[Correspondence] It's too soon to pull the plug on antibiotic cycling
Pleun Joppe van Duijn and colleagues1 investigated the relative merits of antibiotic mixing and antibiotic cycling using a cluster-randomised crossover study in eight intensive care units (ICUs); their findings suggested that 9-month periods of cycling and mixing did not change the unit-wide prevalence of antibiotic-resistant, Gram-negative bacteria. We commend the design of this study, both for its scale and grounding in evolutionary theory that was drawn from the work of both experimentalists and mathematical modellers. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - April 19, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Daniel Nichol, Robert A Bonomo, Jacob G Scott Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Corrections] Corrections
Nguyen T-N, von Seidlein L, Nguyen T-V, et al. The persistence and oscillations of submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections over time in Vietnam: an open cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis 2018; 18: 565 –72—In this Article, the lowest parasite densities shown in figure 3 were found to be below the lower limit of accurate quantification of the PCR method used in the study (22 parasites per mL). The analysis was therefore redone after excluding these low parasite densities. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - April 19, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Corrections Source Type: research
[Comment] 2018 WHO hand hygiene campaign: preventing sepsis in health care and the path to universal health coverage
Sepsis is a serious condition that has affected human beings since the dawn of time; the word sepsis itself originates from the ancient Greek era.1 More than 2000 years later, it remains a public health problem of global scope: every year, more than 30 million people worldwide are estimated to develop sepsis.2 To address this burden, many countries develop initiatives or participate in international efforts to fight sepsis. Each year, to raise awareness, the Global Sepsis Alliance coordinates World Sepsis Day on Sept 13. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - April 19, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Hiroki Saito, Benedetta Allegranzi, Didier Pittet Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Comment] Global spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and mass-gathering religious events
The 2013 Lancet Infectious Diseases Commission on antimicrobial resistance (AMR)1 called for coordinated international action. Subsequently, the WHO global action plan on AMR was adopted by the 68th World Health Assembly in May, 2015,2 as a sustainable development goal to spur worldwide action to tackle a very serious issue threatening global health security. Because accurate data on AMR worldwide were scarce at that time, it was anticipated that any data collection, surveillance, and research work on AMR would be scientifically rigorous and deliver quality data. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - April 19, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Alimuddin Zumla, Esam I Azhar, David S Hui, Shuja Shafi, Eskild Petersen, Ziad A Memish Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Editorial] Plotting a route to a universal influenza vaccine
The 2017 –18 influenza season in the northern hemisphere was notably intense, similar to the immediately preceding season in the southern hemisphere. A likely factor influencing the intensity of these seasons was the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine both in terms of the matching of the components of the vaccine to the dominant circulating strains and the ability of these individual components to elicit protection. A universal influenza vaccine, which would offer broad and long-lasting protection, would overcome the shortcomings of the current cat-and-mouse approach. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - April 19, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: The Lancet Infectious Diseases Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
[Corrections] Corrections
Zignol M, Maurizio Cabibbe A, Dean AS, et al. Genetic sequencing for surveillance of drug resistance in tuberculosis in highly endemic countries: a multi-country population-based surveillance study. Lancet Infect Dis 2018; published online March 21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30073-2. The key for figure 4 was incorrect, and should have read “Genetic sequencing” and “Phenotypic testing”. This correction has been made to the online version as of March 27, 2018, and the printed Article will be corrected. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 27, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Corrections Source Type: research
[Clinical Picture] Plastic bronchitis associated with adenovirus infection
A previously healthy 3-year-old boy who presented with an 8-day history of persistent fever and cough was referred to our hospital. On physical examination the boy had signs of respiratory distress and a low-pitched breath sound on his left lung. He had no history of foreign-body aspiration. A chest radiograph done 2 days previously was normal. On the day of admission he had a CT scan of his chest, which revealed left lower lobe atelectasis (appendix). Results of direct immunofluorescence of nasopharyngeal swabs for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B viruses, parainfluenza viruses, and adenovir...
