Infection News

Hepatitis delta virus has a higher association with health care and cost burden on patients than hepatitis B virus, according to a study by the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine.

Results from the REP 301 and REP 401 studies showed combination therapy with REP2139 and pegylated interferon led to high rates of hepatitis B seroconversion in patients coinfected with hepatitis B and hepatitis D with more than half of treated patients also achieving functional cure of hepatitis D, according to data presented at HEP DART 2019.

ORLANDO — Identifying Clostridioides difficile infection among patients with inflammatory bowel disease can be a particularly tricky task, according to Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Crohn’s and Colitis Center. Since both are diarrhea-predominant, there is a lot of symptoms overlap.

The CDC and other public health institutions are investigating another Escherichia coli outbreak linked to leafy greens, this time Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kits.

Data from a large, real-world study contributed to the growing safety and efficacy evidence of transplanting hepatitis C-infected organs into aviremic patients in the direct-acting antiviral era.

The FDA on Friday authorized marketing of Boston Scientific’s EXALT Model D Single-Use Duodenoscope, the first fully disposable version of the device that allows physicians to view the upper gastrointestinal tract, according to an FDA news release.

Patients with current or prior hepatitis C infection were willing to engage in alcohol intervention including counseling and referral to treatment when encouraged by liver medical providers, according to data published in Hepatology.

Patients who failed to achieve sustained virologic response after initial treatment for hepatitis C achieved high cure rates during retreatment after switching from an NS5A inhibitor direct-acting antiviral to a protease inhibitor.

Screening all patients with solid tumors for hepatitis B before they underwent chemotherapy was the most cost-effective strategy, compared with not screening or only screening high-risk patients, according to a published study.

During the winter months, when the circulation of enteric viruses is at its highest, continuous use of proton pump inhibitors are associated with increased risk for developing acute gastroenteritis, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open.