Bacterial Infections

Alembic gets USFDA nod for generic eye infection treatment suspension

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Thursday said it has received final approval from the US health regulator for its generic version of Loteprednol Etabonate and Tobramycin ophthalmic suspension used for treatment of eye infection. The approval granted by the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) Loteprednol Etabonate and Tobramycin Ophthalmic Suspension of strength 0.5 per cent/0.3 per cent (5 mL and 10 mL), Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd said in a regulatory filing. Alembic was granted a Competitive Generic Therapy (CGT) designation for this application. With this approval, Alembic is eligible for 180 days of CGT exclusivity upon commercialisation, it added. The approved ANDA is therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug (RLD), Zylet Ophthalmic Suspension, 0.5 per cent/0.3 per cent, of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, the company said. Loteprednol etabonate and tobramycin ophthalmic suspension, 0.5 per cent/0.3 per cent, is ...

Centre launches 2nd national action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance

The new plan attempts to plug gaps identified during the implementation of the first NAP-AMR (2017-21)

Scientists find E Coli bacteria spreads as fast as swine flu: Study

Using genomic data from the UK and Norway, scientists modelled bacterial transmission rates and discovered key differences between strains

Chest infections rise in north India due to lesser-known bacterium: Study

A team at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has reported a significant rise in infections caused by a lesser-known bacterium that mimics whooping cough in north India, officials said on Thursday. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that has historically been a major cause of childhood mortality, with fatality rates reaching 10 per cent in the early 20th century, a PGIMER statement noted. The study, titled 'Emergence of Bordetella holmesiiAssociated Pertussis-Like Illness, Northern India, 20192023', was published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal (of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA) and analysed 935 suspected pertussis cases. Researchers discovered that nearly 37 per cent of infections were caused by Bordetella holmesii (bacterium), surpassing the number of infections from Bordetella pertussis, which used to be relatively more common. The most significan

WHO flags surge in drug-resistant bacteria, warns of innovation crisis

Beyond the lack of new and innovative drugs, significant gaps remain in the types of treatments available

Is it safe to sit on public toilet seats? Here's what you need to know

Public toilets can be a 'microbial soup', especially when many people use them and cleaning isn't frequent as it should be

This antibody doesn't kill bacteria, it just neutralises their toxins

Scientists find our largest antibody doesn't destroy bacteria but blocks their toxins by stiffening them - a discovery that could inspire gentler, next-gen therapies for tough infections

The contagion scale: From measles to TB which disease spread fastest?

The R0 measure indicates how an infection will spread in a population. If it's greater than one (as seen above), the outcome is disease spread

Chinese scientists discover mysterious bacteria on Tiangong space station

Chinese scientists have named the new bacterial species 'Niallia tiangongensis' found in surface samples from the Tiangong Space Station. They could be useful in environments with limited nutrients

Just 8% of bacterial infections in India treated aptly in 2019: Report

Only about eight per cent of bacterial infections detected in 2019 in India were treated appropriately, according to an analysis of low- and middle-income countries. Findings published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal show that in 2019, there were nearly 15 lakh bacterial infections resistant to carbapenems -- a common antibiotic -- across eight countries that were under study. Carbapenems are used for treating severe infections -- such as those acquired from being inside a hospital, where bacteria resistant to antibiotics are abundant. Of the 15 lakh bacterial infections, only over a lakh treatment courses were procured -- the resulting treatment gap meant that only 6.9 per cent of the patients were treated appropriately, researchers, including those from the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Switzerland, found. "India procured most of the treatment courses (80.5 per cent; 83,468 courses), with 7.8 per cent of infections treated appropriately

Scrub typhus may be under-recognised cause of fever hospitalisation: Study

Affecting around a tenth of rural populations in India every year, 'scrub typhus' infection, spread by the bite of an infected larval mite (chigger), could be an "under-recognised" leading cause of hospitalisations for fever, a study has suggested. The study, conducted by the Christian Medical College, Vellore, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), looked at over 32,000 people from across 37 rural villages in Tamil Nadu, with its results published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Chiggers are found on grass, plant litter and bare soil across rural areas of Asia, and usually feed on small mammals such as rats and shrews. Scrub typhus is caused by the bacterium 'Orientia tsutsugamushi', which belongs to the rickettsia family. Severe illness due to the infection can lead to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), shock, meningitis and kidney failure. Rural areas in India are among the most affected by the potentially life-threatening infection, along w

McDonald's E. coli outbreak in US: What to know about the deadly cases

E. coli is a bacterium found in animal intestines and the environment, including water and food. While many strains are harmless, some can lead to serious illness

McDonald's quarter pounders linked to E coli outbreak, says CDC as 1 dead

The true number of people infected is likely much higher than the 36 currently known and may involve additional states, the CDC said

Murine Typhus in Kerala: Everything about this rare bacterial disease

A Kerala man has been diagnosed with a rare bacterial disease Murine Typhus. According to a report, the man recently travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia. So what is this new rare disease

Natural ways to prevent fungus and mould during this monsoon season

Growth of mould, mildew, or fungus on clothing is not only annoying but also harmful to one's health. Here's what to do the next time you notice white, powdery mould growing on your things

Bharat Biotech partners with Alopexx to develop anti-microbial vaccine

Bharat Biotech on Wednesday announced a collaboration with Alopexx Inc for development and commercialisation of the latter's broad-spectrum anti-microbial vaccine in India and other low income countries. As part of the collaboration, the companies will co-develop and commercialise the vaccine -- AV0328, in India and other licensed territories, Bharat Biotech said in a statement. Alopexx would be entitled to a one-time upfront payment and milestone payments, as well as royalties on future sales of AV0328 in the licensed territories, it added. "Our goal is to develop solutions to reduce anti-microbial resistance through vaccination. This collaboration aligns with our mission to provide safe, affordable, and high-quality vaccines to combat infectious diseases globally," Bharat Biotech Executive Chairman Krishna Ella said. Alopexx CEO Daniel Vlock said, this collaboration brings the company one step closer to addressing the critical need for affordable, broad-spectrum antimicrobial ..

Antibiotic production waste fuelling drug-resistant bacteria, warns WHO

In a first, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued norms on managing waste during antibiotic production

New research shows how viruses work where antibiotics fail against bacteria

Viruses called bacteriophages, or phages, target bacteria but can't infect humans or other higher organisms

Valley fever: All about the viral infection spread at California music fest

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a warning that Valley fever cases are connected to the Lightning in a Bottle festival at Buena Vista Lake, California from May 21 to 25

Chimps 'seek out' medicinal plants to heal injuries, infections: Study

Chimpanzees sought out and ate medicinal plants to treat their injuries, according to a study. While wild chimpanzees are known to consume a variety of plant matter, researchers said it can be hard to figure out if they intentionally seek out medicinal plants to heal their ailments, or "passively" consume plants that happen to be medicinal. The study is published in the journal PLoS ONE. At the Budongo Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, the researchers, including those at the University of Oxford, UK, observed the behaviours and health of 51 wild chimpanzees, belonging to two habituated communities. The researchers observed a male chimpanzee with an injured hand seek out and eat the leaves of a fern, which may have helped to reduce pain and swelling. They also recorded another chimpanzee with a parasitic infection consuming the bark of a cat-thorn tree (Scutia myrtina). The team also tested the plant extracts of tree and herb species in the reserve, which they suspected were being