I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
Last night at approximately 3:30 AM, Dr. Richard Graham, renowned epidemiologist, passed away due to complications from the Masque strain of MRSA. By the time the antibiotic was given, he had already gone into septic shock. There was nothing the medical staff could do for him.
His life-saving antibiotic went on to help thousands suffering from the same infection, but subsequent tests have revealed that this particular MRSA strain has the ability to quickly adapt to new antibiotics. As always, the best method of protection is to prevent infection in the first place by following proper hygiene and avoiding cross-contamination with already infected people.
Dr. Graham was the most energetic, studious, fun-loving and big-hearted person I knew. He was a joy to have around our lab and he will be sorely missed by everyone here. Especially me.
Thank you for saving my life, Rick, and the lives of thousands. It's just a shame you had to lose your own life to do it. I'll miss you.
- Dr. Allison Jade, Sr. Epidemiologist, Center for Disease Control Maryland Branch
Friday, July 11, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Allison's Party
Allison's party was crashed last night, and it's one hell of a story on how exactly it was crashed.
I'd arrived at Allison's house around 5:30 that afternoon, carrying my famous mustard potato salad in a large porcelain dish. It's a family recipe, having been passed down from my parents to me.
"Rick, there you are!" Allison cried as I entered, smiling. She wore a cat costume, complete with ears and a tail, while her husband Warren wore a Phantom of the Opera mask and cape. Good old Warren Jade, a dependable man if ever there was one. He was an orthopedic surgeon by trade, skilled of hand and soft-spoken of voice, with eyes and hair such a dark brown that one could easily mistake both for pitch black.
"Dr. Graham, a pleasure to see you again." Warren smiled as I entered and shook his hand. "Food's on the table, you can just set your dish there.
He motioned to the kitchen, where several lab mates of mine were already schmoozing, drinking, and in general enjoying the party atmosphere. On the table was the most wonderful spread of potluck dishes, and in the center of it, a glass punch bowl filled with a spiked fruit punch and sprite medley. I wasted no time in setting my dish on the table and getting my share of the punch; Warren always did make wonderful punches.
The party continued without incident, filled with revelry and camaraderie, karaoke and food, liquor and fond stories shared. Little by little guests trickled in, although surprisingly, Wahlburn was nowhere to be found. Nobody seemed to notice until around ten at night, when a lab tech from Allison's area of the building piped up.
"Hey, wait," he said, dark face marred in confusion. "Where's Dr. Wahlburn? Didn't he say he was coming?"
The entire room fell silent and awkward, with the only sound being that of someone's cellphone going off. The chime was just as quickly silenced. Nobody wanted to express concern, but even so... it was unlike Wahlburn to be late for a party, especially one he could so easily become carried away at.
"He's probably lost," said Allison finally. "Again."
This explanation seemed to quell the tension in the room, and before too long someone agreed to call him. Apparently he was on his way and would be there soon. Something about construction blocking the highway.
All was uneventful until 11:30, when the front door opened with a quiet squeak, and everyone turned to greet at the newcomer in joy... but that joy quickly turned to yet another awkward silence as the guest entered. In the new guest stepped as everyone watched in quiet, shocked thrall.
The guest was about Wahlburn's height and weight, and was in perhaps the most complex costume of all of us. It was clear he'd spent some time on the details and accuracy of it, and perhaps even spent a tidy sum on it, but the attention to detail wasn't what captivated everyone. His cloak was made of what appeared to be genuine leather, and seemed hand-stitched by the look of it, but that wasn't what caught the crowd's eye. His gloves and had were of older make, and seemed to be part of the cloak itself, but that wasn't what held everyone's attention
No, what held everyone's attention was the antique plague doctor mask situated on the guest's face, its amber lenses too dark to see the guest's eyes through. It was foreboding in its antiquity and disturbing in its timeliness, its reference to the recent MRSA epidemic, and not one person dared say a word about any of it.
Not one person, that is, except for Allison.
"Wahlburn!" she cried, outraged. "How... you... Why would you... ugh!"
The entire crowd began murmuring in disapproval then, annoyed at Wahlburn's tasteless costume. Allison began to shake in rage.
"Take that off! That is so fucking tacky, how dare you make fun of that when my mother is in the hospital sick with it?!"
The guest tilted his head, seemingly amused by the question, but made no motion to take the mask off. This unnerved me. Not even Wahlburn would push a crass joke this far... would he?
Wanting no part in the crucible that was the living room, I wandered towards the punch bowl again, intent on getting more to drink. Lord knew I'd need it if the crucible boiled over.
"Seriously, Wahlburn, that's not funny!" Allison was now starting to become seriously upset, her voice cracking. "Take the mask off. Please take it off..."
Warren was... well, let's just say he was not pleased upon seeing his wife's reaction, storming up to Wahlburn in uncharacteristic anger. I stirred the punch bowl, not wanting to get involved. This was their house, and their issue - my interference would only make things worse.
"Why won't you answer her? Can't you see she's upset?" Warren scolded, pulling the now crying Allison close to him. "Take that damn thing off..."
The guest made no motion to remove the mask, his attention turning to Warren in curiosity. I continued to stir the punch bowl, scooping a serving into my plastic red cup.
"Hey, you listening to me or not? Take that damn costume off, or I'm calling the police on you for harassment!"
The guest remained silent a moment, deathly so, eerily so.
