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A paper today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy reports that a Scottish stewardship program resulted in decreasing use of carbapenems and piperacillin/tazobactam and could be generalized to other antibiotics.
In a major development today on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly under way in Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group announced the launch of a new mechanism to firm up global health security, an independent monitoring board to regularly assess country preparedness to handle outbreaks, pandemics, and other health emergencies.
With worries about the disease spreading in Mbandaka, the WHO said the DRC risk is very high and the regional risk is high.
"After controlling for [other] factors, we still find that temperature is a strong predictor of antibiotic resistance."
Authorities in a second Indian state are investigating two suspected Nipah virus infections, both of them in people who had traveled to Kerala state where they had contact with infected patients, Reuters reported today, citing a health official in Karnataka state.
Chinese scientists yesterday reported on the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Escherichia coli carrying both New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) and MCR-1 genes in chickens at slaughter in China and detailed the features of two novel NDM-carrying plasmids.
Those with GBS and Zika had more severe symptoms, including facial weakness, and required more ICU care.
The study found no signifiant difference in patients with lower respiratory tract infections.
More than $25 million is newly pledged for an outbreak that has grown to 51 total cases, 28 confirmed.
The death toll for a Nipah virus outbreak in India's Kerala state now stands at 10, after at least 12 more people have been diagnosed as having the deadly virus, according to a Reuters report today.
Reuters said an additional nine people are being treated for infections with supportive care. Nipah virus is most commonly spread by fruit bats, and presents with severe, flu-like symptoms.
Four more illnesses have been reported, along with another death in a healthcare worker.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced late last week the end of an investigation into a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium tied to dried coconut.
Meta-analysis finds that more than a quarter are infected or colonized with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
"At this point, it's not cost beneficial to declare an international state of emergency," a WHO official said of the 45-case outbreak that has killed 25 people.
US flu levels fell sharply again last week with the approach of summer, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded three more pediatric flu deaths, according to the latest weekly update posted today.
Flu was reported as widespread in only two states: Massachusetts and New York.
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
Originally published by CIDRAP News May 17
"This is a concerning development" the WHO director-general says.
Pools and hot tubs play host to a wide range of disease-causing microorganisms, warns the CDC.
Federal officials have added 23 cases and three newly affected states to a multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli cases linked to romaine lettuce and gave what amounts to an all-clear to resume eating the lettuce, according to updates yesterday.
In a special issue of Science published today, four reviews highlight the different ways that organisms develop resistance to the chemicals used to combat them, and how scientists might be able to counteract that resistance. Two of the articles focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antifungal resistance.
