Menu Close

Articles on Bacteria

Displaying 281 - 300 of 367 articles

Using whole, unprocessed vegetables and washing them thoroughly will reduce risk of food poisoning. Waldo Jaquith/Flickr

Salmonella in your salad: the cost of convenience?

Illness from prepackaged salads isn’t uncommon. So how do we protect ourselves from illness when eating salads?
Microbes can act as canaries in the coalmine for ocean pollutants such as sewage. Ne0Freedom/Wikimedia Commons

Microbes: the tiny sentinels that can help us diagnose sick oceans

There are more bacteria in the ocean than stars in the known universe. New genetic techniques are letting us use microbes as early warning systems for oceans in trouble from pollution and other stresses.
Early necrotising fasciitis is easily missed because the symptoms – fever, pain, swelling and tenderness at the affected site – may be non-specific or confused with a mild, superficial infection. Zurijeta/Shutterstock

Explainer: what causes necrotising fasciitis, the flesh-eating bug?

Necrotising fasciitis is a serious infection that affects the soft tissue.
How did Yersinia pestis bacteria start to target the lungs and become so deadly? National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

How Yersinia pestis evolved its ability to kill millions via pneumonic plague

It’s a deadly bacterium that can spread like wildfire. New research suggests Yersinia pestis first developed its ability to cause lung infection and then evolved to be highly infectious.
The bacteria living in your gut have more to do with your immune system than you might think. Knorre/Shutterstock

What do the bacteria living in your gut have to do with your immune system?

Your intestines are home to many different kinds of bacteria (and some non-bacterial organisms as well). Together they’re called the “gut microbiome.” They come from the food you eat – and whatever else…
We’re in a protracted war against superbugs because we’ve overused existing antibiotics: a key weapon against disease. Nomadic Lass/Flickr

We need new antibiotics to beat superbugs, but why are they so hard to find?

We’ve heard a lot lately about superbugs – bacteria that are resistant to current antibiotics. But as the threat of superbugs continues to rise, the number of new treatments available has flatlined. This…
There is no evidence that the health benefits of milk are compromised by pasteurisation. jacqueline/Flickr

Explainer: what is raw milk and why is it harmful?

Milk is a highly nutritious food, and an important source of amino acids and minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, which contributes to bone health. Historically, milk was prone to contamination by…

Top contributors

More