News

Catch up with this week's 5 most-read infectious disease stories.

These study findings suggest COVID-19 admission testing may not be necessary in hospitals, as most asymptomatic COVID-19 patients were not infectious.

People with COVID-19 who were hospitalized had a slightly higher rate of death than those with influenza. However, there were considerably more severe COVID-19 cases than the flu, leading to a much higher number of overall deaths associated with SARS-CoV-2.

With limited amounts of antibacterials, prescribers are presented with optimal therapy challenges as well as difficulties in trying to achieve stewardship.

Reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for viral upper respiratory tract infections is crucial to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The R21/Matrix-M vaccine can now be used in Ghana and could help in the prevention of a vector-borne disease that kills over 600,000 people annually.

2 CDI recurrences occurred in this study, both in placebo recipients who were immunocompromised.

The Veterans Administration reported a reduction in the bacterial infection in healthcare settings where infection prevention practices were continued.

This study implemented an Electronic Health Record in a major hospital system to catch otherwise undetected C diff infections.

The epidemiology society worked with a few medical organizations to update the guidance to limit infections.

The investigators compared sources of antibiotic resistant genes in human, animal, soil, water/sediment, and wastewater treatment plants.

A study looking at 5 years of data showed a decrease in the amount of cases, but with some important trends to be aware of in this population.

This study of health care access and affordability found adults with long COVID reported more unmet health care needs in the past 12 months.

New research suggests that patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B can achieve functional cure after ending nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NUCs) treatment.

Can anakinra reduce inflammation and the need for mechanical ventilation in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia?

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issues public health alert for salad with chicken and ham.

A literature review found we lack a consistent definition of long COVID, which can lead to variance in if and how these patients are treated.

A new study demonstrates having 1 risk factor or more increases the odds of testing positive for hepatitis C (HCV) by 20% compared to individuals without any risk factors.

In patients with hepatitis D (HDV) and compensated cirrhosis, a newer antiviral therapy, bulevirtide (Hepcludex), proved to be efficacious and safe to patients.

This week's most-read stories discussed unforeseen consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, including an increase in gastrointestinal diseases and a decrease in childhood asthma diagnoses.

When taken within 3 days, doxycycline given post-exposure (doxy-PEP) decreased the incidence rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia significantly.

The pneumonia drug Atovaquone oral suspension, USP 750mg/5mL, has been voluntarily recalled due to potential Bacillus cereus contamination.

The case and another probable case is being presented at next week’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases conference.

How likely is COVID-19 reinfection? A new study estimates the protection from past COVID-19 infection by variant and time since infection.

These maternal infections caused seizures, developmental delays, and other health issues in two newborns.

Investigators determined there is a modest increased risk of long-term gastrointestinal symptoms and IBS following COVID-19 infection.

Simulations suggest deaths from COVID-19 could be cut in half if 80% of eligible patients took the antiviral therapy.

Pfizer’s investigational RSV prefusion F protein−based vaccine (RSVpreF) was 81.8% effective at preventing medically attended severe RSV-associated lower respiratory tract illness in infants.

In this guest commentary, Thelma King Thiel, RN, co-founder and chair of the Liver Health Initiative talks about the link between viral hepatitis and liver cancer as well as the need for public awareness to take preventative steps towards trying to prevent both of them.

Despite high vaccination rates and intensive contact tracing and infection control protocols, an Omicron BA.5 outbreak occurred in Urumqi, China after the “zero-COVID policy” was lifted.