I took a swig of punch, and almost immediately gagged on a piece of something slimy before spitting it back into the cup. Had a piece of food gotten into the bowl?
I glanced into the cup, gazing at the flecks of slimy brown inside, and my stomach turned. At the same time I heard others murmur and glance at their own beverages, all thinking the same exact thought as me. They'd seen the brown flecks before. Many times before...
The guest lifted his gloved hands to the mask, preparing to concede to Warren's demands, but I was too busy turning to look at the punch bowl in sick anticipation. In that bowl, I saw the horrible confirmation I had hoped I wouldn't. Little brown flecks, hundreds of them, thousands of them, floating innocently on the surface of the punch, covering it. Covering it like a mask.
I looked up just in time to hear Allison scream in horror, and a cursory glance was all I needed to understand why. The masked guest, dressed in the tacky plague doctor costume, was not Wahlburn. In fact, he wasn't anything.
Because the guest had no face under that mask. There was nothing, nothing but a sick collection of mobile brown biofilm, creeping slowly forward and forward towards the remainder of the guests, who, one by one, began to panic. The brown film spread behind it as it crept, slowly covering the floors and multiplying out over the walls, towards Warren and Allison and all the others.
And then, people began to drop. Dropping one by one, like flies, instantly ill... I remember watching, watching in horror as they collapsed, the brown film slowly overtaking them, their skin necrotizing and sloughing off where it touched, consumed by the biofilm...
The biofilm that was heading directly for Allison.
I don't remember much about what happened after that. I recall scooping Allison up and running, sprinting over bodies and dying souls, tumbling my way out of the front door in terror. I remember collapsing as I begged Allison to run, and then after that, all I remember is the sirens. The emergency sirens...
I still don't know what that thing in Allison's house was. I don't think I want to ever know. All I do know is that Allison's safe.
I'm in the hospital, being treated for exposure to the Masque strain. I pray the antibiotics work, because if they don't... if they don't, this may be my last post. The doctors told me I was pretty cut up when they found me, and I'm lucky to have survived this long.
They gave me the antidote, the antibacterial I tested, through intravenous drip. I pray to God it works, because I am in so much pain... so much pain. They tell me if I make it through this and recover, they'll likely have to do skin grafts to restore the damage the necrosis did to my face, and rebuild my nose. Even then, I'd be lucky to live.
Allison is safe. She's been treated and is back on the job as far as I know. As for her husband... there was nothing I could do. There was nothing anyone could have done. The disease just devoured him, just as it devoured those other bacteria in its petri dish, just as it pushed back the antibiotics we tested on it...
This cure needs to work. Oh God, please, let it work... if not for me, then for all the others affected. Just for God's sake, let it work...
I'd arrived at Allison's house around 5:30 that afternoon, carrying my famous mustard potato salad in a large porcelain dish. It's a family recipe, having been passed down from my parents to me.
"Rick, there you are!" Allison cried as I entered, smiling. She wore a cat costume, complete with ears and a tail, while her husband Warren wore a Phantom of the Opera mask and cape. Good old Warren Jade, a dependable man if ever there was one. He was an orthopedic surgeon by trade, skilled of hand and soft-spoken of voice, with eyes and hair such a dark brown that one could easily mistake both for pitch black.
"Dr. Graham, a pleasure to see you again." Warren smiled as I entered and shook his hand. "Food's on the table, you can just set your dish there.
He motioned to the kitchen, where several lab mates of mine were already schmoozing, drinking, and in general enjoying the party atmosphere. On the table was the most wonderful spread of potluck dishes, and in the center of it, a glass punch bowl filled with a spiked fruit punch and sprite medley. I wasted no time in setting my dish on the table and getting my share of the punch; Warren always did make wonderful punches.
The party continued without incident, filled with revelry and camaraderie, karaoke and food, liquor and fond stories shared. Little by little guests trickled in, although surprisingly, Wahlburn was nowhere to be found. Nobody seemed to notice until around ten at night, when a lab tech from Allison's area of the building piped up.
"Hey, wait," he said, dark face marred in confusion. "Where's Dr. Wahlburn? Didn't he say he was coming?"
The entire room fell silent and awkward, with the only sound being that of someone's cellphone going off. The chime was just as quickly silenced. Nobody wanted to express concern, but even so... it was unlike Wahlburn to be late for a party, especially one he could so easily become carried away at.
"He's probably lost," said Allison finally. "Again."
This explanation seemed to quell the tension in the room, and before too long someone agreed to call him. Apparently he was on his way and would be there soon. Something about construction blocking the highway.
All was uneventful until 11:30, when the front door opened with a quiet squeak, and everyone turned to greet at the newcomer in joy... but that joy quickly turned to yet another awkward silence as the guest entered. In the new guest stepped as everyone watched in quiet, shocked thrall.
The guest was about Wahlburn's height and weight, and was in perhaps the most complex costume of all of us. It was clear he'd spent some time on the details and accuracy of it, and perhaps even spent a tidy sum on it, but the attention to detail wasn't what captivated everyone. His cloak was made of what appeared to be genuine leather, and seemed hand-stitched by the look of it, but that wasn't what caught the crowd's eye. His gloves and had were of older make, and seemed to be part of the cloak itself, but that wasn't what held everyone's attention
No, what held everyone's attention was the antique plague doctor mask situated on the guest's face, its amber lenses too dark to see the guest's eyes through. It was foreboding in its antiquity and disturbing in its timeliness, its reference to the recent MRSA epidemic, and not one person dared say a word about any of it.
