antimicrobial Content

One Health in Action: Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance

Eunah Cho Preston — November 24, 2020 - 11:57am

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as defined by the World Health Organization, “occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective.” AMR is broader than Antibiotic Resistance, which is limited specifically to bacteria that mutate in response to antibiotics, rendering the antibiotics ineffective.

Raw Milk May Do More Harm Than Good

Amy M Quinton — June 29, 2020 - 10:00am

Raw or unpasteurized cows’ milk from U.S. retail stores can hold a huge amount of antimicrobial-resistant genes if left at room temperature, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study also found bacteria that harbored antimicrobial-resistant genes can transfer them to other bacteria, potentially spreading resistance if consumed. The study was published in the journal Microbiome.

Common Antiseptic Ingredients De-Energize Cells and Impair Hormone Response

Kimberly L Hale — August 22, 2017 - 2:42pm

A new in-vitro study by University of California, Davis, researchers indicates that quaternary ammonium compounds, or “quats,” used as antimicrobial agents in common household products inhibit mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, as well as estrogenic functions in cells. Their findings appear online today (Aug. 22) in Environmental Health Perspectives, a publication of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.