Bacteria have tiny channels in their walls which operate like the valve on a pressure cooker - they open to release material when the pressure in a bacterial cell gets too great. If the channel didn't open to relieve pressure the bacteria would explode and die, so this is a target for drug development.
This study shows that Campylobacter bacteriophage can easily be isolated from free-range chickens and form part of the normal microbiological biota of environmentally exposed birds.
Mycobacterium paratuberculosis releases a molecule that prevents a type of white blood cell from killing E. coli, which is known to be present within Crohn's disease tissue in increased numbers.
Scientists have uncovered a chain reaction which could link Enterococcus faecalis bacteria living in our intestines to the development of colon cancer.
Pseudomonas bacteria which are normally found in soil and ground water and rarely affect healthy people, but are most likely to affect those who are already very sick.
In light of increased media and public interest in ESBL-producing E. coli, the HPA provides some background about these infections and the work that is being carried out in this area.
Health care workers in emergency departments are often carriers of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), potentially putting patients at risk.
An outbreak of Q Fever is being investigated in the Cheltenham area. A total of 28 cases have been identified among local people, most requiring hospital treatment.
US President George Bush was treated for what his doctors described as early, localized Lyme disease after developing a characteristic rash. Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection that, if left untreated, can cause arthritis and other problems. Symptoms c