Common summer activities can expose you to a host of infectious diseases. But there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself from pathogens ranging from E. coli to T. gondii.
Can the virus transfer from infected farm animals to contaminate milk, meat or eggs? It depends on where you are and how well you cook your food. But for most of us, the chances are low.
Scientists are discovering viral genetic sequences in the wild faster than they can analyze them. A kind of ChatGPT for proteins can help make sense of all that data.
Microbes make a home among the starch grains of your sourdough starter.
Daniel Veghte
From kimchi to kombucha and sauerkraut to sourdough, many traditional food staples across cultures make use of fermentation. And these variations are reflected in your microbiome.
Genetic analysis of the bacteria causing surgical site infections revealed that many were already present on the patient’s skin.
Ruben Bonilla Gonzalo/Moment via Getty Images
Most infection prevention guidelines center on the hospital environment rather than the patient. But the source of antibiotic-resistant microbes is often from the patient’s own body.
Cracked roads and sidewalks generate big costs for cities.
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Your skin heals from cuts and scrapes on its own − what if concrete could do that too?
Bacteria are evolutionarily primed to outpace drug developers.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health/Flickr
While every week or two will generally suffice for sheets, towels are best washed every few days. A microbiologist explains.
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is classified as a priority 1 critical pathogen by the World Health Organization.
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock
Ivan Erill, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Researchers discovered a satellite virus latching onto the neck of another virus called MindFlayer. Studying the viral arms race between similar viruses could lead to new ways to fight infections.
With the help of the microbes that once played an essential role in keeping you alive, the building blocks of your body go on to become a part of other living things.
Vibrio vulnificus infections are spreading across the U.S. because of climate change.
CDC/Janice Haney Carr
Warmer ocean waters are fueling the spread of the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Infections can lead to a rare but fatal condition called necrotizing fasciitis.
Researchers uncovered the foundations of biology by using E. coli as a model organism. But over-reliance on this microbe can lead to knowledge blind spots with implications for antibiotic resistance.