Influenza Vaccine During Pregnancy May Protect Newborn Infants
May 31st 2016The number of expecting mothers who opt for annual vaccination for influenza during pregnancy remains relatively low; however, the results of a new study suggest this may be changing—and that there are obvious benefits for immunization for newborns.
CDC Releases Updated Guidelines on HIV Nonoccupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
May 27th 2016The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated guidelines for the use of nonoccupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) in persons in the United States, after exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outside the health care setting.
Global Influenza Surveillance Program Shows Promising Results
May 27th 2016A program designed to improve the quality of influenza surveillance capabilities in 39 countries from around the globe through partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seems to have resulted in remarkable progress on all six of the assessed metrics, and even led to improvements in the surveillance of other pathogens, according to the results of a recent study.
Challenging the Gold Standard for Evaluating Influenza Vaccines
May 26th 2016The level of hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) used as the traditional gold standard for evaluating influenza vaccines in the United States and European Union may not actually be the best predictor of protection from influenza virus-induced disease.
African Meningitis Epidemic Would Have Serious Global Repercussions
May 26th 2016Although virtually eradicated in some parts of the developed world, spinal meningitis remains a significant healthcare challenge in the so-called “African meningitis belt,” a region of 26 countries that stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) May Soon Be Treatable
May 25th 2016Researchers from the department of pathology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston developed and validated a high-throughput screen (HTS) that could detect antimicrobial agents with the ability to restore carbapenem susceptibility to resistant strains, as well as those that target CRE directly.
A Look into Advanced Molecular Tools Used by the CDC to Advance Public Health
May 24th 2016Cutting-edge technologies help public health professionals detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks more rapidly and effectively than traditional methods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers presented a few of their resources to their colleagues in a special session on May 3, Using Advanced Molecular Tools to Direct Public Health Action, at the 65th Annual EIS Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
CDC EIS Officers Presented Emerging Vector-borne Disease Research at Recent Conference
May 23rd 2016“Vector-borne diseases are among the most complex of all infectious diseases to prevent and control. Not only is it difficult to predict the habits of mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, but most vector-borne viruses or bacteria infect animals as well as humans,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Asymptomatic Influenza Infection Rates Deserve More Attention
May 20th 2016The consequences of not understanding the actual rate of asymptomatic influenza infection can be grave, as influenza virus infection of the respiratory tract has been shown to result in severe disease and complications, including pneumonia, shock, renal failure, encephalopathy, and multiorgan dysfunction, which can be lethal.
Southern Texas Primed for an Outbreak of Dengue Fever
May 20th 2016The findings of a recent study coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local departments of health in southern Texas highlight the risk for localized outbreaks of Dengue fever in the region and other areas of the United States with similar climatic and environmental conditions. This is particularly alarming as Texas is already well-within range of an outbreak of another vector-borne illness: Zika virus.
GHTC Report Urges Congress to Increase Funding for Global Research and Development
May 19th 2016The US government must allocate additional resources toward global research and development (R&D) efforts working toward solutions for historically “neglected” diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS in order to meet the challenges posed by them, a new report has concluded.
A Look into Recent Healthcare-Associated Outbreak Research by the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service
May 18th 2016An estimated 722,000 healthcare-associated infections occurred in acute care hospitals in the United States in 2011, and roughly 75,000 patients who acquired them died while still in the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).