All posts tagged: Infection Control

UK launches £1bn Pandemic Preparedness Strategy

UK launches £1bn Pandemic Preparedness Strategy

Published by skeptic

The framework is accompanied by roughly £1bn in funding aimed at strengthening vaccine access, surveillance systems, and national testing capacity. Published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the strategy coincides with the government’s formal response to findings from the Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, which examined decision-making and governance during the pandemic. Speaking on the new strategy, UK Minister of State for Security, Dan Jarvis, said: “It’s right we learn the lessons from the devastating impact Covid-19 had on our health service and society. Our new pandemic strategy marks a major improvement in the government’s preparedness for future pandemics. “Whether increasing the supply of British-made vaccines, or stockpiling PPE for key workers, we’re working with partners across the public and private sector to take action to keep the country safe.” A shift from influenza-focused planning The new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy replaces the UK’s 2011 pandemic influenza plan, reflecting a broader approach to managing a wider range of biological threats. Rather than focusing on a single class of virus, the updated framework introduces …

.9M grant set to deepen understanding of avian flu

$1.9M grant set to deepen understanding of avian flu

Published by skeptic

With support from a recent federal grant, a team of Montana State University microbiologists will spend the next three years expanding and deepening research on avian flu. One of the world’s most damaging agricultural viruses, avian flu, will be studied using cutting-edge technologies and facilities at the university. Assistant professor Emma Loveday of the College of Agriculture’s Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology is the lead investigator of the research. “Knowing how infection differentially impacts cells can help us understand how the flu viruses grow, spread and propagate, which could open doors for treatment or prevention,” she said. Avian flu strains are causing huge losses Avian flu viruses are very diverse and originate in wild aquatic birds. HPAI strains, such as H5N1, are responsible for extensive economic losses to poultry producers, who must cull their flocks to contain the virus’s spread. In addition to the agricultural impact, over the past four years, H5N1 has caused lethal disease in wildlife across North and South America, and has caused over 70 human cases, though these remain rare. …

UK begins new vaccine trials for avian influenza

UK begins new vaccine trials for avian influenza

Published by skeptic

New targeted vaccine trials in turkeys will test vaccine efficacy as part of the fight to protect wild and captive birds from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) . The vaccine trials will explore the potential for the latest vaccines to protect birds, providing valuable insight into how well vaccines work in the field, how surveillance can be managed to retain trade and how vaccines can help manage avian influenza. Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman stated: “We know what a terrible toll this disease has annually on our farmers and poultry sector. “The start of new vaccine trials is a significant step forward in our fight against this disease and will contribute to global research efforts. We are hopeful that vaccines can be used in the UK as an additional tool to control bird flu to protect the UK’s biosecurity and food supply.” Avian influenza outbreaks cause devastation on farms The scale of avian influenza outbreaks in the UK and Europe within the last few years has been unprecedented, causing devastation for bird keepers on the frontline and the …

iFAST Diagnostics delivers faster antimicrobial susceptibility testing

iFAST Diagnostics delivers faster antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Published by skeptic

iFAST Diagnostics Ltd has developed a breakthrough technology that delivers antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results with speed, accuracy, and actionable clinical detail. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the defining health challenges of our time. As bacteria evolve and become increasingly resistant to existing treatments, the global community faces a mounting crisis that threatens to undermine decades of medical progress. Central to this challenge is the need for rapid, accurate identification of the most effective antibiotic for each patient. iFAST Diagnostics Ltd, a spinout from the University of Southampton, is pioneering a breakthrough technology that has the potential to transform clinical practice, improve patient outcomes, and significantly slow the spread of AMR. This article explores the scale of the AMR problem, the limitations of current diagnostic methods, and the innovative approach developed by iFAST Diagnostics to deliver rapid, precise, antimicrobial susceptibility testing. By enabling clinicians to prescribe the right antibiotic within hours rather than days, this technology represents a major step forward in the global effort to optimise antibiotic therapy. The growing threat …

