Zyvox may replace cefadroxil and ciprofloxacin as the antibiotic of choice against MRSA infections, says Harvey Bonner, O.D., who watches new pharmaceuticals. Zyvox also replaces vancomycin as a last resort antibiotic for severe infections. It can also manage Staphylococcus epidermidis that may remain on surgical instruments. Colorblind Disease A mutated gene that s responsible for a rare form of colorblindness has been revealed. Information from the Human Genome Project helped pinpoint it.
Patients can only see in dim light.
All three types of cones in the retinas of these patients are still alive, just not functional, Dr. Olof Sundin, of John Hopkins University School of Medicine, told the online publication Sightstreet News. Achromatopsia, while typically rare, is common among the population of the Pingelap atoll in Micronesia. The population was devastated by a typhoon in 1775, then regrew from about 20 survivors. Researchers believe they have traced the mutation among the small population of the Pingelapese back to one man. Identifying the mutated gene is the first step, he says, but treating the disease appears to be a long way off.