Search

Study finds MRSA associated with higher costs, longer hospital stays

A study yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control found that patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Norway have longer hospital stays and incur higher costs than those without MRSA.

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

Study finds MRSA associated with higher costs, longer hospital stays

A study yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control found that patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Norway have longer hospital stays and incur higher costs than those without MRSA.

Study: Meningitis vaccine associated with reduced rates of gonorrhea

Researchers in New Zealand report today in The Lancet that exposure to the outer-membrane vesical meningococcal B vaccine (MeNZB) was associated with reduced rates of gonorrhea in a retrospective case-control study. It's the first time a vaccine has shown any protection against the sexually transmitted infection.

Canada reports first case of Candida auris

Canadian researchers are reporting the first case of the drug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris in Canada.

Simple molecular typing, hospital data tracks antimicrobial resistance in low-resource settings

Basic molecular typing and routine hospital data can be used in resource-limited settings to do lab surveillance of antimicrobial resistance organizations, according to researchers in Sri Lanka who reported their findings yesterday in BMC Infectious Diseases.

Study finds high resistance to first-line MDR-TB drug in Georgia

More than half of the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates tested in the Republic of Georgia were resistant to one of the first-line treatments for the disease, researchers reported yesterday in BMC Infectious Diseases.

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

Study finds high resistance to first-line MDR-TB drug in Georgia

Originally published by CIDRAP News Jul 13

Texas reports rise in Cyclospora cases

The Texas Department of State Health Services said today that clinicians should consider testing patients who complain of lingering diarrhea for Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause severe diarrheal illness.

More antibiotic prescriptions in UK coming from non-medical prescribers

A retrospective analysis of antibiotic prescriptions in England published yesterday in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy found that nearly 8% of all antibiotics dispensed in primary care are prescribed by non-medical prescribers (NMPs), mostly nurses.

Codex Alimentarius to revise guidelines on AMR in the food chain

Members of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) food standards–setting body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, agreed yesterday to update guidelines aimed at reducing antimicrobial resistance along the food chain.

MRSA emerged long before methicillin was introduced, researchers find

A study today in Genome Biology suggests methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emerged several years before methicillin was used to treat S aureus infections.

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

MRSA emerged long before methicillin was introduced, researchers find

Originally published by CIDRAP News Jul 20

A study today in Genome Biology suggests methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emerged several years before methicillin was used to treat S aureus infections.

Study estimates $800,000 cost of an NDM-1 hospital outbreak

A new study in Emerging Infectious Diseases describes the physical and financial burden of a nosocomial outbreak caused by New Delhi metallo (NDM) beta-lactamase–containing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

CARB-X awards $17.6 million to fund new antibiotic development

CARB-X, the international public-private initiative to stimulate new antimicrobial development, today announced the winners of its second round of funding.

New class of antibiotics shows promise against MDR bacteria, plague

An experimental drug that belongs to a new class of antibiotics showed promise in lab tests against multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria, and was protective against the bacterium that causes plague in mice, according to a study yesterday in mBio.

Vaccine candidate for recurrent MDR UTIs fast-tracked by FDA

Sequoia Sciences announced yesterday that it has received fast-track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its investigational vaccine designed to treat recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Fast-track designation expedites the development and review of the vaccine through the US regulatory process.

Avian flu outbreaks hit farms in Italy, Taiwan

In sign of low but ongoing highly pathogenic H5N8 activity in Europe, Italy today reported three more outbreaks in poultry, according to a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

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

Study: US comprehensive hospital ASP programs grew by 18% in 1 year

A new study from researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assessed the success of the CDC's core elements of hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). Using data reported in the 2015 National Healthcare Safety Network's Annual Hospital Survey, the researchers found that uptake of the core elements increased from 40.9% in 2014 to 48.1% in 2015, a 17.6% bump.

Doctors call for diagnostic stewardship to improve antibiotic use

A commentary yesterday in JAMA argues for diagnostic stewardship as an additional strategy to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics.

New MERS case, death reported in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) identified a new case of MERS-CoV in Jeddah today and said a patient identified earlier this week has died from complications of the virus.

A 44-year-old female expatriate in Jeddah is in stable condition after being diagnosed as having MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The source of her infection is listed as a secondary household contact.

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

Molecular testing for drug-resistant tuberculosis shows promise

A study yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that molecular-based diagnostic tests for the detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) may predict treatment response better than traditional drug susceptibility testing (DST) methods.

H5N8 strikes again in Italy, South Africa, UK

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reported three new highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza outbreaks on turkey farms in Italy's Lombardy region.

H5N8 was detected on Aug 4 at three commercial farms in the Medole area, which is in the northwestern part of Italy. The report said 94,700 birds are slated for culling.

Rapid malaria diagnostic tests linked to increased antibiotic prescribing

A review of 10 linked studies yesterday in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene indicates that introduction of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in Africa and Afghanistan curbed use of anti-malaria drugs but was also linked to increased antibiotic prescribing.

New antibiotic shows promise against gonorrhea in lab experiments

New early-stage research out of the United Kingdom has identified a potential antibiotic candidate for treatment of drug-resistant gonorrhea.