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Study shows decline in outpatient antibiotic use in Denmark

Outpatient antibiotic use in central Denmark fell by nearly 20% from 2011 through 2015, Danish researchers report in a new study in BMC Infectious Diseases.

CDC records 21 more E coli cases in ground beef outbreak, 177 total

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late last week recorded 21 more cases in an Escherichia coli O103 outbreak linked to ground beef, bringing the outbreak total to 177 illnesses.

Rapid susceptibility test promising for optimal antibiotics in bacteremia

South Korean scientists have demonstrated strong potential of a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test called QMAC-dRAST for selecting optimal targeted antibiotics for patients who have bacteremia, according to a study today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

CDC: 79 more illnesses in multistate outbreak linked to raw turkey

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today posted a final investigation update for a Salmonella Reading outbreak that it first announced in July 2018, which reflects 79 new cases since its last report in February, lifting total cases to 358 in 42 states.

US Candida auris case count tops 600

Confirmed and probable Candida auris cases in the United States through Mar 31 rose to 643, an increase of 56 from the end of February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update yesterday.

Philippines measles outbreak linked to Dengvaxia troubles

A growing measles outbreak in the Philippines is being fueled by vaccine hesitancy that originated in the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy, which has embroiled that nation for the last 3 years.

Study links quinolone ear drops to increased risk of eardrum perforation

The results of a comparative safety study show that the use of quinolone ear drops to treat acute otitis externa (AOE) in children and adults is associated with a previously unreported increased risk of tympanic membrane perforation (TMP), researchers from the University of Florida report today in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

New Ebola cases push DRC total past 1,500 as deaths approach 1,000

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) health ministry said today that Ebola infections have been confirmed in 15 more people, 2 of them health workers.

WHO confirms details on Nepal's first H5N1 avian flu case

The World Health Organization (WHO) office in Nepal yesterday shared more details about the country's first human H5N1 avian flu infection, a fatal case first reported by local media outlets.

Less empiric carbapenem use linked to VRE reduction in leukemia patients

A carbapenem-sparing empiric antibiotic regimen at a referral center for acute leukemia patients in Utah was associated with significant reduction in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization, researchers reported today in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Nursing home stewardship intervention shows mixed results

Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program intervention at 27 nursing homes in North Carolina was associated with reductions in urine culture and culture-positive rates, according to a study today in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. But high proportions of antimicrobial resistance were still observed among common urinary pathogens.

Pakistani study finds high mortality rate in patients with Candida auris

A study yesterday in BMC Infectious Diseases by Pakistani researchers describes the wide range of invasive infections and high mortality rate associated with the multidrug-resistant fungus Candida auris.

Study supports shorter parenteral antibiotics for infants with bacteremic UTIs

A study of infants who had bacteremic urinary tract infections (UTIs) indicates that short-course parenteral antibiotic therapy may be considered as a treatment option, a team of US researchers reported today in Pediatrics.

DRC Ebola total grows by 10; newly affected areas linked to Beni

The rate of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) outbreak shows a slight decline, with Beni and Mandima still remaining as the main hot spots, according to a weekly outbreak and emergencies report from the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office that covers cases through Aug 17.

UK study details high inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in primary care

An analysis of the electronic health records of more than 1.6 million UK patients revealed that doctors don't always prescribe antibiotics according to guidelines, especially for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and otitis externa (outer ear passage infection), according to a study yesterday in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

US Customs has no plan to vaccinate migrant detainees against flu

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it will not vaccinate migrants, despite concerns some have raised about infectious disease spread, particularly the deaths of three children who died after falling ill with flu while in US custody, according to media reports.

Pfizer Foundation to fund groups fighting infectious diseases, AMR

The Pfizer Foundation this week announced $2 million in grants to help non-governmental organizations, non-profits, and social enterprises in low- and middle-income countries address infectious disease challenges, including the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

TB in US kids continues decline, but some groups carry big burdens

A 10-year analysis of US tuberculosis (TB) data shows that, for children and adolescents, incidence is low and steadily dropping, but rates are disproportionately high in some groups. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported their findings yesterday in The Lancet Public Health.

Survey finds improved antibiotic stewardship programs in nursing homes

A national survey has found that antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in US nursing homes have become more comprehensive since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) required the facilities to have them, researchers from Columbia University School of Nursing reported yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Three new polio cases noted as WHO details Myanmar outbreak

Afghanistan has one more wild poliovirus (WPV) case, and Angola and Ghana each have one more vaccine-derived polio case, according to the latest weekly update today from the Global Polio Eradication Initiate (GPEI).

The three new cases come during the same week Nigeria reached the 3-year mark of no WPV transmission.

Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans

Study supports multiple-bed room strategy for isolating ESBL patients

A study conducted in Dutch hospitals has found that an isolation strategy of contact precautions in a multiple-bed hospital room was non-inferior to a strategy of contact precautions in a single-bed room for preventing the spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, Dutch researchers reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

CIDRAP's CWD Program launches online resource center

After establishing its Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Program in March, today the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) launched a new online CWD Resource Center for educating the public, hunters, medical and public health professionals, wildlife scientists, veterinarians, and policymakers about the disease.

New initiative aims to clean up antibiotics manufacturing

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday announced a joint initiative with environmental and industry groups to reduce the amount of antibiotic discharge from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

DRC Ebola total grows by 6 cases, to 2,983

Six more Ebola cases were confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak, raising the overall total to 2,983, according to numbers reflected today on the World Health Organization (WHO) online Ebola dashboard.

Health officials are still investigating 397 suspected infections. Four more people died from their infections, bringing the fatality count to 1,990.