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US flu activity continues slow rebound

Flu activity continued to rise in most of the nation last week, with three more pediatric flu deaths reported, but markers are still below epidemic baselines, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest update.

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

Study finds dramatic drop in antimicrobial use in Japan in 2020

Japan saw a marked reduction in antimicrobial use (AU) in 2020 that's linked to the COVID-19 pandemic but could also reflect increased antimicrobial stewardship, according to a study yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Fewer antibiotics for non-COVID patients with fever, respiratory symptoms

Researchers at a hospital in China found an 8.3% decline in antibiotic use among patients with non-COVID fever and respiratory symptoms during the pandemic, likely because of heightened awareness of viral pathogens, according to a study published late last week in the Journal of Infection.

Project will analyze hospital wastewater for antibiotics, resistant bacteria

The Partnership for European Environmental Research (PEER) yesterday reported the launch of a new project that will use hospital wastewater to assess how antimicrobial stewardship programs are affecting levels of antibiotics and resistant bacteria released into the environment.

NFL games didn't contribute to county COVID-19 spread, study suggests

National Football League (NFL) games played with fans in the 2020 season, with mask mandates and physical distancing in place, had no effect on COVID-19 infections in the surrounding county, suggests a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Study finds high childhood antibiotic exposure in low-resource countries

A study this week in Clinical Infectious Diseases reveals high levels of childhood antibiotic exposure in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

US chikungunya cases reach 1,200

As of Sep 30, 86 new cases of chikungunya were brought into the United States by travelers, most of them visiting or coming from the Caribbean, according to this week's update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This brings the total count of imported cases to 1,200. Additionally, Florida has reported 11 locally acquired cases, a number that held steady since last week.

IDWeek study shows antibiotic stewardship tied to shorter hospital stay

Findings presented at a major infectious disease conference in Philadelphia today suggest that hospital antibiotic stewardship programs can pay unexpected benefits in children.

Two Chinese provinces report 10 H7N9 infections

December disease reports from China's Fujian and Jiangsu provinces revealed 10 more H7N9 avian influenza infections, none of them fatal, according to reports in Chinese identified, translated, and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.

Fujian province reported six of the cases and Jiangsu province reported four. No other details were available about the cases, other than that none were fatal.

Dengue candidate vaccine shows promise in phase 3 trial

Phase 3 clinical trial results for the most advanced dengue vaccine in development, known as CYD-TDV and made by Sanofi Pasteur, showed it is more than 50% protective overall and nearly 90% effective against the most serious, hemorrhagic form of the disease, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

H7N9 found after poultry markets reopened in China in 2013

Bat coronavirus study suggests MERS-CoV 'roots'

Researchers who analyzed the genome of a new coronavirus (CoV) from a South African bat sample demonstrated that it may be the ancestor of MERS-CoV, that a host switch from bats to camels may have taken place in Africa, and that camels are likely infecting humans rather than vice versa, according to a study yesterday in the Journal of Virology.

CDC: Imported US chikungunya cases surge to 300

The chikungunya epidemic in the Caribbean is continuing to spill over into the United States, with 300 imported cases identified as of yesterday, an increase of 66 from a week earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Appeals court says hearings not needed over antibiotics in feed

New York's Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not required to hold public hearings on the safety of feeding antibiotics at subtherapeutic levels to food animals, a decision that advocates called a blow to public health, Food Safety News (FSN) reported today.

Guinea, Liberia probe new Ebola cases

Three new Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases, along with five deaths in previously announced infections, have been reported in Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa reported today. The new cases raise the country's overall number of cases to 208 and number of deaths to 136; 112 illnesses have been lab confirmed. So far 25 EVD infections, 16 of them fatal, have been reported in Guinea's healthcare workers.

Pakistan responds to WHO polio alert by adding vaccination posts

The health ministry of Pakistan, the country with the most polio cases of late, has committed to setting up mandatory immunization counters for travelers at all its airports, border crossings, and seaports in response to yesterday's World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of a worldwide polio emergency, according to a story in the current issue of Pakistan Today.

Wisconsin town battles costly TB outbreak

Sheboygan, Wis., has spent millions battling a nine-case tuberculosis (TB) outbreak this spring and summer that may still be growing, at a time when states are cutting their TB-control budgets, NPR reported today.

CDC says progress in HPV vaccination has stalled

Progress in the uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in US teen girls has stalled, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

Vaccination rates high among US kindergartners

Vaccination rates among US kindergarteners remain at high levels, with coverage near or exceeding the Healthy People 2020 target rate of 95% in most states, and exemption rates are holding steady, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.

Illinois reports its first H3N2v case of the year

Illinois health officials yesterday reported the state's first variant H3N2 (H3N2v) influenza case of the summer, in a child who had contact with swine at a county fair.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a statement that the infection was mild and was confirmed in a Boone County child who helped an exhibitor at the DuPage County Fair, which was held in late July.

Case series highlights severe disease with MERS

In addition to severe respiratory failure, nonrespiratory illnesses like shock and kidney injury were common in 12 intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Saudi Arabia who had Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections, according to a study today in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study also noted a low rate of MERS-CoV infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) who had contact with MERS patients.

WHO reports death of MERS patient in UAE

A 33-year-old United Arab Emirates man who fell ill with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in December died on Jan 16, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.

HHS funds drug to fight bioterror agents, drug-resistant infections

The federal government will provide up to $90 million to develop a new drug to treat two potential bioterror threats and possibly to combat antibiotic-resistant infections, the US Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced today.

Study: 2 HPV doses protect against genital warts, but 3 better

Two doses of quadrivalent (four-strain) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provide good protection against genital warts (condylomata), but three doses are better, according to a large Swedish study published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

ACIP OKs additional meningococcal vaccine for risk-group babies

A federal advisory group today approved a measure to include a new meningococcal vaccine option for youngsters ages 2 months and older at risk for meningitis infection.