Chronic Lyme disease, pertussis top 2017 reads in Infectious Diseases in Children

An in-depth look at the misnomer of chronic Lyme disease was among the 10 most-read articles of 2017 in Infectious Diseases in Children.

Other top-read articles of the year included research finding that pertussis affliction among infants shared a strong association with a prolonged cough in close household contacts, mostly among mothers, fathers and siblings:

Confronting the misnomer of chronic Lyme disease

An estimated 329,000 cases of Lyme disease occur annually in the United States, according to the CDC, with the highest prevalence observed in the Northeast and Midwest regions, where 14 states account for 96% of reported cases. As the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the U.S., Lyme disease has become increasingly infamous nationwide.

Although Lyme disease is an infection that does clear following antibiotic treatment, 10% to 20% of patients experience fatigue, musculoskeletal pain and insomnia that may continue for more than 6 months after the infection has resolved. Officially known as ‘post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome,’ the loose confederation of nonspecific symptoms associated with this condition has unexpectedly provided a rallying point for patients with similarly vague symptoms seeking a concrete diagnosis. Read more

FDA approves Brineura for type of Batten disease

The FDA has approved cerliponase alfa to curb the loss of ambulation among patients aged 3 years and older diagnosed with late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2, an extremely rare and fatal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, also known as Batten disease. Read more

P. aeruginosa outbreak in NICU linked to contaminated tap water

An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a hospital neonatal ICU in the fall of 2013 has been traced to contaminated hospital tap water by CDC investigators, according to findings published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. With Perspective. Read more

PAGE BREAK

Prolonged new cough in housemates linked to pertussis among infants

Pertussis affliction among infants shared a strong association with a prolonged cough in close household contacts, mostly among mothers, fathers and siblings, according to published findings.

“Identifying infants’ transmission sources has challenged investigators. Frequently cited source studies were not designed to assess hypotheses including possible transmission by community contacts or persons with atypical symptoms and could not identify pertussis sources for 40% to 50% of infants,” C. Robinette Curtis, MD, MPH, of the immunization services division at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, and colleagues wrote. Read more

Developmental, behavioral issues more common among rural children

Rural children from small communities exhibited a higher prevalence of mental, behavioral and developmental disorders than children living in cities and suburbs, according to data from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Read more

Early dose of measles vaccine can decrease mortality, morbidity

Receiving early measles vaccination before age 9 months can reduce general morbidity in children and may improve their general health, according to recent findings published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Read more

New clinical details revealed about first newborn to survive Ebola virus

In a brief report published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers describe the clinical course and management of Ebola virus disease in the first documented baby to live after being born with congenital infection.

On day 33 of life, the neonate was discharged in good health after receiving treatment with experimental therapies, which included monoclonal antibodies — known as ZMapp (Mapp Biopharmaceutical) — and the novel broad-spectrum antiviral GS-5734 (Gilead Sciences). Read more

PAGE BREAK

Antibiotic use in preterm infants harms gut microbiome, contributes to resistance

Approximately 99% of infants who are born with very low birth weight receive antibiotics within the first 2 days of life, contributing to antibiotic resistance and the destruction of helpful bacteria in the gut microbiome, according to a presentation at the NIH’s workshop, “The Human Microbiome: Emerging Themes at the Horizon of the 21st Century.” Read more

Misinformation, concerns regarding MiraLAX prevail despite lack of proof

CHICAGO — The increasing news coverage of gastrointestinal conditions and their treatments have spurred the spread of misinformation, especially concerning the use of MiraLAX for treating constipation, according to a recent presentation at the AAP 2017 National Conference & Exhibition. Read more

Concomitant administration of Menveo, other vaccines linked to Bell’s palsy

Researchers detected a temporal association between occurrences of Bell’s palsy and concomitant administration of Menveo vaccine with HPV, influenza or Tdap vaccines among young adolescents and adults, according to findings published in Pediatrics. With Perspective. Read more