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Gonorrhea isolates from Hawaii outbreak show high resistance profile

A new report in Clinical Infectious Diseases is providing some additional detail on a cluster of genetically related Neisseria gonorrhea isolates with high-level azithromycin resistance and decreased ceftriaxone susceptibility previously detected in Hawaii.

MERS infects one more in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has announced one new MERS-CoV case over the past 4 days, according to updates from the country's Ministry of Health (MOH).

Study describes spread of livestock-associated MRSA in Denmark

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) appears to be spreading further into the community and healthcare settings in Denmark, researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

WHO: International vaccine deployment not recommended in DRC

In the latest situation report on the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) said that international vaccine deployment of rVSV-ZEBOV, the experimental Ebola vaccine, and cold chain shipment is not advised at this time to contain the outbreak.

Number of US babies born with Zika defects grows to 72

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported 8 more babies born in the United States with Zika-related birth defects, raising the total to 72. The number of pregnancy losses related to the virus remained at eight. So far 1,579 of 1,883 women who are part of the US Zika Pregnancy Registry have completed their pregnancies, with or without birth defects.

First H7N9 avian flu case reported in China's Inner Mongolia province

In another sign of further northward spread, China's Inner Mongolia province has reported its first human H7N9 avian flu case, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said today in a statement. The development comes just a few weeks after H7N9 was detected for the first time in live-bird markets in Inner Mongolia province. The province mainly borders Mongolia, with a small part abutting Russia.

New MERS case detected in Saudi Arabia  

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new case of MERS yesterday in a man from Riyadh.

The 47-year-old expatriate is in critical condition after presenting with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The man is not a healthcare worker, nor did he have contact with camels. The source of his infection is listed as primary, which means it's unlike he contracted it from anyone else.

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

MDR Pseudomonas infections nearly twice as deadly for hospital patients

A review of hospital-onset Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in the United States found that the mortality from multidrug-resistant P aeruginosa (MDR-PSA) is nearly twice that of non-MDR-PSA infections.

Two suspected Ebola cases confirmed in DRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Jun 2 said that two suspected Ebola cases had been confirmed via laboratory testing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these cases came from known transmission chains, and the date of the last confirmed case in the DRC remains May 11.

Pharmacist-driven ASPs tied to fewer deaths, better antimicrobial use

A pharmacist-driven antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in intensive care units (ICUs) in eastern China was associated with decreased mortality, lowered emergence of multidrug resistance, and optimized use of antimicrobial agents, according to a study yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control.

WHO: New suspected case of Ebola in DRC

The World Health Organization (WHO) in its latest update reported a new suspected case of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), prompting the surveillance of 15 additional contacts. The suspected case is from the Ngayi health area, in northern DRC.

Russia, Taiwan report more highly pathogenic H5 outbreaks

Two countries reported more highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks: H5N8 in Russia and H5N2 in South Korea, according to notifications today from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Russia's outbreak began on May 4 in backyard birds in the Republic of Tatarstan in the west. The virus killed 13 of 51 birds, and authorities culled the remaining ones as part of the response measures.

Francis Collins given official nod to continue as NIH director

President Donald Trump announced yesterday that Francis Collins, MD, PhD, an Obama administration holdover, will stay on as permanent director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), multiple media sites reported.

Piperacillin-tazobactam shows promise for treating ESBL UTI

A study yesterday in BMC Infectious Diseases indicates that piperacillin/tazobactam (PTZ) is effective in treating healthcare-associated urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by extended-spectrum, beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC), a type of infection for which therapeutic options are limited.

WHO, GPEI confirm 3 cases of vaccine-derived polio in Syria

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) confirmed today that there are at least three children with circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in the Deir-Ez-Zor governorate of Syria. Two children have developed acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), and one child has tested positive for the virus but is currently healthy.

Six new asymptomatic hospital MERS cases confirmed in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported six new cases of MERS-CoV today, all linked to one or more of the current hospital outbreaks in Riyadh.

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

Piperacillin-tazobactam shows promise for treating ESBL UTI

Originally published by CIDRAP News Jun 8

Ebola vaccine trial finds good antibody persistence for VSV-EBOV

In a new study on the Ebola vaccine that has already shown effectiveness in an earlier phase 3 trial during West Africa's outbreak, researchers found that antibodies persist at least for a year and that the vaccine was well tolerated.

Study: Antibiotic treatment poses 20% risk of adverse events in inpatients

Hospital patients who receive antibiotic treatment may face about a 20% risk of a related adverse event, if the results of a new study from Johns Hopkins University researchers can be generalized.

Congenital Zika infection linked to problems with swallowing

Nine Brazilian infants with congenital Zika infections developed moderate to severe dysphagia, or problems with swallowing, increasing the risk of aspirating liquids and choking, according to a report yesterday in Emerging Infectious Disease.

Egyptian study finds high rates of resistance in community-onset GI cases

A single-center study in Egypt found that nearly two thirds of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates collected from the feces of patients who had community-onset gastrointestinal complaints were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and 4.4% were carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE).

Saudi officials confirm 3 more MERS cases in Riyadh

Today the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) announced three new MERS-CoV cases in Riyadh.

Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there were three separate hospital-based outbreaks of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) in that city. At least one of the new cases is tied to the hospital outbreaks, but none of the patients are healthcare workers.

Ebola virus can survive months in syringe needles, 1 week on paper money

Ebola virus (EBOV) from the West Africa outbreak survived more than 30 days in blood in syringe needles—even in hot, humid conditions— and 6 days on paper money under experimental conditions, according to a study yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Study: Non-neutralizing antibodies may play a role in flu vaccine protection

Non-neutralizing, cross-reactive antibodies may play a role in fostering protective immunity following H7N9 avian flu vaccination and are likely missed by traditional vaccine immunogenicity tests, according to a study yesterday in Cell Host & Microbe.