Not one person, that is, except for Allison.
"Wahlburn!" she cried, outraged. "How... you... Why would you... ugh!"
The entire crowd began murmuring in disapproval then, annoyed at Wahlburn's tasteless costume. Allison began to shake in rage.
"Take that off! That is so fucking tacky, how dare you make fun of that when my mother is in the hospital sick with it?!"
The guest tilted his head, seemingly amused by the question, but made no motion to take the mask off. This unnerved me. Not even Wahlburn would push a crass joke this far... would he?
Wanting no part in the crucible that was the living room, I wandered towards the punch bowl again, intent on getting more to drink. Lord knew I'd need it if the crucible boiled over.
"Seriously, Wahlburn, that's not funny!" Allison was now starting to become seriously upset, her voice cracking. "Take the mask off. Please take it off..."
Warren was... well, let's just say he was not pleased upon seeing his wife's reaction, storming up to Wahlburn in uncharacteristic anger. I stirred the punch bowl, not wanting to get involved. This was their house, and their issue - my interference would only make things worse.
"Why won't you answer her? Can't you see she's upset?" Warren scolded, pulling the now crying Allison close to him. "Take that damn thing off..."
The guest made no motion to remove the mask, his attention turning to Warren in curiosity. I continued to stir the punch bowl, scooping a serving into my plastic red cup.
"Hey, you listening to me or not? Take that damn costume off, or I'm calling the police on you for harassment!"
The guest remained silent a moment, deathly so, eerily so.
I took a swig of punch, and almost immediately gagged on a piece of something slimy before spitting it back into the cup. Had a piece of food gotten into the bowl?
I glanced into the cup, gazing at the flecks of slimy brown inside, and my stomach turned. At the same time I heard others murmur and glance at their own beverages, all thinking the same exact thought as me. They'd seen the brown flecks before. Many times before...
The guest lifted his gloved hands to the mask, preparing to concede to Warren's demands, but I was too busy turning to look at the punch bowl in sick anticipation. In that bowl, I saw the horrible confirmation I had hoped I wouldn't. Little brown flecks, hundreds of them, thousands of them, floating innocently on the surface of the punch, covering it. Covering it like a mask.
I looked up just in time to hear Allison scream in horror, and a cursory glance was all I needed to understand why. The masked guest, dressed in the tacky plague doctor costume, was not Wahlburn. In fact, he wasn't anything.
Because the guest had no face under that mask. There was nothing, nothing but a sick collection of mobile brown biofilm, creeping slowly forward and forward towards the remainder of the guests, who, one by one, began to panic. The brown film spread behind it as it crept, slowly covering the floors and multiplying out over the walls, towards Warren and Allison and all the others.
And then, people began to drop. Dropping one by one, like flies, instantly ill... I remember watching, watching in horror as they collapsed, the brown film slowly overtaking them, their skin necrotizing and sloughing off where it touched, consumed by the biofilm...
The biofilm that was heading directly for Allison.
I don't remember much about what happened after that. I recall scooping Allison up and running, sprinting over bodies and dying souls, tumbling my way out of the front door in terror. I remember collapsing as I begged Allison to run, and then after that, all I remember is the sirens. The emergency sirens...
I still don't know what that thing in Allison's house was. I don't think I want to ever know. All I do know is that Allison's safe.
I'm in the hospital, being treated for exposure to the Masque strain. I pray the antibiotics work, because if they don't... if they don't, this may be my last post. The doctors told me I was pretty cut up when they found me, and I'm lucky to have survived this long.
They gave me the antidote, the antibacterial I tested, through intravenous drip. I pray to God it works, because I am in so much pain... so much pain. They tell me if I make it through this and recover, they'll likely have to do skin grafts to restore the damage the necrosis did to my face, and rebuild my nose. Even then, I'd be lucky to live.
Allison is safe. She's been treated and is back on the job as far as I know. As for her husband... there was nothing I could do. There was nothing anyone could have done. The disease just devoured him, just as it devoured those other bacteria in its petri dish, just as it pushed back the antibiotics we tested on it...
This cure needs to work. Oh God, please, let it work... if not for me, then for all the others affected. Just for God's sake, let it work...
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Very Concerned...
There's something not right about the most recent samples of the Masque MRSA strain that I've tested.
Last week, I plated a new batch of the bacteria and allowed it to incubate, as normal. Then, I proceeded to drop antibiotic on the plate, and let it sit for a few days. The results, as usual, were promising - the colonies where the antibiotic was placed died as usual, and growth of additional ones seemed to have stopped.
But the next day, when I checked the agar again, I saw something odd.
The colonies had started to grow back. And after testing the agar, I found the antibiotic still present on the plate.
This makes little sense, and it deeply worries me. I'm beginning to grow concerned that the Masque strain is adapting quickly. A bit too quickly...
I'm convinced it's a fluke, or an outlier, or something. This... simply isn't possible. It's not possible for a bacterium to become that resistant to a medicine and mutate that quickly. Even viruses don't mutate that fast.
I must be overthinking it. There's clearly an explanation for these odd happenings, I just need to find it. That, or I really, really need a rest from this project.
Allison's party is next weekend. I've chosen a simple purple and gold mask and I plan to wear a nice suit with it. No need to go all out, especially for an informal party. Besides, the festivities and the liquor will surely do me good. Lord knows I need to relax a bit, especially after the issues this project has faced...
