NACCHO’s Efforts to Combat Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance
Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), shared insights into the organization’s efforts to combat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AR), particularly in light of the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. NACCHO has been providing capacity-building programs designed to address local health departments’ needs, […]
How Are We Doing Right Now?
The seasonal respiratory virus season in the northern hemisphere runs from October through April. As we are at about the halfway point of the season, we wanted to identify incidence rates and get some guidance from Robert H. Hopkins, Jr, MD, medical director, NFID, on the current state of the virus season focusing on COVID-19, […]
Improving Antibiotic Stewardship and Infection Control
Dr treating patient at the hospital. Image credits: Unsplash Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tools play a crucial role in healthcare, particularly in optimizing antibiotic prescribing and reducing infections. These tools are essential to Antimicrobial Stewardship (ASP) and Infection Prevention (IP) programs. A recent study highlights the application of established CDS evaluation frameworks, such as the […]
Human Milk Sugar Shows Potential For Norovirus Treatment
Number of cases. Image credits: CDC A recent study has shown that 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL), a sugar found in human milk, can reduce the replication of human norovirus (HuNoV) in lab-grown human intestinal cells, suggesting it could become a treatment for norovirus infections. The research, published in Journal of Virology, focused on the GII.4 Sydney [P16] […]
Expedite Subtyping of Influenza A in Hospitalized Patients
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory requesting clinicians and laboratories to expedite the subtyping of influenza A-positive specimens from hospitalized patients, especially those in the intensive care unit (ICU). The federal agency said they are looking for this be performed within 24 hours and they stated on […]
Summarizing SGLT-2 Inhibitor Usage in People With Diabetes and HIV
Image credit: Pexels, N Voitkevich Diabetes presents a significant health challenge for people living with HIV. Among persons with HIV, the prevalence of diabetes is over 2-fold higher than in individuals without HIV.1 There is also an earlier onset of diabetes among persons with HIV than in those without HIV.2 Diabetes is associated with a […]
The “Skip Phenomenon” in Blood Infections
The “skip phenomenon” (SP) refers to a clinical pattern in which blood cultures intermittently test positive before eventually clearing. A recent study sheds light on the fact that one-third of patients with Staphylococcus lugdunensis infective endocarditis (S lugdunensis IE) experience the SP, and these patients tend to face prolonged bacteremia, extended hospital stays, and a […]
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 […]
