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2022-2023: A Severe Season for Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The 2022-2023 northern hemisphere respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season began with fury, crowding hospitals and making many young children extremely ill. Meanwhile, advancing research points to potential means of better preventing RSV infection.

Increasing Incidence of Stage IV Cervical Cancer

The incidence of stage IV cervical cancer in the United States between 2001 and 2018 increased. Rates were highest among Black women, but the annual rate of increase was highest among white women in the South age 40-44 years.

Evidence of Clinical Efficacy of Bebtelovimab in COVID-19

In a retrospective study, bebtelovimab demonstrated efficacy similar to Paxlovid in high-risk outpatients with recent onset of COVID-19 who reported mild to moderate symptoms.

Measles, Mumps, and Monkeypox

Measles and mumps are a threat to a population that is not vaccinated. Clinicians must recognize the symptoms and make an accurate and timely diagnosis to take care of the patient and minimize the impact to communities where we practice.

The Great Imitator Imitates Again

This case report serves as a reminder that even though pancolitis from secondary syphilis is rare, syphilitic proctitis is a not-uncommon manifestation of syphilis — and that syphilis can present as almost anything — even long COVID.

Doxycycline Plus a Beta-Lactam to Treat 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.

Better Diagnostics Equals Fewer Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions

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

Infectious Disease Alert Updates

Screening for Chagas in HIV; It’s Not All About the Cough; Linezolid and Cycloserine in CSF Adequate

Can Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination Protect Newborns?

In this case control study, 537 case infants younger than 6 months of age who were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 were compared to 512 control infants who were hospitalized for other reasons; 16% of the case infants and 29% of the control infants had been born to mothers who had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 during the pregnancy. The effectiveness of maternal vaccination against infant hospitalization for COVID-19 was 52% overall, 80% during the Delta variant period, and 38% during the Omicron variant period. Effectiveness increased when the vaccine was received after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Outbreak of a Potentially More Lethal Ebola Virus

A new outbreak of a more lethal Ebola virus is occurring in Uganda with concern about its exportation.