In light of recent reports of E. coli contamination in a Northern Ontario restaurant and now in Southern Ontario communities, the news of the full licensing approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of the world’s first vaccine designed to reduce the shedding by cattle of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a welcome [...]

E. coli vacine for cattle reduces risk to population Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One of the problems for physicians and patients alike is trying to determine whether a viral respiratory infection is due to a cold virus of the flu among others. This has specific therapeutic and public health implications that would allow accurate advice and prevention measures on a more immediate basis. Dr. James Mahony, Director of [...]

Office testing: Is it a cold or a flu virus Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The investigation and research into the pathophysiology of Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune condition wherein the body’s own immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract, has produced some hypotheses with respect to a possible mechanism that triggers the disease. An article published in the journal Medical Hypotheses, looked at the link between a specific bacterial strain and [...]

Link between bacteria and Crohn's disease hypothesized Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ever since Dr. Barry Marshall from the University of Western Australia ingested the bacterium H. Pylori to prove that they were the cause of gastric ulcers for which was awarded the Nobel prize for Medicine in 2005, it seems that not all these bacteria are created equal in terms of their cancer-causing potential. Researchers from [...]

How some bacteria protect themselves from our immune system Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Undercooked chicken, eggs sandwiches that have gone bad, contaminated water sources while on vacation and just plain poor sanitation and agricultural practices, all the factors and more can lead to salmonella transmission and infection. What has begged the question for some time is why this particular bacterium can cause so fierce an infection while the [...]

Salmonella's molecular trick to make you sick Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What is one to make of the recent and troubling appearance of infectious and toxin producing bacteria in our North American food supply? It is an illustration how quickly food-borne illnesses can spread and the importance of food safety. How common and how easy is it to contaminate food on an industrial scale? Rob Mancini [...]

Preventing food-borne illnesses Part 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Preventing food-borne illnesses Part 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Digestive problems, especially for people over the age of 60 may be due to a change in intestinal bacterial colonies or flora. The balance is thus more heavily weighted towards ‘unfriendly’ bacteria, which may make them more susceptible to gastrointestinal infections and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. Restoration of the friendly bacteria in [...]

probiotics and maintenance of bowel health and function Play Now | Play in Popup | Download