My Christmas cracker jokes seem to have got particularly topical this
year...

Two bacteria walk into a bar. The bartender says, "Get out! We don't serve any bacteria in this bar. The two bacteria say, "Hey, but we work here. We're staph."

“Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows” 
...But why did it glow? And what has it got to do with microbiology?!

There is a similar phenomenon described in the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid (Euprymna Scolopes) which has a sac on its body filled with the bioluminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri).
The Squid provides the conditions for these micro-organisms to multiply and when they reach a certain number they all start to emit light. This symbiotic relationship allows the squid to attract prey as it hunts at night.  The process by which the bacteria know they have reached that certain number is called quorum sensing and is one of the most exciting areas of research in the field of microbiology at 
present.

Firstly let’s clarify some 3 letter
acronyms. VRE is commonly used and stands for Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus but Microbiologists prefer to use the term GRE (Glycopeptide Resistant Enterococcus) because GRE is a class resistance, resistance is to the entire  Glycopeptide class (which is both Vancomycin and Teicoplanin). This is similar to MRSA which is resistant to all Beta-lactams not just Meticillin, technically MRSA should really be known as Beta-lactam Resistant Staphylococcus aureus BLRSA! Using the term GRE acts as a prompt not to use any Glycopeptides e.g. Teicoplanin, as an alternative treatment.

Many healthcare staff believe that Microbiologists are concerned by GRE as it is very difficult to treat, requires the latest antibiotic treatments and patients must therefore be isolated from an infection control perspective. After all this is a new superbug...Right?!?

Blogging again having survived Break bone fever and Malaria in Thailand...watch out though I can now add basic mahout training to my qualifications...an elephant blog to follow soon! But now onto today’s topic...

Magic poultices to treat illnesses and infections have been around for thousands of years and there is still a desire to put antibiotic ointments onto superficial infections even to this day.

This practice is often followed in primary care settings as topical treatments are easily administered by the patient or carer. For example, topical Fusidic Acid is used for skin infections and topical Gentamicin for ear infections. HOWEVER, as a general rule topical applications are not good treatments for established infections.