Breaking Down Barriers, Having Conversations in the Communities
In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its surveillance report that showed that despite Black women in the United States making up just 13% of the overall female population, they accounted for 50% of HIV diagnoses among women.1 Barriers for Black women getting HIV prevention and care include access, economic, and cultural, […]
New Combo Drug Shows Strong Results For Worm Infections in Children
Alejandro Krolewiecki, PhD Image credits: Children With Worms Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) like Trichuris trichiura, hookworms, and Strongyloides stercoralis continue to pose a significant health threat, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. These infections cause debilitating conditions, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Existing treatments, such as albendazole, have shown limited effectiveness, particularly against T trichiura. Recent studies […]
The Changing Climate of Vector-Borne Diseases
The consequences of climate change are now readily visible worldwide. Driven primarily by greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, average global temperatures for the past decade have been the warmest in recorded history.1 Current trends are expected to persist, with global average temperatures estimated to […]
Widespread Beta-Lactamase Resistance Genes Pose Growing Threat Across One Health Domains in the US
Babafela Awosile, DVM, MVSc, PhD, DACVPM Image credits: LinkedIn A comprehensive review of research underscores the widespread distribution of beta-lactamase resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae across human, animal, and environmental sources in the United States. The study, which analyzed 335 articles published between 1981 and April 2022, provides critical insights into the molecular epidemiology of these […]
Estimating the AUC for Vancomycin Using Non Trapezoidal Equations
In the first part of the interview with Msdi, he discussed AUC-based monitoring for vancomycin and its adoption by institutions and its value in dosing. (See the article below.) Read more: Looking at the Slow Adoption of AUC-Based Monitoring for Vancomycin In this segment, Msdi talks about using a unique approach that estimates the AUC […]
Do We Have New Data for Optimal Treatments of Candida-Related Prosthetic Joint Infections?
Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are among the most common complications of arthroplasties. Most PJIs are caused by bacteria and most commonly by Staphylococcus species, whereas only 1% to 2% are caused by fungi.1 Among these rare fungal PJIs, Candida species are the most isolated pathogens, with Candida albicans being the most prevalent, followed by non–C […]
Exploiting Zinc Limitation to Combat Carbapenem-Resistant Bacteria
Megan M Tu, PhD Candidate, McMaster University Image credits: LinkedIn Carbapenems, the last line of defense against serious bacterial infections, are increasingly ineffective against pathogens that produce metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) such as VIM-2. These enzymes enable bacteria to resist carbapenem treatment, and there are currently no approved inhibitors targeting these enzymes in clinical settings. Although, recent […]
Looking at the Slow Adoption of AUC-Based Monitoring for Vancomycin
The development of the AUC-based vancomycin monitoring guidelines published in 2020 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America provided an updated foundation for clinicians and institutions to begin to utilize it, but there is a lot of nuance that needs to be considered when utilizing it. Implementation of AUC-based vancomycin monitoring nationwide is moving in […]
Targeting C difficile with Oxygen-Based Therapy
LPOXY Therapeutics, Inc has acquired key assets from Xeno Biosciences Inc to advance its therapy, SIDIPREV, aimed at preventing Clostridioides difficile (C difficile) infections in hospitalized patients. The acquisition includes regulatory filings, FDA correspondence, CMC data, intellectual property, and Phase I and Ib clinical trial data confirming the safety of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. This […]
Another Case of Shorter Is Better?
The optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia remains a topic of debate in clinical practice. The mortality rate of bacteremia associated with a pneumococcal infection ranges from 6% to 20%.1 Balancing effective treatment with the need to minimize antibiotic exposure is critical, as prolonged courses can contribute to increased risk of Clostridioides […]
