Search

Flu levels rise in some Southern Hemisphere countries

Flu season markers in the Southern Hemisphere show a mixed picture, with increases recorded in southern Africa and parts of South America, with low activity for this time of year in Australia and New Zealand, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its most recent update.

Compliance with treatment protocols may speed MRSA clearance

A new study has found that better compliance with treatment protocols can lead to quicker clearance of soft skin and tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Saudi Arabia: First case of MERS in 1 week

After 7 days of no reported cases, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new case of MERS-CoV today. The case is not related to the current outbreak at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh.

Compliance with treatment protocols may speed MRSA clearance

A new study has found that better compliance with treatment protocols can lead to quicker clearance of soft skin and tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Study: 1918 pandemic flu survivors led average-length lives

Contrary to some hypotheses, 1918 pandemic flu did not shorten the lifespan of survivors, at least in male soldiers, New Zealand researchers reported today in Epidemiology and Infection.

Microbiome treatment for C diff fails in phase 2 trial

Biotechnology firm Seres Therapeutics announced late last week that SER-109, a drug designed to treat patients with recurring Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs), failed in a phase 2 study.

Study finds obesity not linked to ILI at end of 2009 H1N1 pandemic

A number of studies conducted at the time of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and shortly afterward reported a higher risk of severe disease in obese patients, while some did not. Today a study in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses found that obesity was not a risk factor for the more general condition called influenza-like illness (ILI).

French study finds loss of plasmid-related drug resistance rare

A new study from a team of French researchers suggests that when bacteria acquire plasmids containing drug-resistant genes, they rarely lose them.

Rapid bacterial infection test reduces unnecessary antibiotic use

A new study in The Lancet shows that C-reactive protein (CRP) testing performed at the point of care safely reduced antibiotic use in patients with acute respiratory infections in Vietnam, without compromising patients' recovery.

Reports note steps for streamlining antibacterial clinical trials

A series of articles in a supplement to the latest issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases address what is termed a "crisis" in antibiotic development with recommendations to improve a critical stage in the process—clinical trials.

Saudi Arabia reports new MERS case in Medina

Saudi Arabia confirmed a new MERS-CoV case today in Medina, according to its Ministry of Health (MOH).

MCR-1 gene detected in Scottish patient infected with Salmonella

Health officials in Scotland have announced the country's first detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria harboring the MCR-1 gene.

Yellow fever slows in Angola but not in DRC as WHO response criticized

The pace of yellow fever cases in Angola has slowed further but shows no sign of relenting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update today. Meanwhile, an Associated Press (AP) report highlighted the organization's response failings, including a million lost doses of vaccine.

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

MCR-1 gene detected in Scottish Salmonella patient

Health officials in Scotland have announced the country's first detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria harboring the MCR-1 gene.

Michigan reports two fair-linked H3N2v cases

Michigan health officials recently announced two variant H3N2 (H3N2v) influenza illnesses in Muskegon County residents who exhibited swine at the Muskegon County fair in late July. The cases appear to be the nation's first for 2016.

Brazil reports first detection of MCR-1 in a human

Researchers in Brazil said today they've detected the MCR-1 gene, which confers resistance to the antibiotic colistin, in a hospital patient. It's the first time the plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance mechanism has been detected in a human in Brazil.

2014 Ebola strain no more viable than 1976 strain

A study yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases suggests that although the Ebola outbreak originating in West Africa in 2013 was the deadliest to date, that strain of Ebola virus (EBOV) did not possess more aerosol stability than a strain of 1976 EBOV.

WHO: 1,792 chikungunya cases in Kenya

Yesterday the World Health Organization (WHO) posted a statement on a chikungunya virus outbreak in Kenya that began in May, with partial genetic sequencing suggesting that the strain is linked to one that has circulated in the Indian Ocean islands, Asia, and Europe since 2005.

Company announces first phase 1 trial of MERS antibody treatment

SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc., of Sioux Falls, S.D., announced today that its experimental human antibody treatment for MERS-CoV—called SAB-301—has entered human trials, the first potential treatment for the disease to do so.

CDC reports two new swine-linked H3N2v cases in Ohio

Two new variant H3N2 (H3N2v) influenza cases have been reported in Ohio, both of them in people who had contact with pigs at agricultural fairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly flu update. The report also notes two H3N2v cases that were reported in Michigan a week ago.

Yellow fever declines in Angola, but is still spreading in DRC

Yellow fever has declined in Angola, with no confirmed cases reported since June, but the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is spreading to new provinces and new parts of already affected provinces, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in a weekly update.

Additional H3N2v in pigs at Michigan county fairs

Two more Michigan county fairs, one in Cass County and one in Ingham County, are reporting variant H3N2 (H3N2v) influenza in pigs, according to a media release from the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department. No ill human contacts have been reported, according to state health officials.  

Suspected yellow fever in Brazzaville prompts call for public health emergency

Infectious disease doctor Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH, penned an open letter to Director-General Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, of the World Health Organization (WHO), suggesting that the WHO reconsider declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) over yellow fever cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the possibilities of an outbreak in the Republic of the Congo.

Study reveals better Ebola survival in patients with malaria co-infections

Patients infected with the Ebola virus were 20% more likely to survive if they were co-infected with malaria, according to a study of Liberians who received care at a treatment center in Monrovia in 2014 and 2015 during West Africa's outbreak. A research team led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) published the findings yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

WHO report on Chinese H7N9 cases notes possible human-to-human spread in cluster  

After five human cases of avian influenza A (H7N9) appeared in China earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that limited human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out for some that are part of a family cluster. Three of the five recent cases in humans appear to be in a cluster, the WHO said today in a statement.