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Genital Herpes — No Longer Just HSV-2 as HSV-1 Makes its Move

Viral shedding after a first episode of genital herpes simplex virus type 1, which is gradually replacing herpes simplex virus type 2 as the major cause of genital infection, occurred in 12.1% at weeks 8-12 and decreased to 7.1% at the end of one year.

Severe Monkeypox

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has summarized 57 cases of individuals hospitalized with severe monkeypox, most of whom were immunocompromised men and a number of whom had delayed initiation of antiviral therapy.

Limiting Testing in Febrile Young Infants with Abnormal Urinalyses

According to a 26-site study, febrile infants younger than 2 months of age who have abnormal urinalyses are at very low risk of having meningitis and might not necessarily need to be subjected to lumbar puncture.

Better Diagnostics Equals Fewer Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions

Researchers credit diagnostic stewardship as the top reason for an impressive reduction in needless antibiotic prescriptions.

Kindergarten Vaccine Rates: Post-COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruption in healthcare delivery for everyone. Schools continue to struggle to meet the Healthy People 2030 Nationwide target of ≥ 95% coverage for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination in kindergarteners, and COVID-19 did not help. Remarkably, the nationwide vaccine rate for children entering kindergarten in the 2020-2021 school year was decreased by only 1% for all vaccines compared with the previous year.

Rehospitalization Common in Herpes Encephalitis

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is the most common cause of infectious encephalitis in the United States, accounting for around 30% of all causes of infectious encephalitis in the United States. With the advent of antiviral therapy and improved diagnostic measures, mortality and morbidity have improved over the past few decades, but patients remain at risk for long-term neurologic sequelae and even relapse.

U.S. Endemic Fungal Infection Surveillance

In the United States in 2019, 29,061 cases of coccidioidomycosis were reported, as were 1,124 cases of histoplasmosis and 240 of blastomycosis.

CDC Warning: Enterovirus-D68 Re-Emerging and Once Again Raising the Specter of Acute Flaccid Myelitis in Children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is receiving increasing reports of pediatric infections with enterovirus-D68, which previously has been associated with the development of acute flaccid myelitis.

Safety of Infliximab After Live Vaccines

Despite concerns about the use of infliximab for children with Kawasaki disease shortly after administration of live vaccines, retrospective reviews do not show any vaccine-related infections following subsequent infliximab use.

Doxycycline Plus a Beta-Lactam for Treatment of Inpatients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

In this retrospective study of an elderly male population hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, the combination of doxycycline with a beta-lactam was at least as effective as a respiratory fluoroquinolone or a combination of a beta-lactam with azithromycin.