Maryn McKenna's Blog, page 11
August 9, 2013
Antibiotic Use in Chickens: Responsible for Hundreds of Human Deaths?
If antibiotic-resistant bacteria do arise on farms, do they leave the farm and circulate in the wider world? If so, how much damage do they do? Wired Science blogger Maryn McKenna reports on a study that answers both questions.
August 1, 2013
‘Nightmare Bacteria’ Attack an ICU and Close a Burn Unit
Drug-resistant bacteria are spreading more rapidly than anyone expected. Now, these "nightmare" microbes have turned up in France and Florida.
July 30, 2013
More on ‘Nightmare Bacteria’: Maybe Even Worse Than We Thought?
In my last post I talked about the under-appreciated emergence of “nightmare bacteria” (those are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s words, not mine) that are widely distributed in hospitals and nursing homes around the world and do not ...
July 25, 2013
Where ‘Nightmare Bacteria’ Came From, And How Our Inattention Helped Them Emerge
Cast your minds back a few months ago, to when the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced, “We have a very serious problem” with “nightmare bacteria,” and the chief medical officer of the United Kingdom ...
July 12, 2013
More on MRSA on Farms and in Farm Workers, and the Arguments for and Against
As antibiotic-resistant microbes spread through U.S. farms, scientists debate the link between agricultural antibiotic use and drug-resistant microbes. Wired Science blogger Maryn McKenna has the latest.
July 5, 2013
“Pig MRSA” Carried by Workers from North Carolina Intensive Hog Farms
I saved this post until today to allow everyone to get their holiday hot dogs guilt-free. Now that’s over: An important study has just been published which makes a close connection between the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the use ...
June 29, 2013
Writing Narratives About Science: Advice From People Who Do it Well
Starting to catch up after, yup, another set of trips — but with really interesting stuff to talk about very shortly. To start: I spent part of this past week at the biannual World Conference of Science Journalists, which was ...
June 17, 2013
G8 Meeting Begins: Ag Antibiotics on Agenda?
Quick post today as I’m getting ready for some travel. Just to note: The G8 summit is beginning in Ireland, and there is a push on to put intensive agriculture and its antibiotic use on the agenda for discussion by ...
June 14, 2013
The Risks You Don’t Think of: A Plea to Pack a ‘Go Bag’
What if you had 15 minutes’ notice to leave your home, and you didn’t know when you’d be coming back — or what shape your home would be when you did? Could you find your key documents, medications, ID, devices, ...
June 11, 2013
The Cool Factor (With Feathers): New York Chefs React To Pastured Poultry
Pastured poultry is new old-style: Beyond cage-free, beyond free-range, it puts chickens out on grass for most of their lives, producing a bird that lives longer, looks healthier, and tastes distinctly different from standard supermarket chicken. Wired Science blogger Maryn ...
