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Articles on Bacteria

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In Australia, cases of Buruli ulcer have been associated with coastal areas – like Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula. Bernard Spragg. NZ/Flickr

Flesh-eating bacteria cases on the rise and we need an urgent response

The Victorian community is seeing a worsening epidemic of flesh-eating bacteria that causes Buruli ulcer. But how can we prevent this disease if we don’t know where it comes from and how it spreads?
Ten cases have been reported so far, including two deaths. Shutterstock/Doug J Moore

What is listeria and how does it spread in rockmelons?

Two people have died after eating rockmelon contaminated with listeria. A total of ten cases have been confirmed in NSW, Queensland and Victoria between Jan 17 and Feb 9, and more are expected.
Smoked and other deli meats are common sources of the Listeria bacterium. In 2008, contaminated deli meat caused 57 cases of Listeriosis and led to the deaths of 24 people in Canada. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)

How we can prevent more Listeria deaths

As the death count in South Africa’s listeriosis outbreak rises, Canadian researchers are isolating bacteria from the microbiome of exotic foods to try to develop a solution.
Bacteria cultured from a sample of air in a public building. Khamkhlai Thanet/Shutterstock.com

Bacterial baggage: how humans are spreading germs all over the globe

When jetting off on holiday, we rarely give a second thought to what microbes we might be taking with us. But humans spread trillions of bacteria around the globe, potentially harming ecosystems’ balance.
Monarch caterpillars feeding on milkweed leaves and dropping their faces (taken in the laboratory facility). Prayan Pokharel

The hidden secrets of insect poop

Bugs use their own defecation to defend their young, locate their homes and increase mating opportunities. For humans, insect faeces may even have untapped medicinal properties.

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