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New Saudi MERS case linked to camel exposure

After 9 days of no new cases, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported a new case of MERS-CoV infection.

FAO antimicrobial resistance report calls for more research

A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that while antimicrobial use in livestock production is widely acknowledged as contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), large gaps in knowledge still remain, and more research is needed into how and why resistance emerges and spreads among humans and animals.

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

Study finds high level of drug-resistant E coli in UK chicken meat

New research from Public Health England and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has found that two thirds of raw chicken bought at UK supermarkets in 2013-2014 tested positive for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Escherichia coli.

CDC: 21 ill from multidrug-resistant Salmonella outbreak tied to dairy calves

At least 21 people in eight states have been sickened by multidrug-resistant Salmonella linked to contact with dairy bull calves in an outbreak dating back to January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

Study says pigs, llamas susceptible to MERS-CoV infection

Pigs and llamas appear prone to infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to researchers who experimentally infected four animal species and reported their findings yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Online platform aims to fill gaps in antimicrobial surveillance

A paper yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases describes a collaborative, Web-based platform for aggregating, analyzing, and disseminating regional antimicrobial resistance information.

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

Online platform aims to fill gaps in antimicrobial surveillance

A paper yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases describes a collaborative, Web-based platform for aggregating, analyzing, and disseminating regional antimicrobial resistance information.

Study documents country variations in pediatric antibiotic prescribing

An analysis of antibiotic prescribing in outpatient pediatric settings in three European countries—Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom—showed varied usage patterns that might be helpful for evaluating and modifying current antibiotic stewardship programs, according to a study in the latest issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

3 new MERS cases reported in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported three new MERS-CoV cases today, and announced the death of a former patient. All three new patients are listed as having primary exposure to the virus, which means it is unlikely they contracted the disease from another person.

Report: Illinois Elizabethkingia outbreak likely reflects ongoing sporadic cases

The investigation into a cluster of Elizabethkingia anopheles infections in Illinois that were distinct from outbreaks reported in neighboring Wisconsin and Michigan found that the illnesses probably reflect ongoing sporadic infections in critically ill patients, a team from Illinois and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today in Morbidity and Mortality

Metrics developed for assessing antimicrobial stewardship impact

A panel of experts has identified six metrics that hospitals can use to assess the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs).

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

Metrics developed for assessing antimicrobial stewardship impact

A panel of experts has identified six metrics that hospitals can use to assess the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs).

Breastmilk, semen carry Ebola virus for extended periods

An international group reporting in Clinical Infectious Diseases said a 9-month-old who died of Ebola in Guinea after her parents showed no signs of the illness likely contracted the virus through her mother's breastmilk. Both the mother's milk and the father's semen tested positive for Ebola virus.

Toolkit aims to help messaging around HAIs, antibiotic resistance

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have collaborated on a toolkit to help public health departments communicate information about healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antibiotic resistance to the public.

ECDC report warns of rising threat from carbapenem-resistant A baumannii

European health officials are warning about an increase in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in hospitals across the continent.

Study finds wider spread, longer persistence in 4th wave of H7N9 cases

The fourth wave of H7N9 avian flu infections in China (from September 2015 through August 2016) saw continued geographic spread of the virus, a longer epidemic period, and a higher proportion of case-patients living in rural areas compared with the first three waves, a report today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) noted.

Rare community-associated CRE reported in Colorado

Investigators with the Colorado Department of Public and Environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reporting community-associated cases of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in patients without known risk factors.

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

Rare community-associated CRE reported in Colorado

Investigators with the Colorado Department of Public and Environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reporting community-associated cases of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in patients without known risk factors.

Hong Kong reports first imported H7N9 case of the new season

Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today announced its first imported H7N9 avian influenza case of the new season, in a 75-year-old man who started having symptoms in Guangdong province in southern China, according to a statement.

WHO offers more details on H7N9 infections in China, Macau

The World Health Organization (WHO) released two reports today detailing the six human cases of H7N9 in mainland China and one in Macau that were previously confirmed by local officials. All but one patient had direct exposure to live poultry.

Pew releases recommendations for reduced antibiotic use in food animals

The Pew Charitable Trusts has released a set of recommendations for how to ensure more appropriate use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.

Hospitals penalized for high rates of MRSA and C difficile

The federal government is for the first time cutting Medicare payments to hospitals that have high rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, according to Kaiser Health News.

Study: 25% of K pneumonia in long-term care resistant to carbapenems

A new study has found that a quarter of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from a nationwide network of hospitals are resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.

Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & ant