Dermatology News

My journey in infectious diseases started out with an intense hatred and utter confusion.

SEATTLE — People in East Africa with HIV-related Kaposi’s sarcoma often have advanced disease and a poor survival outlook — and the situation has not improved in the last 5 years, a study found.

A combination therapy of IV doxycycline and azithromycin was more effective for the treatment of severe scrub typhus than using either drug alone, according to findings published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

As the COVID-19 pandemic grew, so did the feeling that the field of ID might begin to attract more physicians, drawn by the important and rewarding work that was so suddenly in the public eye.

I grew up in Bangkok, where I saw first-hand the impact of cholera, dengue, malaria and other tropical diseases — and experienced the early waves of the seventh pandemic of cholera.

Physicians have cited overwork and burnout as contributing factors making it difficult to recruit physicians for a career in infectious diseases.

What drew me to infectious diseases was the potentially enormous impact it has — not only on individuals but on societies.

The optimal duration of antibiotic therapy has been a matter of some debate, and increasingly, research is showing that shorter durations are just as effective as longer courses for many infections.

Epidermal necrosis and keratinocytic ballooning are the most distinguishing histopathologic characteristics of mpox — WHO’s updated name for monkeypox disease — and can aid in accurate and early diagnosis, according to a study.

Topical cidofovir 1% was associated with rapid improvement of lesions in a cohort of patients with mpox, according to a study.