Infectious Disease
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Group A Strep Outbreak Kills Four In Long-Term Care
An unusually large and persistent outbreak of Group A Streptococcus in a nursing home was spread in part by infected and colonized healthcare workers, underscoring the importance of reporting symptoms, seeking treatment, practicing rigorous infection control, and not working sick, an officer in the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service recently reported at the annual EIS meeting in Atlanta.
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WHO Convenes Zika Panel: Fate of the Olympics
Relenting to a growing chorus of international concern, the WHO will seek the opinion of a committee of infectious disease experts before it makes a final decision on allowing the Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro.
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Another Brick in the Wall: Colistin-resistant E.coli
The possible emergence of untreatable E. coli — a common cause of urinary tract and other infections in the community — is enough to rudely awake a medical epidemiologist in the middle of the night. It is a sobering development that the CDC has been concerned about for some time.
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FDA Issues Alert on Devices
The FDA issued a June 1, 2016, alert that some of the Mycobacterium chimaera infections acquired by cardiothoracic patients in the U.S. may be linked to the Stöckert 3T Heater-Cooler System manufactured by the Sorin Group in Germany.
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New CDC Guidelines to Identify NTM Infections
Hospitals performing surgeries requiring cardiopulmonary bypass should consider taking the following steps to identify patients at risk, the CDC recommends. Patients meeting the following criteria may represent heater-cooler unit-associated infection and may warrant additional investigation.
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Cardiac Surgery Devices Linked to Fatal Infections
An “insidious” under-the-radar outbreak of waterborne bacteria aerosolized by heater-cooler devices commonly used in cardiothoracic surgery is emerging as a clear and present danger to patient safety, a veteran epidemiologist recently warned at a meeting of infectious disease physicians in Atlanta.
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Effect of Antibiotic Resistance on Prevention of Surgical Site Infections
This interesting article from Teillant and colleagues (who is now doing some interesting work at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy in Washington, DC) highlights the threat of antibacterial resistance not only to our ability to fight active infection, but to prevent surgical site infection using perioperative antibacterials.
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Assay for Detection of Zika Virus in Urine
Most patients with Zika virus have asymptomatic or subclinical infection. The CDC now offers a TrioPlex rRT-PCR assay for the detection of ZV in urine in select patients.
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Colistin vs. Polymyxin B
Based on their kinetics and toxicity profiles, polymyxin B may be the preferred agent for treatment of systemic infections, while colistin is preferred for infections limited to the urinary tract.
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Severe Infection Due to Human Adenovirus B7
Oregon health authorities identified 198 patients from October 2013 until July 2014 with respiratory symptoms and a human adenovirus (HAdV)-positive respiratory specimen. Of the 136 patients (69%) who were hospitalized, 31% were admitted to ICU, 18% required mechanical ventilation, and five patients died. Patients with HAdV-B7 were more likely to be adults and to have longer hospital stays.