Open Science Thread

Hey, did you hear Al Gore is still the co-recipient of the Nobel peace prize for his educational work on global warming, despite the tut-tuts from the science-challenged Right? Chances are the same will be true next week as well, so the science deniers might as well get over it.

• Space Bugs

  Outer space is a cold and sterile place, but spaceships are not. As the 9-year-old space station ages, it's likely to grow more micro-organisms that could pose a risk to its human residents and the station itself. Adding an extra worry, scientists have seen signs that the human immune system weakens during space trips...

  In a study published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nickerson found that salmonella bacteria turned deadlier after a few weeks in space. The bacteria rode into orbit as an experiment aboard space shuttle Discovery in 2006.

• Speaking of bugs,

  American laboratories handling the world's deadliest germs and toxins have experienced more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003, and the number is increasing as more labs do the work.

  No one died, and regulators said the public was never at risk during these incidents. But the documented cases reflect poorly on procedures and oversight at high-security labs, some of which work with organisms and poisons that can cause illnesses with no cure. In some cases, labs have failed to report accidents as required by law.

  Way to go, Bush Administration oversight. Pump that money in for bioterror. More at Effect Measure.

• Another bug in the news is MRSA, a form of staph infection resistant to antibiotics.

  The bug causing most of the concern is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA -- a version of an everyday bacteria that causes pimples, sinus infection and, in rare cases, meningitis and blood infections.

  What is worrying about MRSA is that it resists commonly used antibiotics -- but not all drugs.

  "Extreme measures to 'disinfect' an environment like a school really aren't what is going to be most important in controlling transmission of MRSA," Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, an epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a telephone interview.

  In fact,

  Many school districts, including the one in Washington, D.C., contacted parents to reassure them that there had been no cases of MRSA at their schools.

  The Senate even passed an amendment on Thursday requiring the Agency for Health Research Quality within the Department of Health and Human Services to use $5 million to identify and suppress the spread of MRSA.

  "This is a dangerous and deadly germ which is spreading all over the country," said Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, the amendment's sponsor. "It is costing schools and communities thousands of dollars to clean up but the cost to human life and suffering is growing faster."

  But CDC officials say there is no new emergency and nothing has changed.

  "We understand why people are concerned. But we also want to emphasize that MRSA infections are common," said Srinivasan.

  "MRSA is a common cause of skin infection. Almost all of these infections are readily treated by commonly available antibiotics and by draining the lesions."

  He added: "It is not glamorous but it is very true -- hand hygiene is by far the best means to prevent the spread of all diseases."

  That includes flu, pandemic or otherwise. Wash your hands (soap and water, and sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself twice so you know you did it long enough) and cough in your sleeve - and then wash your clothes!!

  For practical school guidance about MRSA, go here. (Update) see also MRSA in schools from CDC.

• Update [2007-10-20 10:7:43 by DemFromCT]:: Hey, there's good news, too, re another bug: malaria. From the ONE campaign and UNICEF:

  SEATTLE, 17 October 2007 -   Significant gains in the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa are being made, according to a new report released today. The report, Malaria and Children, prepared by UNICEF on behalf of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM), contains a comprehensive assessment of the progress that has been made in malaria control.

  "In Sub-Saharan Africa, Malaria kills at least 800,000 children under the age of five each year," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "Controlling malaria is vital to improving child health and economic development in affected countries.  Studies show that malaria disproportionately affects the poorest people in these countries, and so contributes to their further impoverishment."

  The report shows that, from 2004 to 2006, there has been a rapid increase in the supply of insecticide-treated nets, with annual production of nets more than doubling from 30 to 63 million. Another large increase in production is expected by the end of 2007.

  Update [2007-10-20 17:2:0 by DemFromCT]: Bill Gates speaks on malaria at HuffPost (h/t oibme).