Last week, I plated a new batch of the bacteria and allowed it to incubate, as normal. Then, I proceeded to drop antibiotic on the plate, and let it sit for a few days. The results, as usual, were promising - the colonies where the antibiotic was placed died as usual, and growth of additional ones seemed to have stopped.
But the next day, when I checked the agar again, I saw something odd.
The colonies had started to grow back. And after testing the agar, I found the antibiotic still present on the plate.
This makes little sense, and it deeply worries me. I'm beginning to grow concerned that the Masque strain is adapting quickly. A bit too quickly...
I'm convinced it's a fluke, or an outlier, or something. This... simply isn't possible. It's not possible for a bacterium to become that resistant to a medicine and mutate that quickly. Even viruses don't mutate that fast.
I must be overthinking it. There's clearly an explanation for these odd happenings, I just need to find it. That, or I really, really need a rest from this project.
Allison's party is next weekend. I've chosen a simple purple and gold mask and I plan to wear a nice suit with it. No need to go all out, especially for an informal party. Besides, the festivities and the liquor will surely do me good. Lord knows I need to relax a bit, especially after the issues this project has faced...
Friday, June 20, 2014
Congrats, Allison! :D
Dr. Allison Jade, a longtime friend and close colleague of mine, is celebrating her 10th anniversary in July this year. I've known her for years and I couldn't be happier for her.
Recently, she came to me for suggestions on the party she was going to throw. It was over lunch, I think, when she brought the party to my attention. She had wanted to invite the entire lab to celebrate with her, since so many of us were close friends.
"That's a wonderful idea!" I had told her, grinning. "Your lab techs are going to have a riot, I know how close you are with them."
"Like my little science children," Allison responded, smiling. "Are you going to attend, Rick?"
"I'm considering it. What's the theme?"
"Well that's the problem," she said, brow furrowing. "I haven't had much time to plan anything big, so it's just going to be informal. I've asked people to bring a dish to pass, to make it easier... but I don't know what I want the theme to be."
"Virii." I smirked.
"You are such an ass!" Allison laughed. "No. I was thinking costume party as the theme, but that seems too much, doesn't it?"
"Not at all," I reassured. "In fact, I think a costume party is a great idea. That way people can go all out, or they can just throw on a cheap masquerade mask. As long as they have at least a mask, it should qualify, right?"
"Right. Just as long as Wahlburn doesn't ruin it like he did last time someone threw a party - remember the pool noodle incident?"
I winced. Of course I remembered the pool noodle incident. Everyone in the lab remembered the pool noodle incident...
"Right. Well hopefully he'll be a little more considerate this time around."
"He'd better, or else he's getting thrown out."
The rest of the lunch period went fairly uneventfully as we discussed the Masque project and the promising new antibiotics that had been tested.
As for Allison's party, she's holding it a few weeks from now. I'll likely post about it after the fact, and then it's back to more work on the Masque project.
Recently, she came to me for suggestions on the party she was going to throw. It was over lunch, I think, when she brought the party to my attention. She had wanted to invite the entire lab to celebrate with her, since so many of us were close friends.
"That's a wonderful idea!" I had told her, grinning. "Your lab techs are going to have a riot, I know how close you are with them."
"Like my little science children," Allison responded, smiling. "Are you going to attend, Rick?"
"I'm considering it. What's the theme?"
"Well that's the problem," she said, brow furrowing. "I haven't had much time to plan anything big, so it's just going to be informal. I've asked people to bring a dish to pass, to make it easier... but I don't know what I want the theme to be."
"Virii." I smirked.
"You are such an ass!" Allison laughed. "No. I was thinking costume party as the theme, but that seems too much, doesn't it?"
"Not at all," I reassured. "In fact, I think a costume party is a great idea. That way people can go all out, or they can just throw on a cheap masquerade mask. As long as they have at least a mask, it should qualify, right?"
"Right. Just as long as Wahlburn doesn't ruin it like he did last time someone threw a party - remember the pool noodle incident?"
I winced. Of course I remembered the pool noodle incident. Everyone in the lab remembered the pool noodle incident...
"Right. Well hopefully he'll be a little more considerate this time around."
"He'd better, or else he's getting thrown out."
The rest of the lunch period went fairly uneventfully as we discussed the Masque project and the promising new antibiotics that had been tested.
As for Allison's party, she's holding it a few weeks from now. I'll likely post about it after the fact, and then it's back to more work on the Masque project.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Back to Work
Finally back from my hiatus.
Annie's funeral was beautiful and took place outside. There wasn't a cloud in the sky - just how she'd have wanted it. She was a wonderful, bubbly woman that always had a smile on her face and the sun in her heart, and I like to think when the sun shines it's her smiling on me from Heaven. I miss you, Annie - rest in peace, baby sis...
Work on my pet project has been halted due to a problem with the Masque project - the experimental quinolone is no longer working on the bacterial colonies. Not even at the highest doses.
This disturbs me. I've never seen a bacteria adapt so quickly to an antibiotic, or so easily suppress other bacterial colonies the way this one has. No wonder the Masque epidemic is spreading so quickly.
I'll be sharing my findings with my superiors; word is another lab has found another antibiotic that works well in treating infection with this bacterium. And the good news is, it's been approved by the FDA for use already. My only concern is, if this bacteria could defeat every antibiotic I threw at it so far, and so quickly... could it adapt easily to this one, too?
Clearly, more research is required. I'll be in touch.
