Bacteria in cigarettes may harm health

"Cigarettes are widely contaminated with bacteria, including some known to harm health, French and U.S. researchers said. Researchers at the University of Maryland in College Park and Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France found cigarettes could be the direct source of exposure to a wide array of potentially pathogenic microbes among smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. "We were quite surprised to identify such a wide variety of human bacterial pathogens in these products," lead researcher Amy R. Sapkota of the University of Maryland School of Public Health said in a statement. "If these organisms can survive the smoking process - and we believe they can - then they could possibly go on to contribute to both infectious and chronic illnesses in both smokers and individuals who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke." Sapkota and colleagues used DNA microarray analysis to estimate the so-called bacterial metagenome -- the totality of bacterial genetic material present in the tested cigarettes. The findings are scheduled to be published in Environmental Health Perspectives" - UPI

Bug killed doctor by eating through his artificial heart valve (UK)

A clinical psychologist died after bacteria ate a hole in an artificial valve fitted to his heart and stopped it working. Dr Keith Jones died of a sudden heart attack at Royal Derby Hospital in October last year. A postmortem examination revealed part of the valve, fitted 12 months previously, had been destroyed by the bacteria, called staph aureus. This stopped blood being pumped around his body. Giving evidence at an inquest, Dr Ivan Robinson, who conducted the examination, said: "I think the sudden catastrophic nature of Mr Jones' death was because the valve gave way. "The bacteria destroyed the substance of the valve. "This meant the heart was not pumping effectively. "There was a build-up of blood behind the left ventricle (one of four chambers of the heart)." Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court heard that Dr Jones, 57, from Turnditch, fell ill with endocarditis – an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart – in 2007