Statins Protect Patients with HBV/HCV-Related Liver Cirrhosis from Developing Decompensation
May 2nd 2017A study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance research database investigated the efficacy of statin use on preventing the development of liver decompensation in patients with different cirrhosis etiologies.
Supply of the Only Licensed Yellow Fever Vaccine in the US Expected to Run Out by Mid-2017
April 28th 2017Manufacturing issues have led to a shortage of the only yellow fever vaccine licensed in the United States; now, that shortage is expected to lead to a complete depletion of available vaccine by mid-2017.
University Mumps Outbreak Prevails Despite High 2-Dose MMR Coverage
April 27th 2017The University of Iowa experienced a large mumps outbreak last year, despite almost 100% adherence to 2-dose measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine schedule, which begs the question, is it time to start recommending a 3-dose schedule?
CDC Pilot Study Explores National Burden of HAIs in US Nursing Homes
April 27th 2017Using a model implemented in Europe in 2013 to estimate HAI prevalence by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Nicola Thompson, PhD, CDC, and her team estimated the national burden of HAIs in US nursing homes. In their poster, Dr. Thompson and her colleagues reported preliminary data from their pilot study.
Survey: When It Comes to Preventing HAIs, Where Should We Turn Our Attention?
April 26th 2017Do some healthcare-associated infections receive more attention at your institution than others? Has your institution committed to using single-use medical devices to stave off infections? The editorial staff at Contagion® wants your feedback. Please take this brief survey to weigh-in.
Public Health News Watch Wednesday: Report for April 26, 2017
April 26th 2017This week’s Public Health News Watch shifts the focus towards pop culture as a Grammy award winner, and one of the foremost activists for the HIV/AIDS crisis has been taken ill with what news outlets are reporting as a “rare and potentially deadly bacterial infection.”
Researchers Identify Zika Incubation Period and Optimal Testing Methods
April 25th 2017Two studies published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal have outlined just how local and travel-related Zika cases differ, as well as which testing method is most sensitive to Zika virus RNA.
Yellow Fever: A Transcontinental Threat?
April 25th 2017The New England Journal of Medicine recently published two pieces on yellow fever. The first reports on the situation in the Americas, while the second recounts the case of a man from Angola who was found to be coinfected with yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis virus, although he reported no history of travel.
UCLA Study Deems UN's HIV Elimination Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa Unfeasible
April 24th 2017Using statistical mapping strategies, UCLA researchers have found that the WHO and UNAIDS strategy to eliminate HIV in sub-Saharan Africa is not feasible because it doesn’t consider several important factors.