Ocean science must evolve to meet social challenges in the seafood sector

Evidence is presented that a dominant allele, S, is expressed as a receptor for K88 on the brushborder surface of the pig intestinal cell. The homozygous recessive (ss) lacks this receptor. The receptor enables K88 - positive coliforms to adhere to the gut of the piglet which they must do if they are to cause neonatal diarrhoea. The homozygous recessive is thus a disease resistant animal.A possible reason for the persistence of the dominant (susceptible) gene is given.

The increase in microorganisms that have developed resistance to currently available antimicrobial agents has become a major cause for concern worldwide. These organisms are widespread in hospitals but also occur increasingly in the community. Some of these strains are multiresistant and the agents available to treat infections caused by them are few and dwindling. Over recent years there have been a number of responses by national, international and professional bodies to this situation, many aimed at curbing this unprecedented growth in resistance, but there is an increasing recognition that a major problem in the management of infections caused by such organisms is the paucity of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostic aids. A conference, organized by the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (SACAR) on behalf of the UK Department of Health and sponsored by the BSAC, was held in Birmingham in December 2005 with the aim of addressing these problems. Conference attendees included those from academia, industry, funding agencies, healthcare management, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), European Directorates and representatives of EU governments. Following a number of keynote presentations which identified major issues, there were a series of workshops which addressed specific questions and produced a number of recommendations. These recommendations were discussed by all delegates. The lack of new anti-infectives and the reasons for this were discussed in some detail. Major pharmaceutical companies no longer find this area as financially rewarding as other therapeutic areas while smaller biotechnology companies, who are seen as more innovative, are hampered by a lack of funding. In spite of a few marked successes, the use of vaccines has had minimal impact in the field of bacterial infections, and progress in this field also suffers from a lack of funding. Diagnostics could aid in the better use of antibacterials but need greater acceptance in the healthcare system, which does not generally appreciate their cost-efficacy. The major recommendations were as follows: (i) Increased efforts are needed to reduce the spread of resistant strains both in the environment and in hospitals--these include improved hygiene and decreased use of some antimicrobials. (ii) Surveillance of resistance is a key factor and improved technology (e.g. IT systems) is needed to improve the potential for surveillance data to inform clinical practice. (iii) Rapid, sensitive and specific diagnostics are urgently needed and the issue of reimbursement needs to be addressed. (iv) More accurate estimates of the cost-efficacy of using anti-infectives and diagnostics are urgently needed. (v) Vaccine technology is available but is underused for the prevention of bacterial infections, particularly those caused by organisms resistant to antimicrobials. (vi) Incentives are required to encourage large pharmaceutical companies to partner small biotechnology companies, which a...

Phages have been used to treat infectious diseases since their discovery nearly a century ago. Modern sequencing and genetic engineering technologies now enable researchers to vastly expand the use of phages as general drug delivery vehicles.

The use of the penicillins in veterinary dermatology is discussed. An outline is provided of the main penicillins used in the veterinary ®eld. These include benzyl penicillin, penicillin V, ampicillin, amoxycillin, coamoxiclav and oxacillin. An increase in b-lactamase production among strains of Staphylococcus intermedius, the principal canine pathogen in pyoderma, has been seen in recent years. Thus only those penicillins with resistance to b-lactamase (co-amoxiclav or isoxazolyl penicillins) are likely to be of value in treating canine pyoderma. However, feline, porcine and equine staphylococcal dermatoses, and other veterinary dermatoses such as the actinomycoses, dermatophilosis and erysipelothrix, usually respond well to most penicillins, whether or not they resist b-lactamase.