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Contrary to some hypotheses, 1918 pandemic flu did not shorten the lifespan of survivors, at least in male soldiers, New Zealand researchers reported today in Epidemiology and Infection.
Biotechnology firm Seres Therapeutics announced late last week that SER-109, a drug designed to treat patients with recurring Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs), failed in a phase 2 study.
The funds will help health departments nationwide identify resistant bacteria quickly and will support 7 regional labs.
"As we anticipated, Zika is now here," CDC Director Tom Frieden says.
A CDC official says 1,500 pregnant women in Puerto Rico might be infected and not know it.
A new study has found that better compliance with treatment protocols can lead to quicker clearance of soft skin and tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
After 7 days of no reported cases, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new case of MERS-CoV today. The case is not related to the current outbreak at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh.
The US-UK partnership will provide $44 million this year and as much as $350 million over 5 years.
It's called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), wherein the dengue vaccine sets up severe disease in those not previously exposed — and it might have repercussions for Zika.
In other developments, the Zika surge continues in Puerto Rico, more US travelers have been infected, and the virus has spread to more Caribbean locations.
Wound care is one of the most common reasons for antibiotic use in hospitals.
Screening of 1,427 bacterial isolates collected from patients in a large Hong Kong hospital during roughly 1-month period in December 2015 yielded 5 that were positive for MCR-1, a gene linked to resistance to colistin, a last-line antibiotic. A team from Hong Kong reported their findings yesterday in a letter yesterday to Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Flu season markers in the Southern Hemisphere show a mixed picture, with increases recorded in southern Africa and parts of South America, with low activity for this time of year in Australia and New Zealand, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its most recent update.
Type 2 diabetes patients who were vaccinated had a 30% lower risk of hospitalization for stroke and a 22% lower risk for heart failure.
The study sheds light on how Zika antibodies bind to the virus. Also, Florida is investigating four possible local cases now, all from the same two counties: Broward and neighboring Miami-Dade.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in its weekly yellow fever report yesterday, noted that genetic testing is under way to see if a Brazilian man picked up the disease after visiting Angola in March. The 58- year-old man from Niteroi died on Apr 2.
A new study has determined that there are three key factors that increase the risk for patient-to-patient transmission of carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceceae (CP-CRE), dangerous drug-resistant bacteria that tends to strike patients in hospitals and nursing homes who are on ventilators, require catheters, or are taking long courses of antibiotics.
The MCR-1 gene was most prevalent in poultry, with 10.7% of turkey isolates and 5.6% of broiler isolates testing positive.
Also, as Florida officials continue their investigation into two possible locally acquired cases, they add 11 more travel-linked infections, including in pregnant women.
