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Brazil reports 39 more yellow fever cases, 30 more deaths

In its weekly update on yellow fever activity, Brazil yesterday reported 39 more lab-confirmed cases, along with 30 more deaths.

Since Jul 1, 2017, the country has reported 1,257 cases and 394 deaths.

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

ECDC surveillance report shows high level of antibiotic resistance in ICUs

The burden of antibiotic resistance in European intensive care units (ICUs) remains high, according to a surveillance report today from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

CARB-X to fund development of new class of antibiotics

CARB-X announced today that it's awarding more than $2 million to Melinta Therapeutics to help the company advance a new class of antibiotics into clinical development.

UK health officials issue draft guidance for UTI treatment

The United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today issued draft guidance for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Survey: European medical students want more education on antibiotic use

A survey of final-year medical students in Europe has found that most feel they still need more education on antibiotic use, a team of European researchers report today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

CARB-X to fund rapid diagnostic test for chlamydia, gonorrhea

CARB-X yesterday announced funding for the development of a rapid test to speed up diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia and gonorrhea, including drug-resistant strains.

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

CARB-X to fund rapid diagnostic test for chlamydia, gonorrhea

CARB-X yesterday announced funding for the development of a rapid test to speed up diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia and gonorrhea, including drug-resistant strains.

FDA clears rapid diagnostic test for urinary tract infections

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given BacterioScan, Inc. of St. Louis clearance to market its rapid automated diagnostic system, 216Dx, for detection of bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs).

CARB-X to fund rapid diagnostic test for UTIs

CARB-X is adding another diagnostic system to its growing portfolio of products targeting drug-resistant bacteria.

Special journal issue focuses on resistance and ways to tackle it

In a special issue of Science published today, four reviews highlight the different ways that organisms develop resistance to the chemicals used to combat them, and how scientists might be able to counteract that resistance. Two of the articles focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antifungal resistance.

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

Special journal issue focuses on resistance and ways to tackle it

Originally published by CIDRAP News May 17

CDC: Probe of Salmonella outbreak linked to dried coconut over

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced late last week the end of an investigation into a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium tied to dried coconut.

More Nipah cases reported in India, death toll reaches 10

The death toll for a Nipah virus outbreak in India's Kerala state now stands at 10, after at least 12 more people have been diagnosed as having the deadly virus, according to a Reuters report today.

Reuters said an additional nine people are being treated for infections with supportive care. Nipah virus is most commonly spread by fruit bats, and presents with severe, flu-like symptoms.

NDM, MCR-1 resistance genes found in same E coli isolates in China

Chinese scientists yesterday reported on the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Escherichia coli carrying both New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) and MCR-1 genes in chickens at slaughter in China and detailed the features of two novel NDM-carrying plasmids.

Scottish stewardship program helps reduce use of powerful antibiotics

A paper today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy reports that a Scottish stewardship program resulted in decreasing use of carbapenems and piperacillin/tazobactam and could be generalized to other antibiotics.

Tests rule out Nipah in 2 cases; samples from another state sent for testing

Tests on two earlier reported suspected Nipah virus cases from India's Karnataka state were negative for the virus, as another, previously unaffected state—Telangana—identified two possible cases and sent samples for testing, according to the latest media reports from India.

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

Korean researchers report MCR-1, MCR-3 in E coli from food animals

South Korean researchers have confirmed the colistin-resistance genes MCR-1 and MCR-3 in Escherichia coli isolates from food animals, according to a study yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

ECDC report documents variable antibiotic consumption in Europe

A new surveillance report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows wide ranges of antibiotic consumption in Europe, with no significant trends in mean consumption observed.

Investor index gives global food suppliers poor grades on antibiotic use

A new index that evaluates 60 global food companies on health, environmental, and social issues has found that more than three-quarters of those companies rank as "high risk" on antibiotic stewardship.

Outbreak of VIM-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa detected in Florida

Epidemiologists with the Florida Department of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today on a small outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a long-term acute care hospital.

Evidence-based antibiotic list helps in appropriate prescribing

A Johns Hopkins study has determined that selecting an indication for antibiotics from an evidence-based list as opposed to free-text indications increases the odds that antibiotic agents will be used appropriately, according to a study yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control.

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

Study suggests potential antibiotic alternative for women's acne

A new study in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology suggests that a diuretic drug may be as effective as antibiotics for treatment of women's acne.

Global Burden of Disease Study to include antimicrobial resistance data

University of Washington and University of Oxford experts yesterday announced the inclusion of mortality and morbidity data related to drug-resistant infections into the annual Global Burden of Disease Study, part of a new antimicrobial resistance (AMR) project "to provide rigorous quantitative evidence of the burden of AMR, to increase awareness of AMR, to support better surveillance of AMR, and to foster the rat

CDC: Injecting drug users 16 times more likely to contract MRSA

People who inject recreational drugs are 16.3 times more likely to develop invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections than people who do not inject drugs, according to data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR).