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Study shows promise for procalcitonin to guide pneumonia treatment

Spanish investigators reported in PLoS One yesterday that procalcitonin (PCT) level is an effective marker in point-of-care testing for selecting narrow-spectrum antibiotics in outpatients who have pneumonia.

Long-term sepsis risks shown in patients colonized with resistant bacteria

People who've had drug-resistant bacteria detected in their urine or feces have a higher risk of developing a drug-resistant bloodstream infection for several years afterward, according to a study presented yesterday at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

Household MERS in UAE; 3 symptom-free cases in Saudi Arabia

The World Health Organization (WHO) today noted two MERS-CoV cases in household contacts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Saudi health officials noted three asymptomatic cases.

The UAE cases involve roommates living in Abu Dhabi, the WHO said. One died on Apr 16, and the other was identified via contact tracing. The second patient was asymptomatic.

Test can detect colistin rapidly, cheaply

Data presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), which wrapped up today, suggest that equipment already owned by most hospitals can quickly and accurately detect resistance to last-resort antibiotics like colistin.

Officials report 29 more cases of H7N9 in China

In its latest weekly influenza report, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today confirmed 29 new H7N9 avian flu cases in mainland China, the most since late February. There have now been 616 cases of H7N9 reported in China since October of last year, in what is the country's fifth wave of the disease, the CHP said.

India launches national plan to fight antimicrobial resistance

India's health ministry has announced the launch of a nationwide, multi-sectoral effort to curb antimicrobial resistance.

Study finds raw milk causes 840 times more illness than pasteurized

As more and more Americans consume unpasteurized, or "raw," milk and cheese, a new study in Emerging Infectious Disease found that the unpasteurized products cause 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than their pasteurized counterparts.

H5N8 strikes more Russian poultry, Vietnam reports more H5N1

In avian flu developments today, Russia reported two more highly pathogenic H5N8 outbreaks and Vietnam reported another H5N1 detection in backyard poultry, according to notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

MERS sickens three more in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia today reported three more MERS-CoV cases, all of them in men from different parts of the country, two of whom had direct contact with camels.

China confirms 17 new H7N9 cases, 2 deaths

China this week recorded a slowdown in new H7N9 avian influenza cases, but activity continued across a wide geographic range, including Beijing, and one of the illnesses occurred in a young child, according to update today from Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP).

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

India launches national plan to fight antimicrobial resistance

Originally published by CIDRAP News Apr 26

India's health ministry has announced the launch of a nationwide, multi-sectoral effort to curb antimicrobial resistance.

Novel C diff antibiotic tops vancomycin in phase 2 trial

A phase 2 trial of the novel antibiotic ridinilazole in adults with Clostridium difficile infections showed that it performed better than vancomycin, one of three drugs used to routinely treat infections, and was well tolerated, with a similar adverse event profile.

Saudi MERS case linked to camel exposure

Over the weekend the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) said there was a new case of MERS-CoV diagnosed in a man who had contact with camels in the weeks prior to illness.

A 69-year-old Saudi man from Buraydah is in stable condition after presenting with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) infection. The man had direct exposure to camels, a known risk factor for contracting the virus.

H5N1 strikes Vietnam again as European H5N8 detections continue

In the latest avian flu developments, Vietnam reported another highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreak and Denmark and Finland reported more H5N8 detections. Also, Taiwan reported several more outbreaks caused by low-pathogenic H5N2, according to the latest notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Second Monrovia death reported in unexplained Liberia illness cluster

Health officials in Liberia have reported a second death in Monrovia linked to an unexplained illness cluster in people who attended the funeral of a religious leader in Greenville, located about 4 hours' drive south of the country's capital in Sinoe County, according to local media reports.

VA study identifies factors associated with antimicrobial utilization

A new study of antimicrobial stewardship efforts at Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine has identified factors associated with positive and negative effects on antimicrobial utilization.

MERS patient in critical condition after indirect camel contact

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) said there was a new case of MERS-CoV today linked to indirect camel exposure.

More H5N8 detections in Europe as Vietnam reports H5N1 outbreaks

Two European countries—Italy and Russia—reported new highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu outbreaks, and Vietnam reported five H5N1 events that were detected back in February, according to the latest notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

H3N2v sickens Texas resident who had contact with pigs; US flu ebbs

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the nation's first variant H3N2 (H3N2v) case of the year, a Texas resident who had contact with swine before illness began, according to a weekly flu update, which noted further decline in seasonal flu activity.

Measles outbreak in Minnesota, fueled by anti-vaxxers, grows to 44 cases

A Minneapolis-area measles outbreak that has been fueled by low vaccination rates in Somali-Americans grew by 3 cases today, to 44, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported today.

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

Study finds multidrug resistance rates similar in small, large US hospitals

A study yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases reports no systematic differences in rates of antimicrobial resistance between large tertiary care hospitals and small community hospitals.

H7N9 activity expands in China

Over the weekend, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) fleshed out more details on 22 recent H7N9 avian flu cases, 8 of them fatal, that were reported Apr 28 to May 4 from China's mainland, signaling continued steady activity in the country's fifth and biggest wave of infections.

New case of MERS reported in Riyadh

On May 6 the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new confirmed case of MERS-CoV in Riyadh.

A 46-year-old Saudi man was diagnosed as having MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) after showing symptoms of the virus. He is in stable condition, and his infection is listed as "primary," meaning it is unlikely he contracted the disease from another person.

Study finds H7N8 infection dynamics different for turkeys

A series of tests with low-pathogenic and highly pathogenic strains of H7N8 avian flu involved in Indiana poultry farm outbreaks in 2016 found that turkeys are highly susceptible and show different symptoms than infected chickens do. Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory reported their findings yesterday in PLoS One.

Liberian illness cluster blood samples yield serotype C meningitis

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday that the positive test results for Neisseria meningitidis from four Liberian patients is serotype C, Science reported yesterday. Kai Kupferschmidt, the author of the Science report, said on Twitter today that the tests were on blood and that testing is under way on cerebrospinal fluid samples.