[Newsdesk] Infectious disease surveillance update
Four cases of locally transmitted chikungunya have been confirmed in Provence-Alpes-C ôte d'Azur region of southeastern France as of Aug 23. Eight suspected cases and one probable case have also been reported. Symptoms for the four confirmed cases and one probable case began between Aug 2 and Aug 17. Regional Health Authorities have reported that the 13 patients are aged 3–77 year s and live in the commune of Cannet des Maures in Var. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ruth Zwizwai Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Newsdesk] Illnesses of isolation: detention of asylum seekers
Doctors warn that detention of asylum seekers in Australia is contributing to serious infections and chronic ill-health. Georgina Kenyon reports. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Georgina Kenyon Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Newsdesk] Counterfeit and substandard malaria drugs in Africa
Ineffective and fake drugs for malaria are hampering efforts to control the disease. Now, the international community is seeking ways to respond. Vicki Brower reports. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Vicki Brower Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Correspondence] A case for retraction?
In the Editorial in the September issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the editors ask whether the ultimate aim of a call for retraction is “to correct the record” or “to ensure the record does not challenge cherished preconceptions”.1 In the case of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases' (AASLD) critique2 of a recent Cochrane review,3 their aim was clear—to correct the record. Why then, given the subsequent outcry from professional bodies4 and patient organisations5 worldwide, is there any need for further debate on the matter? (Source: The...
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lucy Bailey Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] WHO's recommendation for surgical skin antisepsis is premature – Authors' reply
Matthias Maiwald and Andreas Widmer express concern with the WHO recommendation on surgical site preparation.1,2 WHO guidelines are developed using processes and methods to ensure robust recommendations.3 Specifically, this recommendation was informed by a systematic review and several meta-analyses, including one of six randomised controlled trials comparing alcohol-based chlorhexidine with povidone-iodine-alcohol (PVP-I) preparations that showed a greater reduction in surgical site infections (SSIs) with chlorhexidine (odds ratio [OR] 0 ·58, 95% CI 0·42–0·80). (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Benedetta Allegranzi, Matthias Egger, Didier Pittet, Peter Bischoff, Peter Nthumba, Joseph Solomkin Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] WHO's recommendation for surgical skin antisepsis is premature
The new WHO guidelines on prevention of surgical site infections1 recommend chlorhexidine-alcohol rather than aqueous povidone-iodine or povidone-iodine with alcohol for surgical skin preparation. This recommendation was provided as a “strong recommendation” with “low to moderate” quality of evidence. One of us (AFW) was a member of the guidelines development group that formulated the WHO recommendations. However, we are now concerned with the completeness and quality of the evidence that led to the chlorhexidine-alcohol recommendation. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Matthias Maiwald, Andreas F Widmer Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Spread of a single multidrug resistant malaria parasite lineage (PfPailin) to Vietnam
The spread of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and the subsequent loss of partner antimalarial drugs in the Greater Mekong subregion1 presents one of the greatest threats to the control and elimination of malaria. Artemisinin resistance is associated with mutations in the PfKelch gene. Initially multiple independent Kelch mutations were observed,1 but in a recent sinister development, a single dominant artemisinin-resistant P falciparum C580Y mutant lineage has arisen in western Cambodia, outcompeted the other resistant malaria parasites, and subsequently acquired resistance to piperaquine. (Source: The Lanc...
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Mallika Imwong, Tran T Hien, Nguyen T Thuy-Nhien, Arjen M Dondorp, Nicholas J White Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] High mortality in non-Ebola virus disease cases: need to provide timely and effective care
In their Article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Matthew Waxman and colleagues1 report an overall high (8 ·1%) mortality in patients without Ebola virus disease (EVD) admitted to three Ebola treatment units (ETU) in Sierra Leone; we report a similarly high (6·4%) mortality in non-EVD cases from a Guinean ETU.2 We agree with the authors that many non-EVD patients succumb to other severe illnesses, prob ably infectious diseases within a broad differential diagnosis given the high frequency of fever in the context of a negative malaria test. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Robert Colebunders, Shevin T Jacob, Kevin K Ari ën, Anja De Weggheleire, Tom Decroo Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Combination therapy for bloodstream infections with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae – Authors' reply
We thank Bernd Salzberger and Gerd F ätkenheuer for their interest in our study.1 They were concerned about the use of Charlson, Pitt, and INCREMENT-CPE scores, as well as the individual variables contained in them in the analyses. Our objective was to provide the best possible estimation of the association of the main exposure (treat ment) with the outcome considering the effect of confounders, in accordance with the study hypothesis; we did not intend to provide a model to predict outcome (mortality). (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Bel én Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez, Robert A Bonomo, Yehuda Carmeli, David L Paterson, Alvaro Pascual, Jesús Rodríguez-Baño Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Combination therapy for bloodstream infections with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae
We applaud the authors of the INCREMENT study1 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases for accumulating these impressive data for bloodstream infections with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). However, we are concerned about several aspects of the study. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Bernd Salzberger, Gerd F ätkenheuer Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Timing of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis
In The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Walter P Weber and colleagues1 found that early administration (approximately 30 –75 min before the scheduled incision) of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis did not significantly reduce the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) compared with late administration (approximately 0–30 min before the scheduled incision). The authors tested cefuroxime, a commonly used cephalospor in with a short half-life, plus metronidazole in colorectal surgery, in patients older than 18 years who underwent inpatients general surgery procedures as well as orthopaedic trauma and vascular procedures at two...
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Yoshiaki Kanemoto, Tetsuya Tanimoto, Yuto Maeda, Tomohiro Kurokawa, Giichiro Tsurita Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Evidence that Mycobacterium chimaera aerosols penetrate laminar airflow and result in infections at the surgical field
We read with interest the correspondence between Paul C Jutte and colleagues1 and Peter Bischoff and colleagues2 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases regarding the benefit of laminar airflow in reducing bacterial and particulate contamination of the air at the level of the incision and instrument table during surgery. Bischoff stated that a “causal link between microbial air contamination and surgical site infections has not been shown in any study so far”. We write to draw attention to evidence to the contrary. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Jimmy T Walker, Theresa Lamagni, Meera Chand Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Comment] Hand, foot, and mouth disease in mainland China before it was listed as category C disease in May, 2008
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease caused by a group of enteroviruses, including coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) and enterovirus 71 (EV71).1 Mainland China experienced several large outbreaks of HFMD in 2007 and early 2008 and established a national enhanced surveillance system partly in response to these outbreaks.2 On May 2, 2008, HFMD was listed as a category C infectious disease and made statutorily notifiable.3 (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Jie Li, Jinfeng Wang, Chengdong Xu, Qian Yin, Maogui Hu, Zhaojun Sun, Dewang Shao Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Comment] Zika virus and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes: a tenuous link
Zika virus, similar to dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses, predominantly exists in a transmission cycle between human beings and anthropophilic mosquitoes.1 Because of its intrinsic ability to transmit the virus and affiliation with human beings, the primary mosquito vector of Zika virus during outbreaks is Aedes aegypti.2 In early 2016, researchers in northeastern Brazil announced that another mosquito species, Culex quinquefasciatus, which also inhabits domestic environments, could be involved in the transmission of Zika virus. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Andrew F van den Hurk, Sonja Hall-Mendelin, Cassie C Jansen, Stephen Higgs Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Editorial] Vaccine against Zika virus must remain a priority
On Sept 1, the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur announced that it was withdrawing from development of a vaccine against Zika virus infection. This announcement raises concerns about the future of Zika virus vaccine development, at a time when the number of cases is falling and other questions about the virus remain unanswered. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - September 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: The Lancet Infectious Diseases Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
