Reactions to new government plan for containing and controlling AMR. Dr Andrew Singer, Environmental Microbiologist, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, … read more

David Willetts, the science minister, is to propose measures to clamp down on the overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture at a meeting of the G8 science ministers in London. read more

A report from the Chief Medical Officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, warned of the dangers of antibiotic resistance, calling for a global initiative to tackle the problem. read more

To coincide with the World Health Organization releasing its annual figures on the state of global tuberculosis at a major event in the US, vaccine scientists from the UK and the US came to London – dubbed the TB capital of Western Europe –to brief journalists at the Science Media Centre on the global effort to develop effective and affordable TB vaccines. read more

Scientists react to a study into strains of MRSA that spread in the community rather than in hospitals, recommending controlled use of antibiotics. read more

A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases identified a new strain of MRSA with a different genetic makeup from previous strains and which was found in milk from dairy cows, raising implications for MRSA sources and detection in future. read more

To coincide with World Health Day 2011, which has antibiotic resistance as its theme, the SMC invited journalists to hear some of the latest developments from five experts in the field. read more

This paper looked at the development of a new class of drug resistant bacteria. read more

Antibiotic resistance is a growing health problem; health experts now only have a few antibiotics left that they can rely on and even these are now at risk. However, publicly-funded research has led to a new chemical pathway that could lead to new types of antibiotics. Experts from the John Innes Centre in Norwich discussed the new research. read more

The paper identifies the emerging threat of cases of necrotising pneumonia caused by community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections. read more

The bacterium has been identified as an emerging cause of infection which is becoming increasingly prevalent in healthcare settings. read more

A study published in the British Medical Journal has identified a rise in cases of tuberculosis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The study also identified a global increase in rates of resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs. read more

The paper, from a team of Canadian scientists, looked at antibiotic resistance in certain strains of E. coli, and revealed that the problem of resistance is spreading beyond hospitals and into the community. read more

Results presented at the Federation of Infections Societies Conference in Cardiff highlighted the dangers posed by particular strains of MRSA which are spread outside of hospitals and can lead to a serious lung condition called necrotising pneumonia. read more

Figures released by the Health Protection Agency show that MRSA cases have fallen and C.Diff cases are still increasing, albeit at a lesser rate. read more

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced plans for ward-by-ward deep cleaning of hospitals to tackle superbugs such as MRSA. read more

Scientists briefed journalists on research into using bacteriophages to fight infection. These viruses, which infect bacteria, are being investigated for their potential to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA and other hospital-acquired infections.
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Scientists commented on the research, published in Science, into the toxin-producing strain of MRSA bacteria known as PVL, which is normally community acquired and can lead to severe pneumonia. read more

The document stated that the Government was not on track to meet its target to cut MRSA infection rates. read more

As the fight against hospital-acquired infections continues, scientists brief journalists on how the lab and the hospital can join up their thinking in the battle against bugs including hand hygeine regimes, NHS reform and the effects of antibiotic prescribing. read more