Annie's funeral was beautiful and took place outside. There wasn't a cloud in the sky - just how she'd have wanted it. She was a wonderful, bubbly woman that always had a smile on her face and the sun in her heart, and I like to think when the sun shines it's her smiling on me from Heaven. I miss you, Annie - rest in peace, baby sis...
Work on my pet project has been halted due to a problem with the Masque project - the experimental quinolone is no longer working on the bacterial colonies. Not even at the highest doses.
This disturbs me. I've never seen a bacteria adapt so quickly to an antibiotic, or so easily suppress other bacterial colonies the way this one has. No wonder the Masque epidemic is spreading so quickly.
I'll be sharing my findings with my superiors; word is another lab has found another antibiotic that works well in treating infection with this bacterium. And the good news is, it's been approved by the FDA for use already. My only concern is, if this bacteria could defeat every antibiotic I threw at it so far, and so quickly... could it adapt easily to this one, too?
Clearly, more research is required. I'll be in touch.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Hiatus
Due to family events, I'll be going on hiatus for a few months. My sister is unfortunately dealing with a particularly nasty skin cancer and is undergoing treatment for it, but is not expected to live much past another month. She's been hospitalized and wants me to visit her in Alabama. I won't be posting again for a while, sorry... :(
Monday, March 17, 2014
Epidemic Warning
There have been increased cases of Masque MRSA strain infection in the western and central United States. The bacteria has been found in hospitals in the following states: California, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, Colorado. It is believed that unwashed meats and produce from these states may be spreading the strain even to healthy people due to an increase in food poisoning cases caused by this bacteria.
Please, please be sure to wash any fruits and vegetables you purchase, and cook all meat thoroughly! Wash your hands and be sure to practice basic hygiene - you can spread the Masque strain without even realizing you've got it on you. If at any point you believe that a wound may be infected with this MRSA strain, seek medical attention. Do not wait - this bacteria causes tissue necrosis and can easily kill even healthy people who wait too long. Stay safe and healthy, readers!
Please, please be sure to wash any fruits and vegetables you purchase, and cook all meat thoroughly! Wash your hands and be sure to practice basic hygiene - you can spread the Masque strain without even realizing you've got it on you. If at any point you believe that a wound may be infected with this MRSA strain, seek medical attention. Do not wait - this bacteria causes tissue necrosis and can easily kill even healthy people who wait too long. Stay safe and healthy, readers!
Back on Track, and a New Development...
Back to work, finally! Hope all my readers stayed safe during the flooding these past few weeks - I know it's been a mess for me. Hopefully it hasn't been one for you, too - I know some districts are still dealing with floodwater damage.
Today, I checked on the previously treated samples from a week ago. It seems the experimental quinolone I treated them with has killed nearly all but the most resistant colonies. Success! I'll definitely be trying more trials with that antibiotic and others like it, just to be sure.
I also checked on my pet project with the penicillium and two different Staph strains, and discovered something... interesting. I know for a fact I swabbed some mold spores on there, but when I went to check, all I found were little brown colonies of the Masque strain of bacteria. I also had coughed on the plate, to be sure of other bacterial growth, and noticed there were some other unidentified colonies, but very few of them. This seems to indicate that the Masque strain is particularly persistent in crowding out other bacteria, and perhaps is even preventing them from growing entirely. I'll check the pet project again next week to see if anything new happens, but unless something big occurs I'll be devoting all my time to my research.
Today, I checked on the previously treated samples from a week ago. It seems the experimental quinolone I treated them with has killed nearly all but the most resistant colonies. Success! I'll definitely be trying more trials with that antibiotic and others like it, just to be sure.
I also checked on my pet project with the penicillium and two different Staph strains, and discovered something... interesting. I know for a fact I swabbed some mold spores on there, but when I went to check, all I found were little brown colonies of the Masque strain of bacteria. I also had coughed on the plate, to be sure of other bacterial growth, and noticed there were some other unidentified colonies, but very few of them. This seems to indicate that the Masque strain is particularly persistent in crowding out other bacteria, and perhaps is even preventing them from growing entirely. I'll check the pet project again next week to see if anything new happens, but unless something big occurs I'll be devoting all my time to my research.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Local Warning
Due to heavy flooding from snow melt, the Maryland area has become flooded in many districts, including the one my lab's located at. Unfortunately, this has caused the lower floor of the CDC building to be shut down, meaning I can't get into work and check my samples until the mess is cleaned up. The samples will be fine; they're kept in a sterile environment so no more contamination can happen, and I'm always the last one to lock up at night, so I know things are safe in there.
Until the floodwaters cede, stay safe and make sure to drink only bottled water, as it's likely that many water sources have been contaminated. I know there was a nasty water main and sewage pipe break over on 52nd, backing things up in that district. Keep safe and try to stay dry, guys. :)
Until the floodwaters cede, stay safe and make sure to drink only bottled water, as it's likely that many water sources have been contaminated. I know there was a nasty water main and sewage pipe break over on 52nd, backing things up in that district. Keep safe and try to stay dry, guys. :)
Friday, February 28, 2014
Results of Experimental Antibiotics
Sorry for the hiatus from posting, but I'm pleased to have some good news for once - the experimental antibiotics we've been trying are working beautifully. Due to company policy, I unfortunately cannot reveal much more information about the specific drug tested; however, I can say that it was a quinolone antibiotic. I knew I was on to something with that drug family, and it looks like I was right! If further trials work out, this drug might be the antibiotic that kills off this nasty, destructive bug in suffering victims...
