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

Groups say McDonald's is 'backtracking' on antibiotic commitment

A coalition of public interest, animal welfare, and environmental groups is criticizing McDonald's for backing away from a commitment to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics in its beef supply chain.

VA intervention linked to better treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria

An antibiotic stewardship intervention for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) was associated with a reduction in urine cultures and antibiotic use at four Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open.

Study: COVID vaccine doesn't raise risk of myopericarditis in kids aged 5 to 11

The risk of myocarditis and/or pericarditis was not significantly different among children ages 5 to 11 years after COVID-19 vaccination from that of unvaccinated children and much lower than that among children aged 12 to 17, finds a prospective study in Denmark published today in Pediatrics.

In COVID-19 survivors, subsequent vaccination tied to half the risk of reinfection

Completion of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series after recovery from infection was tied to half the risk of reinfection in the pre-Omicron variant era, according to a study published today in JAMA Network Open.

High levels of antibiotic-resistant urinary bacteria found in German men

An analysis of urine specimens from male patients in Germany found high levels of antibiotic resistance in the most frequent causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs), researchers reported today in Eurosurveillance.

Smell and taste loss persists in 5.6% of COVID-19 patients

A systematic review and meta-analysis published yesterday in BMJ estimates that 5.6% of COVID-19 survivors may face long-lasting changes to their sense of smell or taste, adding to concerns about the overall burden of long COVID.

Study: COVID patients who have a stroke face more than twice the risk of death

COVID-19 patients who have a stroke are more than twice as likely to die than uninfected stroke patients and are often younger and healthier, finds research presented yesterday at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS's) 19th Annual Meeting in Toronto.

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

High levels of antibiotic-resistant urinary bacteria found in German men

Originally published by CIDRAP News Jul 28

An analysis of urine specimens from male patients in Germany found high levels of antibiotic resistance in the most frequent causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs), researchers reported today in Eurosurveillance.

Nursing home in states with COVID-19 vaccine mandates saw higher staff uptake

Nursing homes in US states with COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers saw a 7 percentage-point increase in staff vaccine uptake over homes in non-mandate states during a 5-month period in 2021, with no worsening of worker shortages, finds a study published late last week in JAMA Health Forum.

Sotrovimab linked to treatment-resistant SARS-CoV-2 Omicron mutations

More than half of high-risk SARS-CoV-2 Omicron inpatients or outpatients given the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab rapidly developed viral spike-protein mutations linked to treatment resistance, according to a study from the Netherlands published yesterday in JAMA.

Non-restrictive stewardship intervention tied to less fluoroquinolone use

A non-restrictive antibiotic stewardship intervention was associated with reduced fluoroquinolone prescribing at two community hospitals in Los Angeles, researchers reported yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Meta-analysis finds antibiotic use common in COVID-19 patients

In findings that are consistent with previous studies, a systematic review and analysis of 22 studies revealed a high rate of antibiotic use among COVID-19 patients during the first year and a half of the pandemic, despite a low prevalence of bacterial coinfection, researchers reported this week in PLOS One.

Canada's border closures may have stemmed COVID-19 variant imports

Dynamic restrictions on nonessential foreign travel into Canada helped slow COVID-19 variant introductions in early 2020 and 2021, allowing the government more time to scale up vaccination, testing, and contact tracing programs, according to a study published yesterday in eLife.

After early COVID peak, telehealth antibiotic prescribing for kids quickly fell

A study of data from a large pediatric primary care network found a quick decline in telehealth antibiotic prescribing following a peak during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers reported today in Pediatrics.

75% of COVID patients tested positive, 35% had positive cultures, on day 6

Three quarters of a group of nonhospitalized men and women newly diagnosed as having COVID-19 continued to have positive rapid antigen test (RAT) results—and over one-third still had viable virus on culture—6  days later, according to a study led by Brigham and Women's researchers.

Wastewater polio in second New York county points to wider circulation

Polio in New York state is circulating more widely than thought, with wastewater sampling revealing traces of the virus in a second county, the New York Department of Health (NYDH) announced yesterday.

Study outlines climate change pathogenic impacts

A scientific literature review for empiric examples of impacts from 10 climate hazards influenced by greenhouse gas emissions found that more than 58% of human diseases caused by pathogens—such as dengue, pneumonia, and Zika virus—are made worse by the climate-related hazards. A team based at the University of Hawaii at Manoa reported the findings today in Nature Climate Change.

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

Study: Bat SAR-CoV spillovers infect about 66,000 each year in virus hot spots

In the first known estimate of the SARS-CoV spillover risk from bats to people, researchers who studied bat populations in South East Asia and interactions with humans estimate that about 66,280 people a year are infected each year. The team, based at EcoHealth Alliance, published their findings today in Nature Communications.

Hospital data from India show high rate of healthcare infections, antibiotic resistance

Data from a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance network in India shows high rates of bloodstream and urinary tract infections (UTIs) and very high levels of antibiotic resistance, researchers reported in The Lancet Global Health.

WHO calls for trials of fractional dosing of monkeypox vaccine

One day after the United States said it would allow intradermal, fractional dosing of Bavarian Nordic's monkeypox vaccine, Jynneos, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for more trials on the practice.

Adults with vision and hearing disabilities had lower COVID vaccination rates

Adults with blindness and deafness were less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a large study of adults published today in an early online edition of JAMA Ophthalmology.

Study: Treatment for drug-resistant TB limited, costly in Europe

A survey of tuberculosis (TB) treatment centers in Europe found the availability of drug susceptibility testing (DST) for new and repurposed TB drugs in Europe is severely limited, drugs and regimens for drug-resistant TB are limited, and treatment costs for drug-resistant TB are very high, according to a study published this week in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

COVID-19 tied to 4% higher healthcare use in the 6 months post-infection

COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic had 4% higher healthcare use in the 6 months after illness onset than matched controls, most notably for infection-related conditions, hair loss, bronchitis, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, and shortness of breath, finds a study today in JAMA Network Open.

Maine announces pediatric case of monkeypox

Maine, which has confirmed only four monkeypox cases, today reported a case of the virus in a resident under the age of 18. No further details were released by the Maine Centers for Disease Control. Maine now joins California and Florida as states with pediatric cases. 

Also, researchers in Spain detail a possible human-to-dog case.