Wiki-What? Navigating WikiGuidelines and Leveraging Their Advantages
WikiGuidelines is an independent, not-for-profit organization focused on creating clinical practice guidelines applicable to diverse geographic, economic, and practice settings. It operates under a Charter, and membership is open to qualified practitioners with an active professional license.1 To date, there are three infectious disease WikiGuidelines with member contributions from 6 continents and 18 countries. Participant […]
“Not Touched by the Hand of a Person” as Vibrant’s Automated Microarray Advances Lyme Disease Testing
In the third part of our interview series with Jason Barker, ND, clinical lab educator at Vibrant Wellness, the conversation focused on a recent Nature study that outlines a novel methodology for detecting Borrelia infections. This approach uses a highly sensitive and fully automated protein microarray system developed by Vibrant, offering greater diagnostic accuracy, faster […]
Model Evidences Wide Treatment Gap for Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections
Less than 7% of persons contracting carbapenem-resistant Gram negative (CRGN) infections across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) receive appropriate antimicrobial treatment, according to new modeling1 estimates. The investigators attribute the “alarmingly” wide treatment gap to multiple factors including barriers to access, and relate the finding to a failing global response to antimicrobial treatment resistance (AMR). […]
Study Highlights Airborne Transmission of H5N1 in Ferrets, Raising Pandemic Concerns
Dairy worker Image credits: Unsplash A recent study of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus isolated from a dairy farm worker in Michigan has revealed concerning findings about its transmission capabilities. The virus, A/Michigan/90/2024 (MI90), was shown to transmit via airborne particles in a controlled ferret model and cause moderate disease, suggesting a possible […]
When Should We De-Escalate Empiric Antimicrobials?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to global public health, with projections suggesting over 30 million deaths could be attributable to AMR by 2050.1 Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are critical to preserving antibiotic efficacy while ensuring optimal patient outcomes. As stewards, many of us evaluate opportunities for de-escalation as a daily clinical intervention to optimize […]
Dual Salmonella Threats Spark Federal Health Alerts
Federal and state health officials are investigating a Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak linked to contact with backyard poultry that has sickened seven individuals across six states. As of April 24, 2025, cases have been reported in Utah (1), South Dakota (1), Wisconsin (1), Illinois (1), Missouri (2), and Florida (1). Illnesses occurred between February 9 and […]
Single, Low Dose Primaquine Safely Blocks Malaria Transmission
Image credit: Jim Chan, Pexels A single, low dose of primaquine added to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) reduces malaria transmission across age groups and regions with different transmission rates with low risk of the hemolytic anemia adverse reaction associated with higher dosing, in the findings of a recent meta-analysis1 of individual patient data. The meta-analysis […]
Measles Cases Surge to 935 in US Amid Ongoing Outbreaks and Global Spike
Yearly measles cases as of May 1, 2025 Image credits: Unsplash As of May 2, 2025, the CDC has reported 935 confirmed measles cases across 30 US jurisdictions, marking a significant surge compared to recent years and raising concern over the intensifying outbreaks. Twelve outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases, have been identified […]
New Microarray Technology Overcomes Limitations of Standard Lyme Disease Testing
A newly developed customizable multiplex protein microarray is poised to significantly improve the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, by offering faster and more accurate detection of multiple pathogens in a single test. This innovative platform, created by researchers at Vibrant, can host up to 400 antigens, greatly surpassing traditional diagnostic methods in scope […]
Addressing Gram-Negative Infections With Further Insights From Cefiderocol’s PROVE Study
Sean Nguyen PharmD, BCIDP, medical director, Shionogi Image Credit: Shionogi The PROVE (Retrospective Cefiderocol Chart Review) study is a 5-year international, retrospective, observational medical chart review study, conducted between November 2020 and July 2024 designed to describe the efficacy and safety of real-world cefiderocol use in adult patients with serious gram-negative (GN) bacterial infections. This […]
