Gonorrhoea, sailing, superbugs, probiotics and MMR
 Stealth gonorrhoeaStealth strains of gonorrhoea that fail to show up in standard diagnostic tests are increasing worldwide. The tests look for the enzyme prolyliminopeptidase (PIP) previously thought to be present in all strains of gonorrhoea. However, mutations or deletions in the PIP gene that prevent the production of this enzyme have been identified in some strains. These strain was previously known to be circulating among homosexual men, but new work suggests it is a growing concern within the heterosexual population as well. Untreated gonorrhoea infections can cause severe and permanent health problems and can even be fatal. It can also cause infertility by harming the testicles or fallopian tubes. |
Thanks to Chris at BioInfoBlog for pointing me at the reports of Craig Ventner’s latest sailing trip. Venter’s Global Ocean Survey has sequenced 6.3 billion base pairs of DNA and identified 1.2 million new genes, according to three papers published this week in the open-access journal, PLoS Biology: |
 I Cu SuperbugsStainless steel door handles and taps at a hospital are being replaced with copper ones in an effort to reduce the presence of superbugs Staphylococcus aureus MRSA and Clostridium difficile. Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital is swapping steel for copper in an 18-month trial to test the findings. 80% of hospital MRSA transmission is believed to come from contact with surfaces such as door handles, bathroom taps, toilet flush handles and grab rails. To test the theory one general medical ward is having copper installed in preparation for the trial while a similar ward will retain its traditional fittings. Even pens used by staff will be made from copper alloy. Copper reacts with the bacteria and inhibits respiration – the Egyptians may have used copper thousands of years ago to treat infections. |
 Saccharomyces boulardii and diarrhoea
diarrhoea: from the Greek diárrhoia “flowing through” There’s been a lot of interest recently in the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii (and other probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum) as treatments for acute diarrhoea, particularly traveller’s diarrhoea and diarrhoea in children. The conclusion of most studies: it seems to work |
 MMR RevisitedAfter the damage done to MMR vaccination by Andrew Wakefield, confidence in the MMR vaccine is finally growing again. Around 74% of mothers now say the vaccine is safe or carries a slight risk, compared with 60% in 2002. Well, it has to be better than crocodile dung. |
I do not discount that the use of dung for medicine by many indigenous cultures have caused infections and death due to pathogens in the dung. However, several kinds of animal and insect dung are still used in traditional Chinese medicine. For example, silkworm dung, flying squirrel dung (Trogopterus sp.; wu ling zhi) and bat dung (another kind of wu ling zhi). Bird dung also (magpie, sparrow, and pigeon).
You may laugh, but dung remedies have been in use for thousands of years and may have bioactivity. This subject is barely fundable in most countries, but I’d bet there are pharmacological papers written in Chinese on dung medicines.
Dung may contain proteins, beneficial microflora, and ecdysteroids (from insect larvae feeding on the dung). Additionally, bat and pica dung from high-altitude caves is the source of some kinds of shilajit or mumie. Recent research on shilajit suggest many bioactive compounds. Some parasite eggs (present in dung?) have been used to switch dominance from Th1 to Th2, in order to outwit pathogens that mimic Th1 in order to evade the immune system.
Thanks, I never knew dung was so interesting!
Can you point me at any clinical trials comparing the efficacy of crocodile dung against vaccination for measles?
Clinical trials? Ha ha.
Don’t get me started.
Ok, I’m sure there is some degree of validity in the use of dung as a form of medicine…but who’s going to admit using it!
Changing the subject: the post about MRSA reminded me of my Father-in-Law who was in Hospital recently and actually caught MRSA…but nobody bothered to tell him or his family until large black blotches started appearing on his body…which was his blood slowly poisoning him!!