Public Health & Safety

If you have never experienced working with an HIV-positive coworker you may have questions and concerns. It is important to be supportive of an HIV-positive coworker because he may be coping with...

Salmonella is a group of bacteria most widely known for causing food-borne illness (salmonellosis) and typhoid fever in developing countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes the most food-borne illnesses, mostly diarrhea, in humans. Salmonella is a rod-shaped microscopic living thing that is easily transferred through food and...

Diarrhea is the frequent passing of loose, watery stools. Water plays a large role in the onset of diarrhea. It can be caused by drinking contaminated water or by the body absorbing too much water.

Waterless hand sanitizers are convenient gels that usually contain alcohol, which kills bacteria on contact, as the active ingredient. The Colorado State University Extension explains that alcohol...

While television writers love to portray the "greasy spoon" restaurant, the reality is that food-borne illnesses thrive in an unclean environment. There's nothing funny about botulism or...

Groundwater, thanks to its protected underground location, is naturally clean and contains no contaminants. However, bacteria and other dangers can leech into groundwater and infiltrate...

Sodium chloride, or salt, has endless uses in our everyday life. Salt helps our bodies function properly. Additionally, salt's ability to prohibit the growth of bacteria makes it a valuable...

Okay, so here we are standing in a public restroom trying to decide what stall has our name on it. There is no avoiding using the stall when it comes to an emergency. Sometimes you have to just...

Sterilization is a process in which items are placed under substantial levels of heat in order to get rid of bacteria and other microorganisms which may thrive within the object. This cleansing...

A sneeze guard is the shield placed over foods in restaurants, buffets and outdoor food booths, to protect food customers from viruses and bacteria spread by other food customers' sneezes and coughs.

Staphylococcus (staph) is a type of bacteria that presents a health risk when it enters a wound, possibly causing a serious infection requiring antibiotic treatment. New staph strains continue to...

Alcohol found in the body after death may have come from a bottle, or it may come from the body itself. Normally when we drink alcoholic beverages, our bodies process alcohol and break it down...

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is so common that it can be found in three out of 10 people at any given time. It is not dangerous unless it enters the body via cuts or other wounds. Even so, staph...

Microbiology involves culturing organisms, but this requires a medium called agar for the organisms to feed on and grow. Agar is a solid substance that comes from boiling algae. Urea agar is a...

Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a variety "staph" bacteria. It resists penicillin and many other common antibiotics. MRSA presents as a virulent skin infection, boils,...

Salmonella and E. coli are two intestinal diseases that are caused by bacteria. They are very similar in regards to symptoms and method of infection, so it is sometimes difficult to tell one...

Probiotics are microorganisms, usually bacteria, used in certain foods as dietary supplements. The word "probiotics" is of Greek origin, meaning "for life."

With today's increased concern with sanitation and staying germ-free, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a growing commodity. Since its discovery in 1966 by Lupe Hernandez of Bakersfield, California,...

Salmonellosis, also known as salmonella poisoning, is a common intestinal disease that afflicts humans due to the consumption of contaminated food products. Although the salmonella bacteria that...

Reports of salmonella outbreaks resulting from infected chickens regularly produce headlines and lead the evening news. Once a source has been located, thousands of fowl can be destroyed to...

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that was named for the American scientist that discovered them. Infection with salmonella bacteria can cause salmonellosis in humans resulting in severe diarrhea,...

One of the most important chemicals in use today is disinfectant. Knowing the effects of disinfectant on bacterial growth helps us understand how to prevent and treat infections. Not all...

As part of the Enterobacteriaceae family, Enterobacter aerogenes is related to E. coli and salmonella. In terms of size, E. aerogenes is smaller than many of its microbial cousins, but its...

Following Darwin's theory of evolution, scientists considered the appendix a leftover vestigial organ, meaning an organ previously more fully developed in the human species that currently serves...

Disinfectants and antiseptics are germicidal solutions, also known as sanitizers and antimicrobials, and are used to quickly kill bacteria on contact. The difference between the two is that...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) states that salmonella bacteria are responsible for over 500 deaths and 1.4 million illnesses--which...

Shocking a swimming pool is usually recommended for two reasons: general maintenance and to disinfect it in the event of an emergency. The goal in both cases is a cleaner pool that is safe for...

Salmonella bacteria is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. More than 2,000 different bacteria belong to the salmonella family, and all can cause serious symptoms of food poisoning,...

Salmonella is a rod-shaped bacterium that lives in the intestines of people and animals and is spread from feces of people or animals. Salmonella accounts for most reported food-borne illnesses....

Whether a bacteria or a virus causes your gastrointestinal infection, you caught it in one of four ways: from person to person, by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your mouth, by...

With children in school and germs spreading, it is important to maintain a healthy, clean lifestyle to fend off any illness that may be in store for the season. One way to keep the bacteria away...

Disposable gloves are being used in kitchens as a measure to ensure safe handling of food items and eliminate food contamination and food-borne illnesses. By following a few simple guidelines you...

The war against germs is a never-ending battle. Germs can lead to common colds, swine flu and even superbugs. Germs can be transferred in many ways, and the hands are often their vehicle of...

Every year, millions of pounds of herbicides are applied to gardens, lawns and agriculture fields around the world to control and mitigate undesired plants and weeds. Some herbicides cause a wide...

There are about 1,650 known species of bacteria--of these, about 900 constitute "true bacteria" or eubacteria, while the remainder constitutes a group called "higher bacteria." True bacteria are...

Harmful illness-causing germs can lurk on almost any surface, and while a thorough cleaning can get rid of most germs, it takes a disinfectant to kill them and keep them from spreading.

Salmonella bacteria, transmitted through undercooked or raw food products, can create intestinal illness. Adherance to salmonella food safety regulations is essential to avoid risk of contamination.

Antiseptics, together with disinfectants, compose a broad family of active chemical substances called biocides. These chemical substances are found in many products such as alcohols and hand...

A recent study conducted at the University of Colorado revealed that high levels of bacteria can gather in shower heads. However, the bacteria found are not terribly dangerous.

Anthrax is a rare but dangerous and sometimes fatal disease. Anthrax is a bacteria that produces spores. People and animals can be infected with anthrax by being exposed to the spores.

The widespread use of plastic bottles has caused Americans to look deeper into the possible health impact of plastic storage. Some studies show that certain chemicals used in plastic bottles could...

Good bacteria are also called friendly bacteria or probiotics. In Europe, scientists have developed products that contain beneficial strains of E. coli, but most good bacteria are one of two...

Salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of animals or humans and are spread through the infected host's feces. Two types of this bacteria, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella...

Salmonella enterica, subspecies Serovar typhimurium, is often known as Salmonella typhimurium or S. typhimurium. The bacteria is responsible for deaths and illness, often spread through food and...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bacterial growth on food causes illnesses that affect more than 75 million Americans each year. Approximately 5,000 of these people...

Botulism is a serious food-borne illness characterized by paralysis and death if untreated. It is caused by a toxin created by the clostridium botulinum bacteria. Four cases of botulism linked to...

Nexium (esomeprazole) and metronidazole are medications from different classes or types of drugs. Of the two medications, Nexium has found fame due to an intensive advertising campaign. Used for...

Bacterial remediation involves the use of bacteria to breakdown or consume contaminants. Bacteria are currently used to cleanup many types of water and soil pollution. While there are many...

The tonsils are a part of the immune system in a person's body. The tonsils protect the body from germs, viruses and bacteria that try to invade the body through the mouth or nose. The tonsils may...