I do have one more update - remember my pet project plate from a couple months back? Well, I continued monitoring it, checking on the growth of the colonies. Turns out that the grey colonies are most likely penicillium mold, while the other unknown colonies were S. mutans, a Strep strain commonly found in the human mouth as dental plaque. I'm not sure how penicillium got onto this plate or why it hasn't retarded bacterial growth yet, but as for the S. mutans I suspect that omeone must have coughed into the plate, soiling the sample. After identifying the grey colonies, I allowed the plate to sit another week, and that's when I began to notice something - both the mold and S. mutans colonies were dying off, and the Masque colonies were becoming more numerous.
The fact that the Masque colonies resisted intrusion from the penicillium colonies is no surprise to me, since this strain is immune to the effects of penicillium mold. But unless there's an antibiotic present in the agar, which there was, colonies shouldn't spontaneously die off like that - especially not penicillium. At first, I thought that it was indeed the quinolone treatment in the agar that had killed the S. mutans colonies, but to confirm I did test the agar for traces of the antibiotic. What I found shocked me.
There was no antibiotic present on the plate, despite my having clearly remembered treating it.
My best guess is that the antibiotic degraded over time, possibly by exposure to sunlight. I'll be replicating this experiment with more Masque bacteria, penicillium spores from our own samples, and plaque samples from my own mouth just to be sure it's not a fluke. Besides, it's an excuse to continue my pet project, even as I continue my research into this devastating MRSA strain...
I do have one more update - remember my pet project plate from a couple months back? Well, I continued monitoring it, checking on the growth of the colonies. Turns out that the grey colonies are most likely penicillium mold, while the other unknown colonies were S. mutans, a Strep strain commonly found in the human mouth as dental plaque. I'm not sure how penicillium got onto this plate or why it hasn't retarded bacterial growth yet, but as for the S. mutans I suspect that omeone must have coughed into the plate, soiling the sample. After identifying the grey colonies, I allowed the plate to sit another week, and that's when I began to notice something - both the mold and S. mutans colonies were dying off, and the Masque colonies were becoming more numerous.
The fact that the Masque colonies resisted intrusion from the penicillium colonies is no surprise to me, since this strain is immune to the effects of penicillium mold. But unless there's an antibiotic present in the agar, which there was, colonies shouldn't spontaneously die off like that - especially not penicillium. At first, I thought that it was indeed the quinolone treatment in the agar that had killed the S. mutans colonies, but to confirm I did test the agar for traces of the antibiotic. What I found shocked me.
There was no antibiotic present on the plate, despite my having clearly remembered treating it.
My best guess is that the antibiotic degraded over time, possibly by exposure to sunlight. I'll be replicating this experiment with more Masque bacteria, penicillium spores from our own samples, and plaque samples from my own mouth just to be sure it's not a fluke. Besides, it's an excuse to continue my pet project, even as I continue my research into this devastating MRSA strain...
Friday, February 7, 2014
Pet Project
Hey, remember that contaminated plate from last post? I found something cool on it today - a mixture of bacteria! So, aside from the lost sample, I did get this nifty picture to show you:
Notice the large brown colonies of Staph present on this blood agar plate. That's the Masque strain sample that I plated. Depressingly, it seems that the particular fluroquinolone that I treated it with hasn't really done much good in controlling the colonies - there's fewer of them, but they're also larger. Notice also the greyish colonies. I have not yet identified these bacteria, but I'll be sure to give you an update as soon as I do. Until then, I'll continue to keep you posted on the Masque project.
Notice the large brown colonies of Staph present on this blood agar plate. That's the Masque strain sample that I plated. Depressingly, it seems that the particular fluroquinolone that I treated it with hasn't really done much good in controlling the colonies - there's fewer of them, but they're also larger. Notice also the greyish colonies. I have not yet identified these bacteria, but I'll be sure to give you an update as soon as I do. Until then, I'll continue to keep you posted on the Masque project.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Unfortunate Setback
No, no, no!
Someone left one of the fluoroquinolone-treated samples open over the weekend and didn't tell me. It's contaminated with God only knows what microflora now... I saw what looked to be like some kind of mold, and possibly E. coli from the food processing lab, meaning that someone didn't change their gloves - likely one of the lab techs on the Masque project.
So frustrated. Now I have to scrap the sample and start all over, and what's worse, I'll likely have to remove whomever didn't follow protocol from the project. I really hate having to get people in trouble with the higher-ups, but if protocol for highly contagious pathogens is broken, it could get all of us endangered or infected. It's a risk we just can't take...
Out of personal interest, I'll keep the contaminated sample separate from the others; I'd like to see if the Masque strain plays nice with other microflora. As for the setback, let's just hope that the rest of the week is better than this one was... :(
Someone left one of the fluoroquinolone-treated samples open over the weekend and didn't tell me. It's contaminated with God only knows what microflora now... I saw what looked to be like some kind of mold, and possibly E. coli from the food processing lab, meaning that someone didn't change their gloves - likely one of the lab techs on the Masque project.
So frustrated. Now I have to scrap the sample and start all over, and what's worse, I'll likely have to remove whomever didn't follow protocol from the project. I really hate having to get people in trouble with the higher-ups, but if protocol for highly contagious pathogens is broken, it could get all of us endangered or infected. It's a risk we just can't take...
