The Coronavirus Outbreak Should Bring Out the Best in Humanity
Pandemics are perversely democratic. They’re nasty, lethal and sneaky, but they don’t discriminate. No matter your age, ethnicity, religion, gender, or nation, you’re a part of the pathogenic constituency.
That shared vulnerability, and the resulting human collectivism—a universal response to a universal threat—is newly and vividly evident in the face of the now-global outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as 2019-nCoV. As of writing, there have been over 30,000 diagnosed cases and over 630 related deaths. A virus that emerged in a single city, Wuhan, China—indeed, in a single crowded ...
Source: TIME: Health - February 8, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Jeffrey Kluger Tags: Uncategorized 2019-nCoV Infectious Disease Source Type: news
Fly model offers new approach to unraveling 'difficult' pathogen
(University of California - San Diego) Clostridium difficile, a bacterium known to cause symptoms from diarrhea to life-threatening colon damage, is part of a growing epidemic for the elderly and hospitalized patients. Biologists have now developed models of the common fruit fly to help develop novel therapies to fight the pathogen. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - February 7, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
FDA OKs Fidaxomicin for C difficile in Children FDA OKs Fidaxomicin for C difficile in Children
The macrolide antibacterial is now approved in oral suspension and tablets for treatment of Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in children aged 6 months and older.FDA Approvals (Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines)
Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines - January 27, 2020 Category: Intensive Care Tags: Gastroenterology News Alert Source Type: news
Researchers identify key structure of C. difficle bacteria that could lead to future treatments
(University of Maryland School of Medicine) Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and their colleagues have identified the structure of the most lethal toxin produced by certain strains of Clostridium difficile bacteria, a potentially deadly infection associated with the use of antibiotics. The researchers mapped out the delivery and binding components of the toxin, which could pave the way for new drugs to neutralize it. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - January 2, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Researchers identify starting point for designing drugs that cure clostridium difficile
(Advanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY) A newly published paper in PNAS details a research breakthrough that provides a promising starting point for scientists to create drugs that can cure C. diff -- a virulent health care-associated infection that causes severe diarrhea, nausea, internal bleeding, and potentially death. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - January 2, 2020 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Fecal Microbiota Transplant in Severe C. difficile Infection Fecal Microbiota Transplant in Severe C. difficile Infection
Fecal microbiota transplant has been shown to be very effective in treating recurrent or refractory C. difficile infection. Is it beneficial in severe and fulminant C. difficile infection as well?Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines)
Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines - December 18, 2019 Category: Intensive Care Tags: Gastroenterology Journal Article Source Type: news
New discovery in C. difficile biology could lead to treatments for dangerous infections
(The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine) A process called sporulation that helps the dangerous bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) to survive inhospitable conditions and spread is regulated by epigenetics, factors that affect gene expression beyond the DNA genetic code, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report. This is the first discovery that epigenetics regulate sporulation in any bacteria. Their research, published November 25th in Nature Microbiology, opens a new window to developing treatments for this devestating infection. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - November 25, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Antibacterial Products in Clinical Development for Priority Pathogens 2019
Source: World Health Organization (WHO). Published: 11/2019.
This web page provides information and data results from the World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of the pipeline of antibacterial products (antibiotics and biologicals) that were in phase I-III of clinical development (as of September 2019) and which had not, at that date, received market authorization for human use anywhere in the world. The analysis matched the products in development against the WHO priority pathogens list (PPL), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Clostridium difficile.
(Text) (Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health)
Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health - November 1, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
WHO (World Health Organization) Antibacterial Preclinical Pipeline Review
Source: World Health Organization (WHO). Published: 11/2019.
This web page provides information, data visualization, and results from the World Health Organization (WHO)'s review of preclinical antibacterial products in the pipeline worldwide. It captures data on 252 antibacterial agents in development, targeting the pathogens on the WHO priority pathogens list, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Clostridium difficile.
(Text) (Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health)
Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health - November 1, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Oral Vancomycin Prevents C Diff Infection in High-Risk Inpatients Oral Vancomycin Prevents C Diff Infection in High-Risk Inpatients
Oral vancomycin prophylaxis can prevent healthcare-facility-onset C. difficile infection (HCFO-CDI) in high-risk patients receiving systemic antibiotic therapy, according to results from an open-label randomized study.Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines - October 31, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news
Wellcome Sanger Institute Study Discovers New Strain of C. Difficile That Targets Sugar in Hospital Foods and Resists Standard Disinfectants
Researchers believe new findings about genetic changes in C. difficile are a sign that it is becoming more difficult to eradicate Hospital infection control teams, microbiologists, and clinical laboratory professionals soon may be battling a strain of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) that is even more resistant to disinfectants and other forms of infection control. That’s […] (Source: Dark Daily)
Source: Dark Daily - October 28, 2019 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Jude Tags: Instruments & Equipment Laboratory Management and Operations Laboratory News Laboratory Operations Laboratory Pathology anatomic pathology bacteria C. difficile CDC centers for disease control and prevention clinical laboratory Clost Source Type: news
Rx for Doctors: Stop With the Urine Tests
The tests often are positive in people without symptoms, particularly older patients. The result: overtreatment with antibiotics. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - October 14, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Paula Span Tags: Tests (Medical) Antibiotics Drug Resistance (Microbial) Hospitals Elderly Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Urinary Tract Bacteria Doctors Clostridium Difficile (Bacterium) Nursing Homes Toronto (Ontario) JAMA Internal Medicine (Journal) U Source Type: news
Bezlotoxumab for preventing recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (terminated appraisal)
NICE is unable to make a recommendation on bezlotoxumab (Zinplava) for preventing recurrent Clostridium difficile infection in adults because Merck Sharp& Dohme did not provide an evidence submission. We will review this decision if the company decides to make a submission. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - October 7, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
High-Risk Antibiotic Use Linked to Hospital-Associated C. Difficile
TUESDAY, Sept. 17, 2019 -- Hospital-level high-risk antibiotic use is associated with the risk for hospital-associated (HA) Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), according to a study published online Sept. 16 in Infection Control& Hospital... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)
Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News - September 17, 2019 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
