Scientists have uncovered genetic clues to a bacterium that could potentially be used as a bioterrorist agent. Brucella melitensis causes Malta fever, a debilitating flu-like disease. An international research team mapped out its genetic blueprint, opening the way for discovering its weak spots. The bacteria, which primarily infect sheep and goats, can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with the animals or by consuming unpasteurized milk products. Although the disease rarely kills humans, it spreads easily and is difficult to treat, with no vaccine available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's has placed it on its "B" list of potential bioterrorist weapons. The researchers suggest the next step in understanding how the bacterium harms its host depends on identifying the types of toxic molecules it secretes.

BRAIN CONNECTION OF HIV, ALZHEIMER'S

HIV and Alzheimer's disease may have more in common than has been thought. Both damage the brain in a similar fashion that involves inflammation. This suggests that anti-inflammatory drugs could be of help, scientists said. The new findings show that AIDS dementia, like Alzheimer's, may be a chronic condition. The study, published in the journal AIDS, shows that immune cell markers of AIDS dementia remain even after a patient is treated with anti-retroviral drug cocktails. The same markers are elevated in patients with Alzheimer's, said lead author Lynn Pulliam, chief of microbiology at San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, professor of laboratory medicine and medicine. "The brain wages an immune response against HIV infection. We believe the brain is damaged by inflammatory toxins that are released as part of the brain's immune response. The amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's are also believed to cause a toxic inflammatory response," Pulliam said.

SAFETY TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The California Poison Control System offers these safety tips for the holidays: decorate your house with pyracantha berries rather than mistletoe and holly berries, which can be poisonous if swallowed in large quantities; do not fear Poinsettia plants, which despite persisting rumors dating back to a single questionable case in 1918, are not dangerous to your health; keep children from sampling Christmas trees, which can irritate their stomach; use non-breakable, non-toxic ornaments on the lower branches where children can reach them; keep heirloom or antique ornaments that may contain lead out of the reach of children; keep young children away from angel hair, which is made of spun glass and can injure eyes, skin, and mouth; use spray snow according to directions and in properly ventilated areas; keep icicles and tinsel out of the reach of children who can choke on them; avoid bubble lights, which may contain dangerous chemicals, if you have small children; do not leave melted wax or unattended candles near flammable material where they can start a fire; keep batteries away from children; limit children's intake of candy and chocolate; keep alcoholic drinks out of children's reach.

WHEN SHAPE AND SIZE MATTER

Scientists at Northwestern University have created a nanoparticle with a new shape that could be a useful tool in the race to detect biological threats. The nanoprism, which resembles a tiny Dorito, exhibits unusual optical properties that could be used to improve biodetectors, allowing them to test for a far greater number of biological warfare agents or diseases at one time. The method to produce triangular nanoprisms in large quantities uses commercially available silver nanospheres, soap and visible light, researchers said in the journal Science. "Many detection systems are based on small particles and their individual properties," said Chad Mirkin, director of Northwestern's Institute for Nanotechnology. "As we get more building blocks, the types of detectors one can build and the agents one can detect grow. With its intriguing optical properties, the nanoprism is a new and important building block for detection science."

(EDITORS: For more information about BACTERIA, call 312-491-0846 ext. 205; about BRAIN, call 415-476-8429; HOLIDAY, call 1-800-876-4766; about SHAPE, call 847-491-3115.)