 
Microbiology
Today May 2000
This issue focuses on microbial threats to our health in the domestic
setting and considers some
of the strategies that are appropriate to combat their effects.
Is it that we are so hygienic these days that our immune systems are
not being properly
challenged, thus leading to an inability to resist any pathogens that
might be encountered?
Hugh Pennington, outspoken critic of government policy on food safety,
considers the so-called
"clean dirt" hypothesis and finds it wanting.
Domestic kitchens are a significant source of foodborne
infection. Charles Penn and
Anthony Hilton of the University of Birmingham describe various aspects of
kitchen hygiene
and evaluate the role of new antimicrobial products in reducing the risks
of disease in the home
environment.
Contact lenses are an increasingly popular alternative to
spectacles, but as University
of Leicester lecturer Simon Kilvington describes, poor hygiene in their
use can lead to unpleasant
eye infections.
Immunization has been responsible for massive reductions in the
incidence of childhood
sickness and mortality over the past 50 years. Liz Miller, Head of the
PHLS Immunisation Division,
explores current practice and describes the potential impact of the
anti-vaccination lobby on
child health.
Vaccination has eliminated smallpox and done away with many of the
epidemics of infectious
diseases that occurred in the past, but there is still a need to develop
new vaccines.
Philip Minor of the National Institute for Biological Standards and
Control describes the
scientific difficulties that can be encountered and explains how
socio-economic and ethical
issues can also affect success.
Influenza is an unpleasant illness which can lead to death,
mainly in the elderly.
Douglas Fleming, Director of the Royal College of General Practitioners,
describes the current
incidence of 'flu, some new methods of diagnosis and recent advances in
treatment.
In the developed world we tend to take it for granted that clean water
will come out of the
tap, but in many countries, there is no such luxury as piped water. Peter
Wyn-Jones of the
University of Sunderland takes a look at the history of drinking water
supply, describes
some waterborne diseases, reveals how potable water gets to our
homes and wonders what the
future holds in an era of ever increasing demand.
There are millions of domestic pets in the world, but what kind
of parasites and
pathogens do they harbour, and what risk do they pose to the health of the
humans who share
their homes? G. Suresh Kumar and Huw Smith describe the various organisms
and tell us what to do
to avoid catching infections from our furry friends.
Hot off the Press
 [Acrobat PDF] highlights some new developments
in microbiological research that have been published in the Society's
journals -
Microbiology, Journal of General Virology and
International Journal of
Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Topics covered include:
- The mystery of the missing phosphate - how microbes remove
phosphates from waste
water and sewage sludge
- Genes in knots - the molecular genetics of a virus found in
prawns
- Passing the acid test - an archaeon which grows at pH 1.7
- Toxic shock - animal feed additives may enhance the production
of bacterial toxins
in the gut
- Turned on by milk - the genetics of mastitis producing Staph.
aureus
- Seafood cocktail - white spot syndrome virus, the cause of a
devastating disease in
seafood
- Hybridization in miniature - a technique for classifying
bacteria
Going Public
[Acrobat PDF], which features science promotion
activities, covers:
- A sense of community - how one company promotes the
understanding of science by
sixth formers
- National Science Week 2000 - this year's event run by the
National Marine
Aquarium in Plymouth to explain marine virus ecology to the public
Other items include:
Last updated 29 May 2003
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