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English study finds less antibiotic prescribing amid pandemic

Antibiotic prescribing in general practice in England fell significantly during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the previous year, according to data released last week by Antibiotic Research UK (ANTRUK).

Scottish report shows 5-year decline in human antibiotic use

A report today from Scotland highlights reduced antibiotic use in the country since it adopted a One Health approach to combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

G7 governments urged to do more to boost antibiotic development

A coalition of organizations from academia, healthcare, and the pharmaceutical industry sent a letter today to G7 governments calling for greater engagement in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and boosting the pipeline for new antibiotics.

Provider-specific feedback tied to improved UTI prescribing

A multifaceted antibiotic stewardship strategy implemented in three emergency departments (EDs) was associated with an increase in guideline-concordant antibiotic choices for patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs), researchers reported today in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Pharmacist-led intervention tied to fewer antibiotics for E coli bacteremia

A 3-year prospective audit and feedback (PAF) intervention led by pharmacists at a Japanese hospital was linked to reduced antibiotic duration and more appropriate antibiotic use in patients with Escherichia coli bacteremia, Japanese researchers reported yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Adults living with HIV in New York had lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake

COVID-19 vaccine uptake among adults living with HIV in New York was lower than that of the rest of the state's population as of October 2021, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

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

Study finds antibiotic misuse occurs among all education levels

A review and meta-analysis of studies from more than 40 countries found that individuals misuse antibiotics regardless of their education level, researchers reported yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control.

Louisiana becomes 29th state to confirm CWD after deer tests positive

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed for the first time in Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) said late last week.

Procalcitonin testing during COVID tied to initial drop in UK antibiotic use

The introduction of procalcitonin (PCT) testing at UK hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an immediate but not sustained decline in antibiotic prescribing, researchers reported today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Study finds higher risk of group A Strep skin infections among homeless

A study conducted in San Francisco found that homeless residents were more than four times as likely to have group A Streptococcus (GAS) skin infections as people with stable housing, researchers reported yesterday in JAMA Dermatology.

More stewardship strategies linked to fewer discharge antibiotics

An analysis conducted at hospitals in Michigan found that the more antibiotic stewardship strategies a hospital reported, the lower its overuse of antibiotics at discharge, researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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

More stewardship strategies linked to fewer discharge antibiotics

An analysis conducted at hospitals in Michigan found that the more antibiotic stewardship strategies a hospital reported, the lower its overuse of antibiotics at discharge, researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

US surveillance study finds high incidence of ESBL-E infections

An active laboratory- and population-based surveillance study conducted at five US sites found a high incidence of infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E), researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Pharmacist-developed app aims to improve antimicrobial prescribing

The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) last week announced a new program to improve surveillance and prescribing of antimicrobials in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)       .

H5 avian flu strikes third Indiana poultry farm

The Indiana Board of Animal Health (IBAH) said today that initial tests at a third turkey farm in the state are positive for H5 avian flu. The new detection marks the United States' fifth recent outbreak in poultry. Further testing is under way to assess if the virus is the same highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that struck the first Indiana farm.

Study shows pre-pandemic global decline in antimicrobial use

An analysis of prescribing data from more than 80 countries found that global antimicrobial consumption declined prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers reported today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

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

Study shows pre-pandemic global decline in antimicrobial use

An analysis of prescribing data from more than 80 countries found that global antimicrobial consumption declined prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers reported today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Guideline-discordant dental antibiotics linked to increased C diff risk

A study of US veterans who developed Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within 30 days of a dental antibiotic prescription found that nearly 80% received guideline-discordant antibiotics, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

ECDC warns that Italian Candida auris outbreak could spread

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) yesterday issued a warning about an ongoing outbreak of the multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris in Italy.

Study finds increased risk of C difficile from contaminated hospital rooms

A study conducted at five acute care hospitals adds further evidence of the role the hospital environment plays in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), researchers reported today in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Babies born with Zika at greater risk of dying than those without

Mortality rates among children born with congenital Zika syndrome up to 3 years of age were more than 11 times higher than those without Zika, researchers reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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

Study: Increased flu vaccination could cut flu-linked antibiotics

A study of influenza-associated antibiotic prescribing in California suggests that increasing influenza vaccination coverage could have a modest benefit for reducing antibiotic prescribing, researchers reported today in Epidemiology & Infection.

New lineage of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Canadian deer

An investigation led by Canadian Food Inspection Agency scientists has identified a new and highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in white-tailed deer (WTD) in that country. The findings, which are not peer-reviewed, are published as a preprint study on bioRxiv.

Childcare workers left out of state COVID vaccine mandates for teachers

Fewer than half of US states requiring COVID-19 vaccination or routine testing of schoolteachers included childcare professionals in their mandates, leaving some young children vulnerable to infection by  unvaccinated caregivers, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics.

WHO handbook aims to help countries implement AMR action plans

The World Health Organization (WHO) this week published new technical guidance to help countries implement national action plans (NAPs) for antimicrobial resistance in the human health sector.