McGill rapid test combats antimicrobial resistance

McGill rapid test combats antimicrobial resistance

Published by skeptic

A breakthrough in bacterial detection promises faster, more effective treatments. In a groundbreaking development, scientists at McGill University have created a diagnostic system that can identify bacteria and determine which antibiotics are effective against them in just 36 minutes. This innovation marks a significant step forward in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing public health threat. Traditional laboratory tests often take 48 to 72 hours, delaying treatment decisions and contributing to inappropriate antibiotic use. The global threat of antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites evolve to resist the drugs designed to kill them. Over time, this makes infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of severe illness and death. AMR is already responsible for over one million deaths annually worldwide, surpassing fatalities from diseases like HIV/AIDS or malaria. Experts warn that delayed diagnosis and misuse of antibiotics are major drivers of this crisis, emphasising the urgent need for rapid, reliable testing methods. Introducing QolorPhAST: Fast, accurate, and portable The new system, named QolorPhAST, is compact, automated, and …

Advancing infection prevention in a post-antibiotic world

Advancing infection prevention in a post-antibiotic world

Published by skeptic

AvantGuard discusses the future of antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention in a post-antibiotic world. The current standard of care for preventing infections will have to shift in a world of reduced antibiotic efficacy. The Department of Defense’s evidence-based protocols for the treatment of wounds, codified in The Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines, do not recommend the use of topical antiseptics in wounds to minimise infection risk. The only possible exception is the use of silver sulfadiazine in burn wounds, because the damaged tissue does not properly profuse systemic antibiotics and acts as a food source for pathogens. Most of the guidelines are dedicated to a discussion of which antibiotic to use, mainly prophylactically. Which leads to our first question: What if antibiotics lose their efficacy due to resistance? Planning for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Antibiotics are a godsend – despite many calls for concern about resistance generation, they continue to save millions of lives every year, blinding us to a grave reality. The 2025 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance report showed that …

The potential of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus as a ‘living antibiotic’

The potential of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus as a ‘living antibiotic’

Published by skeptic

Following her successful application for an ERC Starting Grant, Simona Huwiler discusses the potential of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a predatory bacterium, to address the growing concern of antibiotic resistance. The public health implications of antimicrobial resistance are concerning. A recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2025 Global AMR Surveillance Report indicated that 1 in 6 bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotics. Another study examining data from 2019 reported that approximately 5 million deaths were associated with AMR. Among these, around 3 million deaths were directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance. This widespread occurrence of antimicrobial resistance makes it increasingly difficult to treat bacterial infections in hospitals, while also posing a threat to various medical procedures such as surgeries and cancer treatments. Currently, the goal is to prevent the inappropriate use of antibiotics, particularly in cases where they are ineffective. Many governments are working to restrict the use of last-resort antibiotics in animal farming, as they are essential for treating certain infections. In some countries, antibiotics can be obtained without a …

The rise of a promising one-health molecule

The rise of a promising one-health molecule

Published by skeptic

Richard Stead, CEO of Qures Group, discusses the century-long history of Hypothiocyanite and the Lactoperoxidase System, and their modern potential in the fight against AMR. In late 2012, I set out deliberately to understand how nature protects the body at its most vulnerable entry points. I was searching, without knowing the name, for a natural antimicrobial molecule capable of preventing pathogens from entering through the eyes and mouth. These sites are moist, nutrient-rich, and constantly exposed to the environment, yet infections there are surprisingly rare. Something must be working with a competence comparable to that of the skin. What I eventually found was Hypothiocyanite (OSCN⁻), a molecule I had never encountered before. To my surprise, it had already been described a century earlier. Its biology and chemistry had been mapped decades before I began my search, yet its relevance, power, and potential remain profoundly under-recognised. This article provides a concise historical overview of the discovery of Hypothiocyanite and the Lactoperoxidase System (LPS), explaining why this natural defence mechanism is so critical in an era of rising antimicrobial …