Bacteria | featured news

Fifteen people have now died after consuming cantaloupe contaminated with the listeria monocytogenes bacteria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. At least 84 people in 19 states have become ill with the bacteria, the agency said. And the number of illnesses could still grow, added the CDC, citing reporting lags and how the disease can develop slowly in some people.

Listeria, the food-borne bacteria responsible for killing 21 people this week via contaminated cantaloupes, is just one of many types of bacteria contaminating the food supply. Here, the 5 deadliest types of food-borne bacteria and how to keep yourself and your family members safe.

A bacterium found in soil is showing promise as a way of delivering effective cancer drugs into tumours.

The bacteria that caused the Black Death, which wiped out millions in mid-14th century Europe, may be extinct, according to a new study.

Investigators can now take precautions against diseases starting to emerge, like flu or food-borne bugs and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

Scientists have found Earth's oldest fossils in Australia and say their microscopic discovery is convincing evidence that cells and bacteria were able to thrive in an oxygen-free world more than 3.4 billion years ago.

Los Angeles County health officials say the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in a hot tub at the Playboy Mansion where scores of people became ill after attending a fundraiser in February.

A gene that can turn many types of bacteria into deadly superbugs was found in about a quarter of water samples taken from drinking supplies and puddles on the streets of New Delhi, according to a new study....

USA TODAY consulted experts to target germ-laden spots and offer tips to avoid bacteria and viruses that could make you sick.

New research has just confirmed the old suspicion that the residences of single men are among the most foul in the land. In fact, they have 15 times the amount of bacteria than do the homes of bachelorettes.