Space travel is not for the weak. Astronauts endure motion sickness, disorientation, cardiovascular stress—and that’s before they even reach orbit. Luckily, the bacteria that lives inside us is far more resilient. A new study shows that a gut bacteria essential for human health can survive the stress of being launched into space aboard a rocket, […]
Some Heart Attacks Might Be Triggered by Germs
Germs might be even worse for us than we thought. New research suggests that certain infections could be a contributing factor to heart attacks. Scientists in Finland and the UK conducted the study, which examined arterial plaques taken from people who died from heart disease and others. They found these plaques often contained a dormant […]
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Have Already Killed Four People in Florida This Year
A rare flesh-eating bacteria has killed four people in Florida this year, according to a recent report by the state’s Department of Health. The deadly bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, is typically found in warm saltwater or brackish water. It can enter the body through open cuts or by consuming raw shellfish, and the microbe is often found […]
Hospital Sink Drains are a Total Horror Show of Germs
Beware the hospital sink drain. A new study out this week shows that these drains can be a common source of scary, drug-resistant pathogens, even after deep cleaning. Researchers at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain led the study, published Friday in Frontiers in Microbiology. They analyzed bacteria collected from drains around a […]