Fight against food poisoning

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on May 29, 2007
University of Nottingham experts have joined forces with Canadian biotech company GangaGen Life Sciences Inc to develop new weapons in the fight against food poisoning.

They are engaging in a major research project to develop methods for the control of Campylobacter — the commonest cause of infectious bacterial intestinal disease in England and Wales, according to the Health Protection Agency. Campylobacters are found in poultry and other animals and cause millions of cases of food poisoning worldwide.

The researchers intend to develop bacteriophage-based treatments for the control of Campylobacter.

Bacteriophages — the term literally means 'bacterium-eater' — are naturally occurring agents that target and destroy bacteria with a high degree of efficiency, and do so selectively and specifically, without affecting beneficial bacteria or gut cells. The term is commonly used in its shortened form, phage.

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Discovery of chemical profiles for infectious diarrhoea

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on May 29, 2007
Academics from the Universities of the West of England and Bristol have found that faeces from healthy people and those with infectious diarrhoea differ significantly in their chemical composition and could be used to diagnose quickly diseases such as Clostridium difficile (C. Diff.).

It is hoped the discovery of these chemical profiles will lead to the development of an electronic device capable of rapid diagnosis at the bedside, saving both time and money.

The study has just been published online in The FASEB Journal. It is the result of a collaboration between Dr Chris Probert, Consultant and Reader in Gastroenterology at Bristol University and Professor Norman Ratcliffe at the University of the West of England.

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Health officials warn public about food-borne illnesses

Posted by Campylobacter Attorney on May 18, 2007
Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer, and that means parties, cook-outs and picnics. But the El Paso County Health Department reports as many as 5,000 Americans will die, this year, from food-borne illnesses. Environmental Health Specialist, Laura Dixon, says "Food borne illness is caused by microorganisms from raw foods. And mostly e-coli, campylobacter, norovirus." She says food-borne illnesses are a real and present threat.

The CDC estimates that 76 million Americans will get sick from food borne illness each year. They say the problem is that most people think they'll get sick from eating out at restaurants. But Dixon says, "In fact, a lot of the diseases and illnesses are coming from your own home."

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