antibiotic resistance

Christian Choe, Zach Rosenthal, and Maria Filsinger Interrante, who call themselves Team Lyseia, strategize about experiments to test their new antibiotics.

Young Inventors Work On Secret Proteins To Thwart Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

6:47pm August 09, 2016

by Joe Palca

Many of the most powerful antibiotics have lost their punch. Some Stanford students think they've found a different way to attack bacteria that the germs can't overcome.

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'Nose-y' Bacteria Could Yield A New Way To Fight Infection

3:38pm July 27, 2016

by Carolyn Beans

The search for lifesaving antibiotics is on. Scientists have turned up one promising candidate in an unlikely place — the human nose.

Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, looks like a writhing snake under a microscope.

Despite Rise Of Superbugs, Syphilis Still Has A Kryptonite

12:54pm June 10, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Syphilis cases are on the rise. The bacterium that causes the sexually transmitted disease is becoming resistant to some antibiotics. But somehow, penicillin has remained the best weapon against it.

It's not just medical personnel who should be washing hands to reduce the spread of germs. The patient should be, too.

Patients Leave The Hospital With Superbugs On Their Hands

1:36pm March 15, 2016

by Shefali Luthra

Hospitals have pushed staff to wash their hands in an effort to curb the spread of dangerous microbes. But patients' hands are infected, too, a study finds, and can spread bugs to other facilities.

Sonia Shah is also the author of The Fever and The Body Hunters.

'Pandemic' Asks: Is A Disease That Will Kill Tens Of Millions Coming?

5:40pm February 22, 2016

Author Sonia Shah says that urbanization and air travel put the global population at an increased risk for disease. "Zika is a great example of how new pathogens are emerging today," she says.

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A dish featuring antibiotic-free beef from Strauss Beef served at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Wash.

Health & Safety

More Hospitals Are Ditching Antibiotics In The Meat They Serve

4:35pm January 12, 2016

by Eliza Barclay

Hospitals are on the front lines of the battle against antibiotic resistance. Increasingly, they're trying to walk the talk by purchasing meat from animals raised without antibiotics.

Cattle graze in a field near Sacramento, Calif. California Gov. Jerry Brown, along with many health advocacy groups, has called the overuse of antibiotics "an urgent public health problem."

Antibiotic Use On Farms Is Up, Despite Promises To Kick The Drugs

11:32am December 11, 2015

by Dan Charles

Producers of poultry, cattle and pigs continue to use more antibiotics, according to the latest government data. That's despite more pledges from food companies to sell meat raised without the drugs.

The antibiotic resistant bacteria have been found in pigs, pork and people in China. This pig is from a farm on the outskirts of Beijing.

Health & Safety

E. Coli Bacteria Can Transfer Antibiotic Resistance To Other Bacteria

10:37am November 20, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

Reports from China show that E. coli bacteria are increasingly resistant to the antibiotic of last resort — and can pass that resistance on to other strains of bacteria.

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Diners wait in line at a Subway sandwich shop on September 15, 2015 in Chicago, Ill. Subway will serve antibiotic-free turkey and chicken by the end of 2016, but it may take nine years for its suppliers of beef and pork to go antibiotic-free as well.

Subway Joins The Fast-Food, Antibiotic-Free Meat Club

5:32pm October 20, 2015

by Dan Charles

The chain says it will shift to buying only meat from animals that weren't fed antibiotics. It's set to serve antibiotic-free poultry by the end of next year, but beef and pork may take until 2025.

You could get the fancy antibacterial soap. Or you could just wash your hands with plain old soap and water.

Do You Really Need Antimicrobials In Your Soap?

3:00pm September 21, 2015

by Lynne Shallcross

Triclosan is no better at getting germs off your hands than plain old soap, a study finds. Manufacturers are responding to safety concerns about that antimicrobial by switching to others.