Trial supports stopping antibiotics for RTIs when not needed
Discontinuing antibiotics for uncomplicated respiratory tract infections (RTIs) when a physician has determined that antibiotics aren't needed is a safe strategy for reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial published yesterday in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
In the multi-center open-label trial, conducted in Spain, adults with RTIs who had been taking antibiotics for less than 3 days but were deemed by trial investigators to not need antibiotics were randomized 1:1 to either discontinue or continue antibiotic treatment. The primary outcome was duration of severe symptoms (the number of days scoring 5 or 6 on a 6-item Likert scale), and secondary outcomes included antibiotics taken, adverse events, patient satisfaction, and complications within 3 months.
A total of 467 patients were randomized to the two arms, and 409 were included in the final analysis. The mean duration of severe symptoms was 3.0 days for the patients assigned to the discontinuation arm and 2.8 days for those who continued antibiotic treatment (mean difference, 0.2 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], —0.1 to —0.4 days). The proportion of patients who continued taking antibiotics after the baseline visit was much lower in the discontinuation group (25.1% vs 90.1%).
Patients assigned to the continuation group had a higher risk of adverse events (relative risk [RR], 1.47; 95% CI, 0.80 to 2.71) but slightly higher levels of patient satisfaction and a lower need for further healthcare contact in the following 3 months (RR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.28 to 1.37).
The investigators note that the results are in line with previous studies showing no differences in clinical outcomes between antibiotics and placebo for uncomplicated RTIs, and resemble those obtained with a delayed antibiotic prescribing strategy.
"Our results have shown that discontinuing an already initiated antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated RTI when the clinician considered that it was not indicated had no influence on the clinical outcomes of the patients," they wrote.
Aug 3 Clin Microbiol Infect study
Officials warn about Dominican Republic African swine fever outbreaks
The Dominican Republic recently reported two African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in pigs, marking the country's first detection of the disease in nearly 40 years. AFS is spreading globally and destabilizing the pork market.
In a recent statement, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) called for urgent efforts to prevent the spread of the disease in the Americas. ASF, a viral hemorrhagic fever that has a nearly 100% mortality rate, has spread to 50 countries since 2018. Investigations are underway into how the virus entered the country, and measures are in place to curb further spread.
According to notifications from the OIE, two outbreaks occurred in backyard pigs, one in Monte Cristi province in the northwest that started on Jul 1 and one in Sanchez-Ramirez province in the central part of the country that began on Jul 14. Taken together, the virus killed 800 of 842 susceptible pigs, and the remaining ones were destroyed as part of the response measures.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said its foreign animal disease diagnostic lab on Plum Island off the coast of New York has confirmed ASV in samples collected from the pigs through an existing cooperative agreement. It added that several safeguards are in place to prevent ASF from entering the United States, and federal officials are enhancing inspections on flights coming from the Dominican Republic to ensure that travelers don’t bring prohibited products into the country.
Officials are also ensuring that garbage from the incoming Dominican Republic flights are properly handled to prevent ASF transmission in the United States.
Jul 30 OIE statement
Jul 29 OIE statement on ASF in the Dominican Republic
Jul 28 USDA statement
Inovio launches phase 2 trial of MERS vaccine
Inovio, a Pennsylvania-based biotechnology company, today announced that the first doses have been given in a phase 2 trial of its MERS-CoV vaccine.
In a statement, it said the trial’s goal is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of INO-4700, which is a DNA product. The vaccine is administered with Inovio’s Cellectra 2000, a smart device that uses a brief electrical pulse to open small pores in the cell that allow plasmids to enter. The multicenter trial will include 500 healthy adults and is funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI). The trial follows promising phase 1 results that were published in 2019.
Joseph Kim, PhD, Inovio’s chief executive officer and president, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with CEPI to combat one of the most virulent pathogens of the coronavirus family for which there is no approved vaccine.”
With support from CEPI, Inovio is developing two vaccines, one against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and one against Lassa virus. The groups said they will make stockpiles of the vaccines available for emergency use following phase 2 testing. Currently, there are no licensed treatments or vaccine for MERS-CoV.
Aug 4 Inovio statement