Air pollution may make some bacteria in our nose and throat turn nasty

The superbug MRSA is potentially even more harmful if it is exposed to air pollution, some studies using mice and human cells suggest Health 28 February 2022 By Michael Le Page Air pollution from smoke stacks at an oil refinery Susan Santa Maria/Shutterstock Air pollution from fossil fuels and wood burning can directly affect the … Read more

Phage therapy: Treatment for superbug infections is being tested in Belgium

Bacteria-killing viruses can be used to treat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and the approach has been tried in more than 100 people in Belgium since a 2019 change in regulations Health 18 January 2022 By Michael Le Page Illustration of bacteriophage viruses attacking a bacterium iLexx/Getty Images The use of bacteria-killing viruses known as phages to treat … Read more

MRSA: Bacteria on hedgehogs evolved antibiotic resistance before use of drugs

A strain of the antibiotic-resistant bacterium MRSA seems to have colonised the skin of hedgehogs more than 200 years ago – and many other similarly evasive bugs might exist in nature Life 5 January 2022 By Jessica Hamzelou A European hedgehog Coatesy/Shutterstock A strain of the antibiotic-resistant bacterium MRSA seems to have evolved in hedgehogs … Read more