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Monday, November 1, 2010

US : Bacteria Identified as New Foe for Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Via Examiner :

" A new study links flare-ups of cystic fibrosis to a chronic bacterial infection, a finding that could give physicians new insight into the disease and offer a new target for medication.
The germ in question is called Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

"Our study showed that chronic infection with S. maltophilia, which was previously not regarded as prognostically significant, may have a real impact on the progression of CF in patients," said study co-author Dr. Valerie Waters, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

"We hope that this study is a starting point for further research, which may point to therapeutic possibilities associated with controlling these infections," she said in a news release from the American Thoracic Society.

Cystic fibrosis is a congenital disease, meaning people are born with it. It produces thick mucus in the lungs and digestive tract that causes infections and can lead to early deaths. Flare-ups can permanently damage the lungs."

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