Clostridium difficile

Two new Ebola cases in DRC raise outbreak total to 3,418

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) online Ebola dashboard shows two newly confirmed cases of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The outbreak totals now stand at 3,418 cases, including 2,240 deaths. A total of 494 suspected cases are still under investigation.

Yesterday the DRC's Ebola technical committee (CMRE) confirmed that one of the new cases was located in Beni.

BARDA boosts funding for development of new C difficile antibiotic

Summit Therapeutics yesterday announced that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded the company an additional $8.8 million for clinical and regulatory development of an investigational antibiotic for treating Clostridiodes difficile infection (CDI).

Pets may be protective against recurrent C difficile, study finds

In a surprising finding, pet ownership and increasing contact with pets may be protective against the recurrence of community-acquired Clostridiodes difficile infection (CDI), researchers from the University of Pennsylvania reported recently in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

CARB-X awards $3.2 million for monoclonal antibody against superbugs

CARB-X today said it has awarded Trellis Bioscience of Redwood City, California, up to $3.2 million to develop an innovative monoclonal antibody designed to disrupt the protective biofilm that makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

Review: Pediatric stewardship programs have impact, but mainly in US

A systematic review of 113 studies indicates that pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) have a significant impact on the reduction of targeted and empiric antibiotic use, costs, and antimicrobial resistance in both inpatient and outpatient settings, researchers reported late last week in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.

Survey of European ICU docs finds concern over multidrug resistance

More than half of physicians in European intensive care units (ICUs) say multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections are a problem in their hospitals, according to a survey published yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.

New clindamycin-resistant C difficile strain identified in VA patients

A surveillance study of patients in a Veterans Administration (VA) long-term care facility and its affiliated acute care hospital detected the clonal outbreak of a newly recognized Clostridioides difficile strain, researchers reported yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

UK study supports whole-genome sequencing for resistance surveillance

New research by a team of scientists from the United Kingdom suggests that whole-genome sequencing (WGS) should be considered as an alternative to traditional phenotypic testing for national surveillance of antibiotic resistance.

Study: Mandatory surveillance of priority pathogens lacking in Europe

A review of national documents shows that fewer than half of European countries have implemented publicly accessible mandatory surveillance of at least one of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) priority pathogens, European researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

Scientists develop genotype-phenotype rapid susceptibility test

Scientists from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that a diagnostic test they developed allows simultaneous detection of genotype and phenotype, enabling rapid and accurate antibiotic susceptibility determination in under 4 hours, according to their findings detailed in a letter in Nature Medicine.