Out of personal interest, I'll keep the contaminated sample separate from the others; I'd like to see if the Masque strain plays nice with other microflora. As for the setback, let's just hope that the rest of the week is better than this one was... :(
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
It's A Secret :)
Sorry readers, but due to a change in what antibiotics are being tested now, I can't share details of the testing procedures I'm using for the Masque project anymore. The reason for this is that the drugs I'm testing are very new, unreleased antibiotics that have recently been approved for testing, and I'm not legally allowed to share details about them or I could lose my job.
I'll continue to give updates on the Masque project, but they're likely going to be more infrequent and less detailed. Sorry. :(
I'll continue to give updates on the Masque project, but they're likely going to be more infrequent and less detailed. Sorry. :(
Monday, January 27, 2014
Types of Antibiotics
I had a couple readers shoot me an email concerning differences in the types of antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. There are hundreds of antibiotics out there, but most are classified into six main families. Here is a quick overview of the different antibiotic families:
- Penicillins are widely used to treat a variety of infections, including skin infections, chest infections and urinary tract infections. They're the most common kind of antibiotic available.
- Cephalosporins can be used to treat a wide range of infections but are also effective in treating more serious infections such as sepsis and meningitis.
- Aminoglycosides tend to be used only to treat very serious illnesses such as sepsis, as they can cause serious side effects, including hearing loss and kidney damage. They break down quickly inside the digestive system so they have to be given by injection. They are also used as drops for some ear or eye infections.
- Tetracyclines can be used to treat a wide range of infections. They are commonly used to treat moderate to severe acne and rosacea. Most people respond well to this antibiotic.
- Macrolides can be particularly useful in treating lung and chest infections. They can also be a useful alternative for people with a penicillin allergy or to treat penicillin-resistant strains of bacteria like MRSA.
- Fluoroquinolones or Quinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics that can be used to treat a wide range of infections. These tend to be particularly effective on Staph strains.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Second Week Results
The fluoroquinolones continue to show great promise in destroying colonies of the Masque Disease, as the ever-hovering media seems fit to dub it. All in all, the research into using macrolide antibiotics was scrapped, as results with them continued to be highly unfavorable.
We will continue research into using fluoroquinolones, and in the meantime I'll get back to posting your regularly scheduled disease facts and info. Stay tuned. :)
We will continue research into using fluoroquinolones, and in the meantime I'll get back to posting your regularly scheduled disease facts and info. Stay tuned. :)
Thursday, January 16, 2014
First Week Results
The results of the first battery of tests is in, and they are unfortunately quite disappointing.
Tested antibiotics included the following: balofloxacin, clinafloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, tylocin, and telithromycin. They were all tested at both high and low concentrations, with the following less than stellar results.
Tested antibiotics included the following: balofloxacin, clinafloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, tylocin, and telithromycin. They were all tested at both high and low concentrations, with the following less than stellar results.
- clinafloxacin killed colonies only at doses lethal to humans.
- erythromycin, clarithromycin, and tylocin failed to kill any colonies even at the highest doses.
- balofloxacin and levofloxacin seem promising, working at low doses, killing about half the colonies in the agar.
- telithromycin seems to work only at high doses.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Antibiotic Testing
Today's the day, readers! I'm finally set to start research on MRSA serotype Masque, particularly in testing antibiotics. It's been confirmed by Dr. Wahlburn, who is working on the project with me, that the bacterium is indeed resistant to Penicillin, Cephalosporin, and weaker Tetracyclines. More research into the Tetracycline drug family may be necessary, as inadequate research was done on the stronger members of that drug family due to time constraints. Also tested will be trials involving Fluroquinolones and Macrolides. MRSA infections have previously responded favorably to Macrolide antibiotics in particular, so it's my hope that the same is the case with Masque.
Wish me the utmost luck; I'm about to dive into this project full force. I'll be sure to keep you updated as research continues.
Wish me the utmost luck; I'm about to dive into this project full force. I'll be sure to keep you updated as research continues.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Home, Sweet Home
Finally back in Maryland again, after a long, long stay in Cali - and I've brought a new friend along, as promised. I've managed, through cooperation with the West Coast Branch of the CDC, to obtain three agar plates of the Masque MRSA strain. The little guys are safe and sound (and well protected!) inside a sterile metal incubating box, which I personally drove all the way home with (it's illegal to ship infectious material through the United States Mail). Quite a trip, let me tell you! The agar plates have made it home safe and sound, and are being kept on premise in the lab in their own hermetically sealed, high-level biohazard area. Only I and a few other scientists are allowed into that room to test the bacteria, and biohazard suits are a must while working with the samples, as per usual.
I unfortunately have more bad news for my readers in California - it seems that there has been an uptick in patients being treated at hospitals in that state after seeking emergency medical treatment for Masque serotype MRSA infections. It seems the disease has become quite infectious and is no longer an issue for only those who are sick or hospitalized. The West Coast Branch is working around the clock to ensure the safety of citizens in and around the Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Francisco areas. Remember to take special care to commit to personal hygiene, such as hand-washing, treating wounds promptly, and seeking medical attention if you at any time suspect a staph infection.
I unfortunately have more bad news for my readers in California - it seems that there has been an uptick in patients being treated at hospitals in that state after seeking emergency medical treatment for Masque serotype MRSA infections. It seems the disease has become quite infectious and is no longer an issue for only those who are sick or hospitalized. The West Coast Branch is working around the clock to ensure the safety of citizens in and around the Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Francisco areas. Remember to take special care to commit to personal hygiene, such as hand-washing, treating wounds promptly, and seeking medical attention if you at any time suspect a staph infection.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Update on the MRSA Strain Project...
