John Parkinson

The EU recently approved glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (Maviret), an eight-week direct-acting antiviral regimen, which offers people with hepatitis C the fastest treatment option available, giving European health systems a new tool in aiding the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating the virus by 2030.

FDA continues its investigation of a Salmonella outbreak spanning across 27 states, with a recall that has expanded to include products that have jalapeños and sold at major retailers.

President Trump signed an order spacing the timing of immunizations, limiting the number of vaccines, and changing the MMR vaccine by separating it into 3 single-antigen vaccines.

The European Commission has approved glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (Maviret) for acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, making it the only therapy approved in the European Union for both acute and chronic HCV and allowing clinicians to test and treat patients at the point of diagnosis. Mudra Kapoor, MD, discusses the phase 3 data and the treatment's potential role for greater HCV elimination.

An estimated 172,000 infants acquired hepatitis B virus through mother-to-child transmission in the WHO African region in 2022, and combining birth-dose vaccination with maternal antiviral prophylaxis could cut this burden by more than 86%. Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, discusses the barriers to eliminating vertical transmission of hepatitis B, and strategies to reduce the coverage gap.

A food-safety roundup covers a growing multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak including thousands more reported sickened and 2 deaths tied to iceberg lettuce, a Salmonella Javiana outbreak with hundreds of cases across 27 states linked to jalapeño peppers served at Chipotle and QDOBA, and the US suspension of avocado inspections in Michoacan, Mexico.

The FDA has approved Moderna's influenza vaccine and set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date for Merck's RSV immunization product for expansion for a second season.

Kartik Cherabuddi, MD, FACP, FIDSA, provides insights on these aspects of the parasitic infection.

While Americans are being affected by Ebola and Hantavirus, the federal government has made concerted efforts to decrease biopreparedness programs, including reducing funding, and downsizing personnel who study and address high-consequence infectious diseases (HCID). Despite these efforts, the US has had protocols, infrastructure, and medical personnel in place to deal with these current situations.

The FDA's accelerated approval of this therapy provides the first approved treatment option for chronic hepatitis delta in the US. Anu Osinusi, MD, discusses how this targeted therapy is designed to slow disease progression and improve patient outcomes.

American Society for Microbiology (ASM) CEO Stefano Bertuzzi, PhD, MPH, discusses how they are reorganizing its structure to create more focused scientific divisions while maintaining collaboration across disciplines and improving member engagement.

In the second episode with Emory’s Gavin Harris, MD, he offers some insights about treating patients with the Andes virus, including supportive care as well as investigational antivirals.

Emory’s Gavin Harris, MD, discusses how getting patients this type of treatment is essential to reducing the severity of disease, as well as adapting the four “I’s” algorithm in dealing with high-consequence infectious disease outbreaks.

In the second episode of our conversation with David Wohl, MD, with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine, he discusses the person-to person transmission, if we expect to see more cases and how it presents, including a serious complication of the virus.

David Wohl, MD, with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine, provides information on this strain, the quarantine protocols, and what the public should know about when the virus sheds and transmissibility of the disease to others.

Stephanie Spivack, MD, discusses an upcoming healthcare provider symposium that will provide education around treating novel infections for patients with substance use disorder (SUD).

The University of Nebraska's Mark Rupp, MD, weighs in on his institution's facilities where passengers are being housed during the quarantine protocol, insights on how they are monitored, and their current medical conditions.

With spring here and tick bites on the rise, Andrew Handel, MD, provides tips on prevention as well as when to consider medical care for a bite.

Luis A. Marcos, MD, who has treated a patient with hantavirus, provides insights around the Andes virus, which is the species involved in the ongoing outbreak cluster on the cruise ship, as well as its transmissibility and treatment.

Robert Hopkins Jr, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), discusses the need to be transparent and publish the latest vaccine data, and offers clinical insights around their safety and efficacy.

Pruthvi Patel, MD, MPH, discusses how she is integrating hepatitis C EMR prompts at her institution as well as their innovative community outreach with educators to get more people into the care continuum.

In the second episode with Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, immediate past president of the American College of Physicians, he discusses the federal government's attempts to suppress studies on vaccine data and how it continues the ongoing antivaccine ideology with further mis- and disinformation.

Robert H. Hopkins Jr, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, offers commentary about what changing the vaccine committee’s charter means from a functional standpoint and how it affects public health by moving away from vaccines as a prevention strategy.

Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, immediate past president of the American College of Physicians, offers insights on what the changing Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices charter means and legal steps the college is taking to prevent the federal government’s attempt to reshape the group and vaccine policy in the US.

The latest CDC numbers show only a 0.40% increase of measles cases from week-to-week. This continues a downward trend in the percentage of cases from last week where there was only a 2.57% increase.

In the final episode of the short series, Akhila Kosaraju, MD, talks about changing the development paradigm and moving away from reengineering molecules of existing antibiotic classes and towards creating new ones.

The latest CDC numbers show a 2.57% increase of measles cases from week-to-week. This is a significant decrease in the percentage of cases from last week where there was a 6.1% increase.

The latest CDC numbers show a 6.1% increase of measles cases from week-to-week. This is a slight increase in the percentage of cases from last week where there was a 5.92% increase.

In the second part of our conversation with the Peggy Lillis Foundation’s CEO Christian Lillis, he discusses the agenda for their annual visit to Capitol Hill to advocate for the most significant issues affecting people with C diff to members of Congress.

Peggy Lillis Foundation’s annual event will have a number of speakers addressing these Clostridioides difficile (C diff)-related issues as they look to draw awareness to shortcomings in both areas as well as others. The organization's CEO Christian John Lillis offers some insights around the upcoming meeting.