Mostly Microbes and Infection

  A new model of vertical microbiome transmission between mother and child has been reported. Researchers say microbes in the maternal gut share genes with those in the infant’s gut during the perinatal period directly following birth up to a few weeks postbirth.  

Ivermectin is currently approved for treatment of both clinical and veterinary infections by nematodes, including Onchocerca cervicalis in horses and Onchocerca volvulus in humans. However, ivermectin has never been shown to be effective against bacterial pathogens. Here we show that ivermectin also inhibits infection of epithelial cells by the bacterial pathogen, Chlamydia trachomatis, at doses that could be envisioned clinically for sexually-transmitted or ocular infections by Chlamydia. by Matthew A. Pettengill, Verissa W. Lam, Ikechukwu Ollawa, Camila Marques-da-Silva and David M. Ojcius

And how do they differ from probiotics? Experts weigh in on how these trendy supplements may influence your well-being.

Study found that gut microbiome changes with age, & that it loses aspects of a general core microbiome & strays toward a more individual one. But this isn’t necessarily a good thing. This uniqueness seems to be linked to unhealthy aging .

  Updates on the ongoing outbreak in the US. Why are delis so vulnerable to Listeria outbreaks?

Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, have caused pandemics in the past two decades. The most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern can re-infect individuals who have been previously infected with other variants or had protection from vaccines targeting the original SARS-CoV-2 variant. Given the high risk of transmission of coronavirus  via  aerosols produced during dental procedures, it is important to understand the future risk of coronavirus infection for oral health professionals and to diagnose quickly early stages of outbreaks. Testing of saliva for coronavirus may be the least invasive and most convenient method for following the outbreak at the individual and community level. This review will describe strategies for diagnosis of coronavirus in saliva. by Parvati Iyer, Takahiro Chino and David M. Ojcius

A new study reveals that an endogenous retrovirus (Suppressyn, SUPYN) might help the placenta protect embryos from viral infection.