It's been awhile, but I've finally found time to sit down and blog again!
I know you've all been anxious to hear about my research out in California. Well, I've got some interesting news about it, a little good and a little bad.
The good news is, we've discovered a new strain of MRSA prevalent in hospitals in the California area, but it hasn't seemed to spread to other states yet. It's our hope that the spread can be prevented by early intervention, before anyone else is harmed.
Now comes the bad news. This next part is rather disturbing - squeamish readers may want to skip to the bottom of this post.
As it turns out, we're not dealing with your garden-variety MRSA here, as this strain is particularly dangerous and might be resistant to even more antibiotics than before. Some of my readers might remember my MRSA post from last year, when I mentioned that necrosis and gangrene are complications of an untreated staph infection. Unfortunately, it seems that this particular strain is quite nasty in that regard, as in 85% of all infections with this strain, necrosis and tissue death occurs. It seems this particularly vicious strain tends to concentrate in the tissues of the face in about 73% of all cases. In these cases, the necrosis occurs in a predictable pattern - spreading in a ring-like shape outward from both eyes and down the nose in a mask-like pattern. The disease also tends to necrotize areas over any bony parts of the body, meaning that pressure sore wounds are very commonly infected areas of the body as well. Bleeding and pus occur readily around still-living areas of infection as well, while dead tissue turns gangrenous and black before sloughing off. As you can imagine, this causes significant facial damage, and can even result in death. This necrosis occurs rapidly over the course of a few days, with eye, nose, and mouth infections being common due to their proximity with the infected area. Nerve death and bacterial menengitis are deadly but rare complications of infection. The risk of sepsis is particularly high with this strain as well, occurring in about 48% of all cases.
The mortality rate for this strain of MRSA is currently around 85-90% without hospital treatment and occurs within a week after infection; with timely hospital intervention the death rate drops to about 65%. The elderly, the immunocompromised, and infants are at the greatest risk for contracting this deadly staph strain. However, it gets worse - this particular strain, in addition to being resistant to Methicillin and other drugs like it, is resistant to cephalosporins and tetracyclines, two other common types of antibiotics, making this one bad, bad bacterium that is difficult to treat effectively.
Due to the predictable pattern of this strain's spread and its disastrous effects, I have dubbed this strain the "Masque" serotype of MRSA, and I plan to bring samples of the bacterium with me to test later. There are other options for antibiotics that have not yet been tested, and my superiors are quite interested in studying this fascinating and deadly little "superbug". I will keep my readers posted on any more developments with the project. In the meantime, I highly suggest my Californian readers take extra precautions if they may be exposed to Staph bacteria, particularly if they work with children or in health care.
I know you've all been anxious to hear about my research out in California. Well, I've got some interesting news about it, a little good and a little bad.
The good news is, we've discovered a new strain of MRSA prevalent in hospitals in the California area, but it hasn't seemed to spread to other states yet. It's our hope that the spread can be prevented by early intervention, before anyone else is harmed.
Now comes the bad news. This next part is rather disturbing - squeamish readers may want to skip to the bottom of this post.
As it turns out, we're not dealing with your garden-variety MRSA here, as this strain is particularly dangerous and might be resistant to even more antibiotics than before. Some of my readers might remember my MRSA post from last year, when I mentioned that necrosis and gangrene are complications of an untreated staph infection. Unfortunately, it seems that this particular strain is quite nasty in that regard, as in 85% of all infections with this strain, necrosis and tissue death occurs. It seems this particularly vicious strain tends to concentrate in the tissues of the face in about 73% of all cases. In these cases, the necrosis occurs in a predictable pattern - spreading in a ring-like shape outward from both eyes and down the nose in a mask-like pattern. The disease also tends to necrotize areas over any bony parts of the body, meaning that pressure sore wounds are very commonly infected areas of the body as well. Bleeding and pus occur readily around still-living areas of infection as well, while dead tissue turns gangrenous and black before sloughing off. As you can imagine, this causes significant facial damage, and can even result in death. This necrosis occurs rapidly over the course of a few days, with eye, nose, and mouth infections being common due to their proximity with the infected area. Nerve death and bacterial menengitis are deadly but rare complications of infection. The risk of sepsis is particularly high with this strain as well, occurring in about 48% of all cases.
The mortality rate for this strain of MRSA is currently around 85-90% without hospital treatment and occurs within a week after infection; with timely hospital intervention the death rate drops to about 65%. The elderly, the immunocompromised, and infants are at the greatest risk for contracting this deadly staph strain. However, it gets worse - this particular strain, in addition to being resistant to Methicillin and other drugs like it, is resistant to cephalosporins and tetracyclines, two other common types of antibiotics, making this one bad, bad bacterium that is difficult to treat effectively.
Due to the predictable pattern of this strain's spread and its disastrous effects, I have dubbed this strain the "Masque" serotype of MRSA, and I plan to bring samples of the bacterium with me to test later. There are other options for antibiotics that have not yet been tested, and my superiors are quite interested in studying this fascinating and deadly little "superbug". I will keep my readers posted on any more developments with the project. In the meantime, I highly suggest my Californian readers take extra precautions if they may be exposed to Staph bacteria, particularly if they work with children or in health care.
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