Prevention

An international team of researchers has identified a potential role for certain monoclonal antibodies in developing a treatment for Zika virus.

In response to the growing outbreak, and the escalating need for a vaccine that can be used in infants, those who are immunocompromised, and other populations in whom currently available vaccines are not to be administered, the NIAID has entered a vaccine manufactured by Bavarian Nordic into Phase I trials.

Investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) believe they have found the key to developing a universal vaccine for influenza.

Michael Calderwood, MD, MPH, previously assistant hospital epidemiologist and associate director of antimicrobial stewardship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, discusses some up and coming infection prevention strategies.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, hospital epidemiologist, Virginia Commonwealth University, explains the risk of animal to human infection transmission during personal pet, service animal, and assisted-therapy animal healthcare setting visitations.

A recent study has described the use of next-generation sequencing to develop novel approaches that could serve as a public health tool to track pathogens such as Escherichia coli during disease outbreaks.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, hospital epidemiologist, Virginia Commonwealth University, describes possible protocols that healthcare institutions can implement in order to reduce the risk of animal to human infection transmission.

Marion A. Kainer, MD, MPH, FRACP, FSHEA, director, Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program, Tennessee Department of Health, outlines currently available strategies to avoid antimicrobial resistance.

Marion A. Kainer, MD, MPH, FRACP, FSHEA, provides key points to help healthcare providers prevent healthcare associated infections.

A norovirus vaccine developed by Takeda is the first and only one to be tested in human trials.

The belief that patients may face increased risks of complications following reduced antibiotic use after experiencing self-limiting respiratory tract infections (RTIs) may not be well-founded.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, hospital epidemiologist, Virginia Commonwealth University, describes the risks of animal to human infection transmission in healthcare settings.

The Hawaii State Department has confirmed an open investigation of the hepatitis A infection in Oahu, Hawaii.

Prof. Andrea Endimiani, MD, PhD, from the Institute of Infectious Diseases at the University of Bern, Switzerland, discusses how practitioners should test for colistin-resistant pathogens.

The number of confirmed cases in the outbreak has been attributed to the reluctance of some to be vaccinated.

Since May, there have been nine confirmed cases, with one fatality, in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Orange counties. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), most of those infected have been gay and/or bisexual men.

In a recent clinical alert, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned US healthcare facilities about Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant (MDR) yeast that is causing severe, and sometimes fatal, healthcare-associated infections.

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA, BCPS, President, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, shares his thoughts on the “elephant in the room” with regards to antimicrobial stewardship.

One month before the summer Olympics are set to be begin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil amid the threat of the Zika virus, another health threat has been identified in the city.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, explains the importance of narrow-spectrum antibacterial targets.

Romney Humphries, PhD, D(ABMM), discusses new technologies to detect antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance that are currently under production.

Andrew Chasteen from Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc, explains Morphokinetic Cellular Analysis (MCA) and how it differs from other analyses.

Prof. Andrea Endimiani, MD, PhD, from the Institute of Infectious Diseases at the University of Bern, Switzerland, explains which pathogens are most affected by the colistin resistant mcr-1 gene.

John Mohr, PharmD, president and founder of Medical Affairs Strategic Solutions, LLC, explains the current state of the antimicrobial pipeline.

Monica Mahoney, PharmD, BCPS-AQ ID, clinical pharmacy coordinator of infectious diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, explains the antimicrobial considerations that are specific to the solid organ transplant population.