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UK One Health report shows declines in human, animal antibiotic use

The UK government today published a One Health report on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in animals and humans from 2013 through 2017, noting a 40% reduction of antibiotics in food-producing animals and a 9% decline in people.

Two new MERS cases reported in Saudi Arabia

Today Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported two new MERS-CoV cases, both in Wadi Al Dawasir, a town in south-central Saudi Arabia.

In an update to its epidemiologic week 5 report, the MOH said the patients were a 44-year-old man and a 62-year-old women, both hospitalized for their MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) infections.

Public-private effort launched to boost animal antimicrobial stewardship

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) this week announced a $15 million investment in the launch of the International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture (ICASA), a public-private partnership to advance research on antimicrobial stewardship in animal agriculture and improve animal health and welfare.

More suspected measles cases in Washington’s Clark County

Washington's Clark County officials have confirmed 7 more measles cases, bringing the outbreak total to 41, plus 15 suspected infections, according to the latest update from the county's public health department.

Public-private effort launched to boost animal antimicrobial stewardship

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) this week announced a $15 million investment in the launch of the International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture (ICASA), a public-private partnership to advance research on antimicrobial stewardship in animal agriculture and improve animal health and welfare.

CRP-guided treatment may help in kids' respiratory infections

A trial by researchers from Switzerland and Tanzania demonstrated that use of an electronic decision algorithm that incorporated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels helped improve clinical outcomes in children with respiratory infections and reduce antibiotic prescribing. The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Report describes Candida auris fungemia cases in Brooklyn hospital

In a paper published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a team of clinicians, infection control specialists, and pharmacists at a community hospital in Brooklyn described the management of patients with Candida auris bloodstream infections (fungemia).

With three more Ebola cases, DRC remains entrenched in outbreak

Today the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC's) health ministry reported three more cases and two new deaths in an ongoing Ebola outbreak. The outbreak now stands at 788 cases, including 486 deaths, and 191 suspected cases are still under investigation.

FDA to review new treatments for urinary tract infections, pneumonia

Merck announced yesterday that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for priority review a New Drug Application (NDA) for the combination of relebactam and imipenem/cilastatin and a supplemental NDA for Zerbaxa (ceftolozane and tazobactam).

MERS sickens three more in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's health ministry today reported three more MERS-CoV cases, two of them linked to ongoing outbreak activity in Wadi ad-Dawasir in the south-central part of the country.

Ebola infects 2 more in the DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) health ministry today reported two more Ebola cases, one from Butembo and the other from Kyondo. In addition, 189 suspected cases are under investigation.

Study: Inadequate drug-susceptibility tests linked to poor TB treatment

The accuracy of tuberculosis (TB) drug-susceptibility testing in high-burden countries was inadequate, and inaccurate test results led to inadequate treatment that contributed to higher mortality in patients with drug-resistant forms of the disease, an international team of researchers reported yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

DRC Ebola outbreak reaches 800 cases

Today the Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed two new cases of Ebola and three more deaths from the virus in the ongoing outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

Outbreak totals now stand at 800 cases, including 502 deaths, and 178 suspected cases are still under investigation.

Study: Inadequate drug-susceptibility tests linked to poor TB treatment

The accuracy of tuberculosis (TB) drug-susceptibility testing in high-burden countries was inadequate, and inaccurate test results led to inadequate treatment that contributed to higher mortality in patients with drug-resistant forms of the disease, an international team of researchers reported yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

CDC: 19 states may have raw milk exposure to drug-resistant Brucella

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that health workers are investigating potential exposures to a drug-resistant Brucella strain RB51 in 19 states. The strain comes from raw (unpasteurized) milk from Miller's Biodiversity Farm in Quarryville, Penn.

Study: Hospital readmission for Staph bacteremia patients common, costly

New research by scientists with the University of Mississippi Medical Center indicates that 30-day hospital readmission among patients who survived initial hospitalization with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections is common and costly. The findings appeared yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

MERS infects 9 more in Saudi Arabia

In an ongoing surge of MERS-CoV activity, Saudi Arabia's health ministry today announced nine new cases, including seven that are possibly linked to a hospital outbreak in Wadi ad-Dawasir, according to an update to its epidemiological week 7 report.

Dental antibiotic stewardship program shows promising results

A team of dentists, pharmacists, and physicians at the University of Illinois reported today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases that implementation of a comprehensive antibiotic stewardship intervention in a dental practice was associated with a significant improvement in antibiotic prescribing.

Saudi Arabia, Oman record new MERS cases

Today health officials in Saudi Arabia and Oman reported one new case of MERS-CoV each. This is the sixth case recorded in recent weeks in Oman; in Saudi Arabia, the new case is possibly linked to an ongoing hospital outbreak in Wadi ad-Dawasir.

According to the Muscat Daily yesterday, the Omani Ministry of Health tweeted that a new patient had been diagnosed as having MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus).

Survey finds low postgrad stewardship training in pharmacists, nurses

British investigators conducted an international survey and found that postgraduate training and support in antibiotic prescribing remain low among nurses and pharmacists, and, although antibiotic policies and committees are established in most institutions, surveillance of antibiotic use is not, according to a new report in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control.

New health area, Bunia, reports Ebola in DRC as outbreak hits 829 cases

Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the 19th health district to confirm an Ebola case, the DRC's ministry of health said today in its daily update.

The case in Bunia is in a 6-month-old baby whose mother died from the virus. The mother was from Katwa, and her corpse was intercepted in Komanda, where the baby is currently being treated in an Ebola treatment center.

Digital stewardship cuts antibiotics for respiratory infections in UK study

Electronically delivered prescribing feedback and decision support interventions reduced antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infection (RTI) in adults by 12%, according to the results of a clinical trial published this week in the British Medical Journal.

Saudi Arabia confirms new MERS case, 62 for the year

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH), in its epidemiologic week 7 update, today added another MERS-CoV case to its growing total, in a man from its most recent hardest-hit city, while the World Health Organization (WHO) provided details on Saudi cases confirmed in January.

Digital stewardship cuts antibiotics for respiratory infections in UK study

Electronically delivered prescribing feedback and decision support interventions reduced antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infection (RTI) in adults by 12%, according to the results of a clinical trial published this week in the British Medical Journal.

Resistance genes found in soil 2 years after cattle operation ceases

A new study led by scientists from US Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that antibiotic resistance genes persist in a beef cattle environment even 2 years after cessation of operations.