Respiratory Infections News

“Gram-negative pathogens — particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae — predominate in nosocomial pneumonia. These pathogens often harbor several antimicrobial resistance mechanisms — particularly extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, and increasingly, carbapenemases,” Antoni Torres, MD, of Hospital Clinic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, and colleagues wrote. “Very few treatment options are available for infections caused by pathogens with extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, and especially for those with carbapenemases.”

Narrow-spectrum antibiotics are preferable to broad-spectrum antibiotics for treating most children with acute respiratory tract infections, according to a pair of studies published in JAMA.

Patients in the United States who self-administered once-weekly isoniazid and rifapentine to treat latent tuberculosis infection had a high rate of treatment completion, demonstrating noninferiority to direct observation, according to phase 4 study data.

The field of infectious diseases has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Breakthroughs in ART have extended the life spans of people living with HIV to near-normal ranges. Polio is on the verge of being eradicated globally. Curative therapies have transformed the treatment of hepatitis C. The growing threat of bacterial resistance has pushed humanity to the brink of a post-antibiotic era.

Probiotic capsules and xylitol chewing gum were ineffective in managing pharyngitis symptoms, according to results from a randomized controlled trial in England.

Researchers developed a urine test that accurately detects active tuberculosis in patients who are not coinfected with HIV.

The Xpert Ultra assay had superior sensitivity compared with Xpert for detecting tuberculosis in patients with paucibacillary disease and patients with HIV, study data showed.

Diphtheria is quickly spreading among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, according to WHO.

Influenza A(H3N2) — a strain known for evading the seasonal influenza vaccine and causing relatively severe illness — has been the predominant strain this year in the United States, according to nationwide surveillance data.

Researchers who identified clusters of ZIP codes in Connecticut with a higher than expected incidence of legionellosis found an unexpected relationship between infections and the natural aquatic environments where patients lived.