News: Change of Tune? Not Everyone Needs to Finish That Course of Antibiotics

After years of telling patients to finish any prescribed course of antibiotics completely, a group of researchers in the UK say it is no longer necessary, and could even be harmful if we want to preserve the antibiotics we can still use.

News: Hand Sanitizer Won't Stop an Office Outbreak—If Your Coworker Doesn't Care

There's now more reasons to make sick workers stay home—a new game theory study suggests adequate hand washing and other illness-aversion tactics aren't as useful as we thought to keep you from getting infected when a virus or bacteria is circulating.

News: I.M. SoyNut Butter E. Coli Outbreak Update—7 More Sickened, from 4 States

There have been seven more people sickened from four states since the I.M. SoyNut Butter E. coli outbreak was announced earlier this month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Washington Department of Health have confirmed the I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter was the cause of the outbreak in an update today.

Tasty Testing: Artisanal Cheese Reveals Microbial Secrets of Deliciousness

Whether your palate runs to domestic or imported, a piece of cheese can be a real treat for the senses. Its smell, taste, and texture are all parts of its appeal. A big part of what makes that savory wonderfulness comes from the microbes in and on the cheese. Thanks to a team of researchers dedicated to studying those microbes, we have a better understanding of their importance to cheese and us.

News: Imported Seafood & Produce Bring Along a Spike in Deadly Food-Borne Outbreaks

A robust appetite for imported foods is leading to increased disease outbreak in the US. Despite the locovore and slow food movements, America's demand for foreign foods is picking up. According to a study published in the journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases, demand for imported fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafoods has jumped in recent years.

News: Bacteria in Infants' Guts—& Their Antibiotic Use—Could Be Making Kids Chubbier

Overweight kids often become overweight adults. New research suggests a couple reasons why and suggested that there may be ways to intercept that fate.

News: Soft Cheese Triggers Listeria Outbreak, Killing 2

A New York creamery was forced to recall items after a fatal disease outbreak stemming from their soft cheese products.

News: Frito-Lay Recalls Chips Due to Salmonella Contamination

This just in! Some of Frito-Lay's chips might be bad for your health for reasons other than the fact that they're deep fried potatoes.

Survival of the Fittest: Athletes' Gut Microbes Are Tailored to Help Them Compete

The bacteria in our gut — a community called the gut microbiome — have been in the spotlight a lot lately. What we're learning about how our intestinal bacteria adapt and grow with our bodies could help athletes perform better, according to researchers starting a company focused on creating probiotics that mimic athletes' microbiomes.

News: Please, Montana, Don't Legalize Raw Milk

Some Montana inhabitants have been making impassioned pleas to legalize raw milk this week. The debate took place during a hearing on House Bill 325, which was held by the Senate Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation Committee on Tuesday, March 21.

The Good Stuff: Breastfeeding Delivers Beneficial Bacteria to Baby

Breastfeeding is the ultimate in farm-to-table dining. It is sustenance prepared just for the baby and delivered with a very personal touch. Along with bonding, breastfeeding provides powerful protection to infants and young children in the form of beneficial bacteria, hormones, vitamins, protein, sugar, and antibodies manufactured on site to support infant health.

News: Victorian Hospitals Sound Like the Germiest Places Ever—No Wonder Everyone Got Infections

According to Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris of The Chirurgeon's Apprentice, hospitals during the first half of the nineteenth century were known as "Houses of Death."