In the course of conducting forensic analysis of human skeletal material, anthropologists are exposed to a number of biological and chemical hazards. This paper reviews the primary concerns in terms of infection or exposure. Handling of human tissue provides an avenue through which bloodborne pathogens may be transported. Scene recovery also includes a set of hazards through exposure to human, ...

Respiratory infections are commonly encountered among dental patients. Commonalities between chemotherapeutic options and the anatomic proximity with the oral cavity lead to much interplay between oral and respiratory infections. There is a growing body of literature pointing to a direct association between oral pathogens and respiratory diseases. Recent studies have reported on oral bacteria a...

Dental caries and periodontal diseases in humans have an astonishing impact on the health and welfare of communities. Sick leave, due to oral infections, and the consequent cost of dental treatment results in costing billions of dollars each year [1]. In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that 5-10% of public health expenditure was related to dental care. ‘Tooth decay and, to a le...

Respiratory diseases are responsible for a significant number of deaths and considerable suffering in humans. Accumulating evidence suggests that oral disorders, particularly periodontal disease, may influence the course of respiratory infections like bacterial pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oral periodontopathic bacteria can be aspirated into the lung causing aspir...

The oropharyngeal region is one of the most complex niches of the human body being colonized by several species of bacteria and fungi. In the oral cavity, there are several species considered pathogenic and opportunistic colonizers that can cause various diseases. In addition, the ability to form biofilm presented by different bacterial and fungal genera is directly related to the virulence of ...

In recent times the concept of infectious agents playing a role in cardiovascular disease has attracted much attention. Chronic oral disease such as periodontitis, provides a plausible route for entry of bacteria to the circulation. Upon entry to the circulation, the oral bacteria interact with platelets. It has been proposed that their ability to induce platelet aggregation and support platele...

We have outlined our progress with respect to developing a novel device for monitoring oral samples for bacterial and/or viral pathogens. The system is based on an existing device for measuring drugs of abuse in an oral sample. The sample is collected on an absorbent pad that delivers a metered dose to the cassette. The sample is then separated into 4 channels for the detection of antigen, RNA ...

Complete genomic sequences of several oral pathogens have been deciphered and multiple sources of independently annotated data are available for the same genomes. Different gene identification schemes and functional annotation methods used in these databases present a challenge for cross-referencing and the efficient use of the data. The Bioinformatics Resource for Oral Pathogens (BROP) aims to...

Periodontitis is a bacterial disease that can be treated with systemic antibiotics. The aim of this study was to establish the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of five periodontal pathogens to six commonly used antibiotics in periodontics. A total of 247 periodontal bacterial isolates were tested for susceptibility to the six antibiotics using the Etest method. MIC(50) and MIC(90) values (min...