Itching for an answer

SCIENTISTS believe a bacterium that lives on the skin may cause eczema flare-ups.

Research has previously shown that there’s an increase in bacteria during flare-ups, but until now it hasn’t been clear whether it was a cause or a symptom.

The National Institutes of Health in the US analysis of 11 eczema sufferers found a particular strain of Staphylococcus aureus dominated when the eczema worsened.

When the researchers put this strain on mice, it caused inflammation, while other bacteria didn’t.