Contagion Editorial Staff

Meghan Jeffres, PharmD, explains what practitioners should keep in mind when prescribing beta-lactams.

A new study shows that HIV-positive women with cytomegalovirus (CMV) are more likely to transmit HIV to their infants.

Otto Schwake, PhD, explains how likely it is for someone to catch Legionnaire’s disease from windshield washer fluid.

Snigdha Vallabhaneni, MD, MPH, discusses the incidence of Candida auris in the United States.

A new biological fingerprint for tuberculosis meningitis in children may eventually help practitioners learn more on the severity of infection in their patients, which in turn can lead to better treatment decisions.

Conan MacDougall, PharmD, discusses some interventions that have been shown to produce negative behavioral changes for antibiotic stewardship.

Pleuromutilin antibiotics, meningococcal disease, tuberculosis, a new fluoroquinolone to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and WHO’s position on HPV vaccine recommendations makes up this week’s Top 5 articles.

Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, MPH, explains how to treat patients who expect to receive an antibiotic, but should not.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, explains why narrow-spectrum antibiotics are more beneficial for treating C. difficile.

Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, explains strategies institutions can take to address antimicrobial shortages.

Jason Gallagher, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FIDSA, explains the importance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for off-label indications.

An infection control intervention coming from the VHA resulted in a significant reduction of MRSA in veteran living centers.

Genovefa Papanicolaou, MD, discusses a new antiviral in development to prevent cytomegalovirus.

Arjun Srinivasan, MD, discusses the "steps" associated with investigating an outbreak.

Otto Schwake, PhD, postulates how Legionella might get into automobile windshield washer fluid and if there is any way to prevent it.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, explains what is known about Clostridium difficile prevention and control.

Badela, a new antibiotic developed by Melinta Therapeutics, was just approved by the US FDA to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, explains the different ways that antimicrobial shortages can impact patient care.

Khalid Eljaaly, PharmD, MS, CAPPS, BCPS, explains which studies are ideal to run through a meta-analysis.

Lauri A. Hicks, DO, discusses the use of immunotherapy in tackling antibiotic resistance.

Nicola Thompson, PhD, shares what is needed to estimate the burden of healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes.

Snigdha Vallabhaneni, MD, MPH, discusses the keys to controlling the spread of Candida auris.

New drugs for HIV, the growing rate of antibiotic resistance, a new hepatitis C treatment option, and updates on the Ebola outbreak and Lyme disease diagnostics, make up the Top 5 articles for this week.

Lillian Abbo, MD, shares key elements that clinicians should incorporate into antimicrobial stewardship practices.

Jeremy Burrows, DPhil, MA, explains how new antimalarials could change the game for countries where malaria is endemic.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, shares a few things to keep in mind when using bundled approaches against C. difficile.

This week’s report includes the latest from Gilead, Janssen, Spero Therapeutics, Clorox, and TECHLAB.

Arjun Srinivasan, MD, explains where outbreaks are most likely to occur within healthcare facilities.

Caetano P. Sabino, BSc, PhD Student, explains how photodynamic therapy works.

Elizabeth Phillips, MD, FRCPC, FRACP, explains the current preferred methods for drug skin testing and desensitization.