Not a pre-print this time but a (presumably) peer-reviewed article about the susceptibility of domesticated animals to SARS-CoV-2. The authors looked at dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs, ducks, and chickens. Basically the virus can infect ferrets and cats pretty well and that with cats, they can potentially get the virus from other cats. Not clear yet …
Epidemiological and other studies have shown that, on average, having a dog is correlated to some possible health benefits (e.g., see this). And some studies have further suggested that this might be connected to “the microbiome” in that having a dog might change the microbiome of one’s surroundings and that this in turn might contribute …
OK I could not help it with the alliteration, since I just had to top the headline in the NY Times. Source: Dogs Do Their Duty for Science – The New York Times The article is about the work of Jane Carlton (full disclosure – I used to work with her at TIGR) and their …
Lots of cool new papers to share. Unfortunately, many are behind paywalls. Humans in hospitals Towards an antimicrobial ‘microglove’ – Ewoud Reilman – Scientific Reports (OA) Healthcare workers frequently experience difficulties in complying strictly to hand disinfection protocols. This study was therefore aimed at the development of a hand rub with antimicrobial activity that forms …
One aspect of life with dogs is that my house and clothing tend be coated in a layer of hair. However, a recent study by Fujimura et al. indicates that the dust in houses with dogs may confer protection from airway allergens and respiratory infection compared to houses with no pets. Fujimura et al. exposed …
OK, this is one of the more interesting “microbiology of the built environment” stories I have seen in a while: Cliff the beagle sniffs out dangerous infections in hospitals | SmartPlanet. A new paper in BMJ reports on training and testing of dogs to detect Clostridium difficile infections in hospitals. There is even a video included …