Staphylococcal infections — especially rampant in hospitals and responsible for … some fatal disorders — may be virtually stamped out. Researchers … have extracted teichoic acid from the bacteria’s cell wall and used it to protect groups of mice from subsequent massive doses of virulent staph organisms. — Science News, October 29, 1966
UPDATE Staphylococcus aureus has not been conquered. As antibiotic resistance grows, the pressure is on to find ways to stop the deadly microbe. A vaccine that targets S. aureus’ various routes of infection is being tested in patients having back surgery. Ideally, doctors would use the vaccine to protect hospital patients and people with weakened immune systems. This vaccine is the furthest along among several others in development. Meanwhile, a natural antibiotic recently found in human noses may lead to drugs that target antibiotic-resistant staph (SN: 8/20/16, p. 7).
