Infectious Disease Alert
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Clostridioides difficile and Reduced Vancomycin Susceptibility
Growth inhibition of Clostridioides difficile isolates from patients in Houston and Nairobi is requiring increasing concentrations of vancomycin, raising concerns about therapeutic efficacy.
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Omicron: Get Your Booster Dose!
While vaccination provides protection against the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, high-level protection from a need for hospitalization requires receipt of a booster dose.
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Was the 1889-1891 Russian Flu Really Coronavirus?
The 1889-1891 Russian flu pandemic was noted to spread rapidly through Western Europe, Great Britain, and North America. Contemporary clinical reports described prominent gastrointestinal, rheumatologic, and neurologic abnormalities (including loss of taste and smell), and pathologic reports described prominent thrombosis. A molecular clock analysis suggests a beta coronavirus emerged in humans following cross-species transmission around this time.
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Is a Cure for HIV Possible Without Stem Cell Transplantation?
In a 30-year-old woman with HIV not on antiretroviral therapy (the “Esperanza patient”), an analysis of 1.188 billion peripheral blood mononuclear cells and 503 million mononuclear cells from placental tissue revealed no genome-intact or replication-competent HIV-1 proviruses. This indicates a sterilizing cure of HIV-1 infection.
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Initial Antibiotic Choice for Neonatal Sepsis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Gram-negative rods are responsible for most neonatal sepsis in low- and middle-income countries. Ampicillin-gentamicin usually has been recommended for presumptive treatment, pending bacteriology results (when such tests are available). The results of a multinational study in Africa and Asia suggest resistance to standard therapy is widespread and that ceftazidime-amikacin might be a better option.
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Mandating COVID-19 Vaccination for Healthcare Workers — Revisited; SARS-CoV-2 as a North American Zoonosis; VIRSTA vs. PREDICT in Predicting Endocarditis
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Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Meningitis in Adults
The incidence of herpes simplex virus 2 meningitis in adults in Denmark over a six-year period was 0.7/100,000 population per year, with 91% of cases occurring in the absence of immunocompromise. Neurocognitive or neuropsychiatric symptoms persisted for as long as six months in approximately one-fifth of cases.
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Optimism for New Interventions to Prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
Previous vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus infection in children caused more harm than good. However, new vaccines and preventive monoclonal antibody treatments are nearing final stages of prelicensure testing.
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Successful Post-Discharge Completion of Fidaxomicin Therapy Without Financial Toxicity
Post-discharge completion of fidaxomicin therapy was achieved for most patients with multidisciplinary proactive intervention.
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Active Cancer and Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia Is Associated with Less Risk for Infective Endocarditis
A multicenter cohort study found patients with S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) and active cancer were at a lower risk for infective endocarditis (IE) than those with SAB without cancer. Persistent bacteremia and cardiomyopathy were independent risk factors for IE.