by Laurie Kundrat | Feb 16, 2017 | Uncategorized
There are about 20 outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease each year in the United States. Most outbreaks occur in buildings with large water systems such as hotels and hospitals. The outbreaks are caused by Legionella pneumophila, a harmless microorganism in a natural...
by Laurie Kundrat | Jul 21, 2016 | Clinical, Pharmaceutical
In 1950, a United States Navy ship spent six days spraying Serratia marcescens into the air two miles off the coast of San Francisco. The spraying was part of a biological weapon test called Operation Sea Spray. Prior to the 1950s, S. marcescens was considered to be a...
by Laurie Kundrat | Jun 16, 2016 | Food
Ubiquitous in nature, Listeria monocytogenes can be found in many contamination sources making it difficult to eliminate from food processing facilities. Characteristics, such as the ability to grow at refrigerator temperatures, form biofilms, thrive in moist...
by Laurie Kundrat | May 12, 2016 | Pharmaceutical
If your manufacturing processes utilize purified water or highly purified water, Ralstonia pickettii should be on your list of microorganisms to control. In fact, it has become a microorganism of concern to sterile drug manufacturers because it is capable of passing...
by Laurie Kundrat | Apr 14, 2016 | Pharmaceutical
If you have isolated Bacillus cereus in your pharmaceutical manufacturing environment, you are not alone! Bacillus is one of the most common microorganisms cited in U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning letters associated with contamination in pharmaceutical...
