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The increasing globalization of modern food production appears to be fostering the emergence of new pathogens that can rapidly spread around the planet, according to a disturbing study released this week.

Researchers in Britain and Germany say they have documented the first known case of a strain of bacteria – staphylococcus aureus – jumping from people to chickens. The bacterium is now endemic in the poultry industry.

Using highly sophisticated genetic testing methods, the researchers estimated that the cross-species transfer occurred in Poland about 40 years ago – at a time when the industry was undergoing major change.

“Half a century ago chickens were reared for their eggs, with meat regarded as a byproduct,” said lead scientist Ross Fitzgerald of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Edinburgh.

“Now the demand for meat has led to a poultry industry dominated by a few multinational companies which supply a limited number of breeding lines to a global market – thereby promoting the spread of the bacteria around the world.”

S. aureus has acquired new genes, possibly by mixing with other bacteria, so that it can colonize chickens, according to the findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It can live on the birds' skin without causing harm. But if the bacterium enters the bloodstream, through a cut or a weakened immune system, it can cause bone and joint infections, and the animal must be culled. In fact, it's now the leading cause of lameness in poultry and represents a major financial burden to the industry.

Dr. Fitzgerald suspects other bacteria may have jumped between people and farm animals. “I think we need to start carrying out more surveillance and more sampling of livestock in order to identify similar events that have happened, possibly with a view to preventing their spread.”

Cellphone-thin bones?

Could wearing a cellphone on your waist be bad for your hip bone? That's the suggestion from a study of 150 men who routinely strap their cellphones on their belts.

The researchers conducted tests to compared bone density on the upper rims of the pelvis – known as the iliac wings.

The findings, published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, revealed slightly lower bone density on the side where the men normally wore their phones compared with the opposite side.

The bone thinning did not come close to the density reductions seen in patients who suffer from osteoporosis. But the researchers, led by Tolga Atay of Suleyman Demirel University in Turkey, point out that the men who took part in the study are relatively young, with an average age of 32. It's possible there could be further thinning as they get older.

The men carried their phones on their waist for an average of 15 hours a day for about six years.

Although the findings need to be confirmed by more research, the team speculates that long-term exposure to the electromagnetic fields of cellphones may be thinning bones.

Stem cell collaboration

When former U.S. president George W. Bush turned his back on stem cell research, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger looked to Canada for a partner in the promising field. And even though Barack Obama now occupies the White House, Canadian and Californian officials announced this week they will be spending $40-million ($20-million each) on joint stem cell cancer research projects.

“It's a serious amount of money and I think we can do a lot,” Canadian scientist John Dick said.