to be packed and

labelled in New Zealand, " he adds. " Companies that sell genuine UMF honey are

registered and have a license to use the trademark. "

Symptoms

 

Prof Molan believes that taking a teaspoonful of manuka honey half an hour

before meals could help to relieve uncomfortable digestive symptoms, including,

indigestion, gastric reflux and diarrhoea, as well as more severe conditions

such as gastritis and stomach ulcers.

 

In a clinical trial, the honey was shown to shorten the duration of diarrhoea

caused by bacterial infection. Studies have also shown that bacteria,

Helicobacter pylori, a common cause of stomach ulcers, can also be inhibited by

the antibacterial activity of manuka honey.

 

The honey comes in different active strengths. Brand Comvita suggests: active 5+

can be taken to maintain well-being and improve general digestive health, 10+ is

recommended for the relief of non-specific upsets of the digestive system such

as indigestion and stomach upset; 15+ is suitable for the relief of more

pronounced disturbances of the digestive system, such as gastric reflux,

persistent indigestion, vomiting and diarrhoea, 20+ active manuka honey is

recommended for strong, fast-acting antibacterial and healing action of

gastritis and stomach ulcers.

 

Comvita also produce an ointment, Comvita Manukacare 18+, for use on cuts,

grazes, burns, ulcers, boils and abscesses. For details, visit comvita.co.uk

url

 

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Superbug Antibiotic Defence Uncovered

 

Researcher Albert Berghuis has found out one of the ways in which the

Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, a multi-drug resistant 'superbug,' is able to

fight off one of the latest drugs of last resort used to treat it.

 

Dr. Berghuis' research team in McGill's Departments of Biochemistry and

Microbiology & Immunology observed a mechanism by which Staphylococcus aureus

(SA) can resist the antibiotic Synercid, by attacking one of the drug's

ingredients with an enzyme, Virginiamycin B lyase (Vgb). The findings appear in

the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences (PNAS).

 

" Specifically, we determined the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme and

visualized how it interacts with Synercid, " said Dr. Berghuis, Canada Research

Chair in Structural Biology. " This reveals for the first time how Staph aureus

can detoxify quinupristin, one of the component drugs of Synercid. More

important, though, is that it also suggests how we can optimize Synercid in such

a way that it will remain active in resistant bacteria that possess Vgb. "

 

The researchers chose to use Synercid in their study because the drug, which

received accelerated approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 1999, was

specifically designed to treat infections caused by superbugs.

 

Dr. Berghuis, whose lab conducted the study in collaboration with colleagues at

McMaster University, said the team will now focus on developing a compound to

replace quinupristin in Synercid. They will also continue examining other drugs

to see if a similar modification can help counteract drug resistance – at least

in the short term.

 

" There is a small selection of drugs that still work against superbugs, and

Synercid is one of the newest, but bacteria are very resourceful, " said Dr.

Berghuis. " What we observed is only one trick they use to develop resistance,

but if we keep on winning these battles, I think we can stay ahead. "

http://www.emaxhealth.com/24/12923.html

 

--

 

How to get rid of Skid Row staph

 

This homemade solution will destroy Skid Row staph on surfaces: Mix 1/3

hydrogen peroxide (the 3% kind you buy at the pharmacy) 2/3 clear water. Shake.

Add a bit of dry laundry detergent. Shake again. You must use rubber gloves when

applying. Put some of the solution on a surface. Allow to stand a minute or two.

Clean off with clear water.

 

The commercial " antibacterial " cleaners used by most hospitals are not

alkaline enough to kill these new superbugs. Staph bacteria can actually live in

most commercial solutions. So make your own. It is much cheaper, and it WORKS.

I have two strains of MRSA staph. Both acquired from a hospital. I have become

an expert, unfortunately. If you would like to know how I get rid of staph

swellings and boils using all natural things such as foods which do not cause

these bacteria to rage out of control, etc. please write to me.

