Prevention

A new study finds that a 1-month course of antibiotics is as safe & effective as the commonly recommended 9-month course in preventing tuberculosis in those with HIV.

Barley Chironda, RPN, CIC, infection control specialist at Clorox Healthcare, explains how cell phones and smart devices can potentially serve as a vector for C. diff.

In light of World TB Day, the CDC has released provisional TB surveillance data indicating a decline in cases in the United States, but at a rate that’s too slow to achieve elimination in this century.

Research presented at the 47th Critical Care Congress reveals that PCT-guided antibiotic cessation in critically ill patients resulted in reduced mortality.

As an outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria continues to spread, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is working with Themis Bioscience to develop a vaccine to protect against the virus.

AIDS researcher Robert Redfield, MD, has officially been named the new director of the CDC.

The program can detect viral hemorrhagic fevers about 12 days faster than previous efforts.

The National Center for Health Statistics has released new data on flu vaccination rates in the United States, as 1 new study shows which airline passengers may be at greatest risk of catching the flu inflight.

In the dollars and cents of health security, funding towards the Global Health Security Agenda is a smart investment.

Falsified hepatitis B vaccines were discovered at 8 health facilities in Uganda.

In the wake of news of 10 travelers being infected with yellow fever, 4 of whom have died, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging anyone considering travel to yellow fever endemic regions of Brazil to be vaccinated prior to travel.

In case you missed them, we've compiled the top five infectious disease articles from this past week.

The New Jersey Department of Health has issued a public health alert warning of another potential measles exposure at Newark International Airport.

As flu activity continues to decline in the United States, some states are still reporting a record number of flu illnesses, as a new study debunks concerns that the use of Tamiflu may lead to increased suicide risk in teens.

Scientists from the NIH and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School are in the process of developing a promising alternative to antibiotic treatments for multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria.

Essential oils are popular, but they could be a source of disease spread in health care settings.

Raltegravir-intensified therapy resulted in significantly faster viral load declines in HIV-infected adults and older children but did not reduce overall mortality or WHO 3/4 events compared with standard triple-drug ART.

In the wake of Europe’s recent 4-fold increase in measles cases, countries such as Italy, Germany, and Romania are passing tougher laws requiring vaccinations for children being enrolled in school.

At CROI 2018, Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker highlighted 7 controversies surrounding PrEP and provided conference attendees with enough evidence to separate fact from fiction.

The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) is working to enroll patients in clinical trials of 2 investigational monoclonal antibodies, with the ultimate goal of reducing antimicrobial resistance.

Flu activity is down for the second week in a row in the United States, but as the flu season still has several weeks to go, the FDA has issued a warning about counterfeit flu medications.

New research from Australia supports the use of booster doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, but it shows overall effectiveness is high.

First detailed analysis by race and risk group finds that two-thirds of those who could benefit from PrEP are African American or Latino, but they account for the smallest percentage of prescriptions to date.

Better understanding of the pathogenesis of tuberculosis can help inform the development of a new, effective vaccine.

Research suggests misperceptions about the risk of HIV infection should be corrected at the time of testing, with PrEP initiated same-day if appropriate.