Health News

Newborn immune system detects harmful skin bacteria

The immune system must learn from early in life to tolerate bacteria that normally populate healthy skin, while still defending against more dangerous “bugs,” but how immune cells make this distinction has long been a mystery. In a study of young mice, UC San Francisco scientists found that an early-life window of immune tolerance available […]

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A dust-up: Microbes interact with harmful chemicals in dust

The dust that settles throughout our homes and offices almost always contains bits of chemicals that can cause problems for the human endocrine system, scientists say. But a new study indicates that the microbes we track into buildings—the microscopic bacteria and other microorganisms that thrive on our skin and outdoors—can help break those chemicals down. […]

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Sinks by Toilets in ICU Patient Rooms Harbor Harmful Bacteria

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 — Sinks next to toilets in hospital patient rooms may be reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase (KPC), according to a brief report published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. Blake W. Buchan, Ph.D., from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and colleagues collected specimens with […]

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Mercury in traditional Tibetan medicine could be harmful

(HealthDay)—The high mercury (Hg) concentration contained in traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) could be harmful to humans and contribute to the environmental Hg burden in Tibet, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of Environmental Science & Technology. Maodian Liu, Ph.D., from Peking University in China, and colleagues investigated elevated concentrations of total […]