News

Hawaii is experiencing a cluster of rat lungworm disease cases on the Big Island as well as on the island of Maui; a few suspected cases are still undergoing investigation.

The Texas Department of State Health and Human Services has changed its testing recommendations for residents in six counties.

Influenza cases are surging in states such as Massachusetts and Maine, causing a springtime “second peak” in flu activity and sidelining members of the Boston Red Sox.

This week’s Public Health News Watch focuses on healthcare costs and provides a brief comparison of the US healthcare system to Canada’s healthcare system, highlighting a few pros and cons of each.

At the SHEA Spring 2017 Conference, Laurie Conway, RN, PhD, CIC, provided conference goers with options that will allow them to “pick their battles” when it comes to ensuring effective surveillance targets.

A recent study has found that individuals with chronic hepatitis B and C infections may have more to worry about; they may also be at increased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. Not only this, but a change in the microbiome may also elicit the development of the disease.

In a recent study, researchers from several institutions found that individuals from North, Central, and South Americas may be at an increased risk of cancer due to Heliobacter pylori strains brought over to the "New World" with European explorers.

A new study has found that young and middle-aged adults who were prescribed long-term antibiotics later had increased risk of colorectal adenoma, a suspected precursor to cancer.

In case you missed them, here are our top 5 articles for the week of April 2, 2017.

WHO representatives warn that a “flare-up” of TB/HIV coinfections coupled with high rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis can threaten progress made towards the elimination of TB.

The WHO recently revised its guidelines on progestogen-only injectable contraceptives in light of new evidence that their usage may involve a higher risk of contracting HIV.

Robin Jump, MD, PhD, discussed the challenges associated with isolation precautions in long-term care settings, specifically nursing homes during her presentation at the SHEA Spring 2017 Conference on March 30, 2017.

The US Food and Drug Administration just approved indications for two hepatitis C drugs to be used in pediatric patients.

Sometimes the best surveillance tools are found in the gutter, at least according to a new study.

Top-line results of a phase 3 clinical study show that omadacycline met all US Food and Drug Administration primary and secondary endpoints and European Medicines Agency co-primary endpoints.

At the SHEA Spring 2017 Conference on March 30, 2017, David P. Calfee, MD, MS, discussed the role that the environment plays in transmission of healthcare-associated infections, and why cleaning and disinfection measures need to be improved to reduce these infections.

Researchers from the Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science have established a potential link between hepatitis C virus and cataract development.

Research coming in from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston shows that when it comes to treating those with C. difficile, frozen and freeze-dried products for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation are nearly as effective as fresh product.

In a new study, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers have found that getting the flu shot reduces the risk of influenza-associated pediatric deaths.

This week’s Public Health News Watch highlights initiatives taking place this week in celebration of National Public Health Week, as well as two new pieces of legislation being considered in Congress that could impact food safety in the country and healthcare, in general.

News on Heliobacter pylori, Zika, Clostridium difficile, Powassan virus, and influenza make up the top 5 news articles from Contagion® in March 2017.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that they are seeing between 30 to 40 new cases of Zika virus in pregnant women in the United States each week.

Patient advocate Liz Kruvand brought a fresh perspective to the SHEA Spring 2017 Conference when she discussed her own trials and tribulations with infection prevention in the pediatric hospital setting.

UCL scientists have found that MRI scans can be used as a way to identify HIV persistence in the brain even when it is controlled by treatment efforts.

Rebekah Moehring, MD, MPH, shared strategies for building internal capacity to meet infection prevention goals in resource-limited settings at the SHEA Spring 2017 Conference on March 29, 2017.

During a recent webcast lecture, Hana Golding, PhD from the US Food and Drug Administration described new ways to evaluate safety and effectiveness of vaccine adjuvants.

At the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring 2017 Conference, Nimalie Stone, MD, MS, Team Lead, LTC, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), discussed infection prevention and control programs in nursing homes across the United States.

On March 30, 2017, at the SHEA Spring 2017 Conference, Thomas Sandora, MD, MPH, shared some tips regarding ways to manage movement outside of the room for patients who are on contact precautions.