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

World Economic Forum report assesses global risk of antibiotic resistance

The World Economic Forum's 2018 Global Risks Report, released this week, includes a section on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), noting that while initiatives to address antibiotic overuse and the lack of new antibiotics have been launched, concrete successes "remain elusive."

C diff prevention initiative helps reduce rates in VA facilities

A significant decrease in rates of clinically confirmed long-term care facility onset Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) at 132 Veteran's Affairs facilities coincided with implementation of a nationwide prevention initiative, researchers report in a new study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Study finds reduced carbapenem consumption in French hospitals

Researchers in France report that a reduction in carbapenem consumption in French hospitals occurred after the release of national guidelines on carbapenem use in 2010, according to a study yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control. They suggest that further carbapenem reduction could be linked to reduced use of fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs).

Officials in Pakistan announce world's first drug-resistant typhoid outbreak

In what is being called the world's first outbreak of drug-resistant typhoid, more than 100 children are sick and dozens have died in Hyderabad, Pakistan, the country's The News International reported yesterday.

UK health officials advise against antibiotics for acute sore throat

New guidance today from the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England says general practitioners should not offer, and patients should not expect, antibiotics in most cases of acute sore throat.

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

UK health officials advise against antibiotics for acute sore throat

New guidance today from the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England says general practitioners should not offer, and patients should not expect, antibiotics in most cases of acute sore throat.

FDA approves oral vancomycin solution for C difficile diarrhea

CutisPharma today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Firvanq, the company's vancomycin oral solution for treating Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD) and enterocolitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains.

Saudi Arabia reports 1 new MERS case, death

Yesterday the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new case of MERS-CoV and announced the death of a previously reported MERS patient.

A 40-year-old Saudi woman from Riyadh is in stable condition after presenting with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The woman's source of infection is listed as "primary," meaning it's unlikely she contracted the disease from another person.

Georgia health officials investigate 3 MDR-TB cases

The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) tuberculosis program is assisting with the investigation of two confirmed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases in the northeastern part of the state, according to Nancy Nydam, a communications official with the GDPH.

Investigative report finds widespread colistin use in Indian poultry

A new story by the UK-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism alleges the last-resort antibiotic colistin is being widely used on Indian poultry farms, despite worldwide concerns that using the drug in food-producing animals could render it ineffective.

Report: More oversight, data needed on antibiotic use in food animals

A report today from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling on the two federal agencies responsible for ensuring the safety of the food supply to address oversight gaps and collect more information on the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals.

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

Report: More oversight, data needed on antibiotic use in food animals

Originally published by CIDRAP News Mar 16

Saudi MOH: 2 new MERS cases, 3 deaths

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported two new cases of MERS and three deaths in previously reported patients in recent days. Both of the new cases were linked to camel contact.

Nut butter E coli outbreak grows to 23 cases; strain found in products

Seven more Escherichia coli O157:H7 illnesses have been reported in a multistate outbreak linked to soy nut butter from an Illinois company, raising the total so far to 23, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

Review finds drug resistance is not just a problem with hospital infections

A new study in Clinical Infectious Diseases has found that antibiotic resistance has a significant clinical impact for patients with common infections managed in the community.

Researchers report high prevalence of MDR bacteria in Myanmar

Researchers in Myanmar are reporting high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria among bloodstream isolates from patients at hospitals in the country's largest city.

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

Researchers report high prevalence of MDR bacteria in Myanmar

Researchers in Myanmar are reporting high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria among bloodstream isolates from patients at hospitals in the country's largest city.

NIH announces semifinalists in bacterial diagnostic competition

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today said it has selected 10 semifinalists in the first phase of a federal prize competition that will award up to $20 million for innovative tests that can rapidly diagnose bacterial infections and identify antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Research grants target of Trump's new $1.2 billion NIH budget cuts

More details emerged today on President Donald Trump's proposed budget, including plans to drastically cut research grant funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the current fiscal year, which ends in October.

German GP antibiotic prescribing for respiratory illness found wanting

German general practitioners (GPs) follow national guidance on prescribing antibiotics for acute lower respiratory infections only about a quarter of the time, according to a study yesterday in PLoS One.

Researchers analyzed data from 2009 to 2013 from electronic health records of 12,880 patients. GPs prescribed antibiotics in 41% of consultations.

Legislation calls for tax credits for new antibiotics, diagnostic tests

US lawmakers today introduced legislation that would provide a tax credit for new antibiotics and diagnostic tests.

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

Legislation calls for tax credits for new antibiotics, diagnostic tests

US lawmakers today introduced legislation that would provide a tax credit for new antibiotics and diagnostic tests.

Two more MERS cases confirmed in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia reported two new MERS-CoV cases over the weekend, including a case in an asymptomatic healthcare worker who contracted the virus in a healthcare setting.

Israeli stewardship programs lead to reduced antibiotic use in hospitals

A nationwide antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) in Israel led to a reduction in antibiotic use in acute and long-term care hospitals, according to research presented at the spring conference of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

Etest outperforms disc tests for ceftazidime/avibactam susceptibility

US scientists report that the Etest, made by the French company bioMerieux, outperformed disc tests and is a suitable alternative to broth microdilution (BMD) for testing ceftazidime combined with avibactam against ceftazidime- and meropenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, according to results published yesterday in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.