 

When I got the second strain, I wanted to die, my face was full of horrible red

painful swellings and huge boils were forming. Over many months of trial and

error, I learned the very hard way which foods to avoid, how to bathe and

disinfect clothing.

 

If you saw me today, you would never believe I have MRSA, but I do. My skin is

clear and my energy has returned. Is this a cure? NO. Is it a quick fix? NO. Can

you do what I do to minimize staph symptoms? YES. You must, of course, always

follow your doctor's orders, but you can learn which foods to avoid, which

product to use for bathing. The things I use are CHEAP and available everywhere.

Write to me, I know all about this stuff you call Skid Row cooties, staph, MRSA.

My email is johnmillerz2003

 

Note: EDITOR'S NOTE: LA Voice does not dispense medical advice and the opinions

expressed are solely those of the individual author of each post...

 

 

 

Posted by: johnmrsa on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 07:48 AM

http://www.lavoice.org/index.php?name=News & file=article & sid=2827

 

 

3rd UPDATE: Basilea Superbug Filed For European Approval

June 18, 2007: 06:39 AM EST

 

(This updates an item published at 0921 GMT with background and share price.)

By

Katharina Bart

 

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

ZURICH -(Dow Jones)- Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (BSLN.EB) said Monday its

superbug antibiotic has been submitted for European approval, prompting a

milestone payment of 12 million Swiss Francs ($9.8 million) to the company from

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), its development partner for the drug.

Basilea said the anti-infective treatment ceftobiprole was submitted to the

European Medicines Agency by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, with whom

Basilea will sell the treatment in the U.S. and major European countries.

" Today's marketing authorization application submission as well as the recent

new drug application filing in the USA reflect our view that ceftobiprole could

play an important role globally in the future management of important medical

problems posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, " Basilea's Chief

Executive

Anthony Man

said in a statement.

Basilea shares, which have gained 28% thus far this year, aided by favorable

data on ceftobiprole earlier this year, rose in early trading, then edged lower.

At 1001 GMT, the shares were down CHF0.75, or 0.3%, at CHF271.25, giving the

company a market capitalization of roughly $2 billion.

Analysts lauded the filing as positive, though unexpected and unusual. Drugs

with several treatment indications in one therapeutic area are typically filed

collectively in Europe, unlike the individual procedure usually followed in the

U.S., says Olav Zilian, analyst with independent brokerage Helvea in Geneva.

" Johnson & Johnson must see considerable commercial value in the drug that

makes them want to press ahead without losing any time, " Zilian said. He rates

Basilea shares a buy with a CHF406 target.

Ceftobiprole is currently in Phase-III testing to treat patients who develop

pneumonia while in hospital, as well as community-acquired pneumonia, for which

Basilea expects results in the latter half of 2007.

Zilian said Johnson & Johnson may be banking on the fact that doctors

sometimes use drugs off-label.

" When doctors see a drug works, you would expect to see off-label use; if it

works for one bug, it should work in another organ, even without formal proof

yet, " Zilian said.

The filing follows favorable study date from January, where the treatment was

shown to be effective against complicated skin infections.

In January, Basilea said ceftobiprole demonstrated high cure rates in a range

of patients, including those with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,

or MRSA, and diabetics with foot infections.

One factor behind the spread of MRSA and other so-called superbugs is that no

significant new antibiotics with novel mechanisms have been discovered for more

than 20 years, allowing resistance to the current therapies to spread.

For the past two decades, big pharmaceutical companies have been focusing on

multi-billion dollar treatments for chronic lifestyle diseases and, more

recently, on new cancer therapies. Over this period, they've neglected research

into new antibiotics, which failed to meet their commercial goals. As a result,

many of the antibiotics under development are now owned by biotechnology

companies like Basilea.

Company Web site: http://www.basilea.com

-By

Katharina Bart

, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 43 443 8043; katharina.bart@ dowjones.com

(

Anita Greil

in Zurich contributed to this story)

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 06-18-07 0639ET Copyright © 2007 Dow Jones &

Company, Inc.

 

url

 

 

 

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