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Zhiwei Lu, Yuejie Zheng Tags: Clinical Picture Source Type: research
[Clinical Picture] Streptococcus pyogenes subdural empyema and pre-eclampsia
A 30-year-old woman presented at the hospital emergency department of Ch âteauroux Hospital (Châteauroux, France) with a fever and headache. She was pregnant at 32-weeks gestation. A lumbar puncture was normal and CT scan showed a right maxillary sinusitis, therefore she was prescribed amoxicillin (1 g every 8 h, orally). The patient was re-admitted to the emergency de partment 2 days later with pre-eclampsia. Treatment for her maxillary sinusitis was changed from amoxicillin to ceftriaxone (1 g every 24 h, intravenously) and metronidazole (500 mg every 8 h, intravenously). (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Simon Poignant, Pascaline Pigache, Eric Fournier, Djilali Elaroussi, Marc Laffon Tags: Clinical Picture Source Type: research
[Media Watch] A story of quiet heroes
“The sexual revolution has begun to devour its children”, thundered Pat Buchanan in a 1983 opinion piece for the New York Post. “And among the revolutionary vanguard, as gay rights activists, the morality rate is highest and climbing.” The conservative columnist and advisor to three American presidents could barely contain his exultation. “The poor homosexuals”, he sneered. “They have declared war upon nature, and now nature is exacting an awful retribution.” (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Talha Burki Tags: Media Watch Source Type: research
[Profile] Kit Fairley: a pioneer in STI research
Christopher (Kit) Fairley had a grandfather and both parents as doctors to look up to while growing up in Melbourne, but he also felt the strain of having dyslexia and the stigma and classroom bullying it led to. However, he and his twin brother Stephen gained much of their confidence and love of nature through weekend visits to the farm their patents owned in countryside Victoria state. “I think it was constantly seeing mum and dad and their love and excitement of working in research as doctors that made me want to follow in their footsteps”, Fairley told The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tony Kirby Tags: Profile Source Type: research
[Newsdesk] Research brief
Artificial intelligence can accurately diagnose eye diseases and childhood pneumonia. Using machine learning and convolutional neural networks (computational networks designed to make sense of overlapping, three-dimensional images), an algorithm scanned through pre-existing eye scans and chest x-rays, identified discreet anatomical structures, and assessed them for disease. It could differentiate between viral and bacterial pneumonia with more than 90% accuracy and could detect two common degenerative eye diseases with more than 95% accuracy. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Dara Mohammadi Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Newsdesk] Infectious disease surveillance update
Between Jan 1, 2018, and Feb 25, 2018, 1081 cases of Lassa fever have been reported in Nigeria, including 90 deaths. 317 cases have been confirmed and eight have been classified as probable, including 72 deaths —a case fatality rate of 22% for confirmed or probable cases. Cases have been reported across 18 states, with 2845 contacts having been identified. 14 cases have been reported in health-care workers, including four deaths. Four Lassa fever case management centres have been set up in Anambra, Abaka liki, Edo, and Ondo states. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ruth Zwizwai Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Newsdesk] Known unknowns and unknown unknowns
WHO's latest list of priority infections includes Disease X, an unknown illness. But how do we prepare for such a disease? Talha Burki reports. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Talha Burki Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Newsdesk] New clinical recommendations for Clostridium difficile
Updated US guidelines for Clostridium difficile infection change approaches to diagnosis, alter first-line treatment, and introduce faecal microbiota transplantation. Ammara Mushtaq reports. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ammara Mushtaq Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Reassessing the 1 + 1 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule – Authors' reply
Stephanie Perniciaro and Mark Van der Linden, and Raul Isturiz and colleagues, are concerned that the post-booster endpoint in our 1 + 1 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) 13 immunogenicity study1 is a poor indicator of direct protection during the first year of life. We agree, but the rationale for a 1 + 1 vaccine schedule is the maintenance of indirect protection through herd immunity, generated by sustained high cov erage in the UK, first with PCV7 then with PCV13. Only 23 cases of PCV13-type invasive pneumococcal disease were identified in infants aged 2 years and younger in England and Wales in 2016–17,2 ...
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 22, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: David Goldblatt, Elizabeth Miller Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
