Gastrointestinal Conditions News

In August, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a draft recommendation that encourages clinicians to screen all adults aged 18 to 79 years for HCV infection, including pregnant women. According to the USPSTF, HCV prevalence doubled among women aged 15 to 44 years between 2006 and 2014. Due to the increasing prevalence of the disease in this age group, the task force said clinicians “may want to consider screening pregnant persons aged younger than age 18 years.”

From 2013 through 2016, an estimated 2.4 million adults in the United States had a current hepatitis C virus infection. A study published in The American Journal of Public Health reported that the infection rate increased more than twofold between 2004 and 2014 as a result of the opioid epidemic.

From 2013 through 2016, an estimated 2.4 million adults in the United States had a current hepatitis C virus infection. A study published in The American Journal of Public Health reported that the infection rate increased more than twofold between 2004 and 2014 as a result of the opioid epidemic.

It is still common for antibiotics to be dispensed without a prescription at community pharmacies throughout China, though the practice is less prevalent in chain pharmacies, in urban areas and in places where a pharmacist is on duty, according to a recently published study.

The FDA accepted a new drug application for the oral suspension formulation of Dificid, Merck’s macrolide antibiotic. At the same time, it accepted a supplemental new drug application for the drug in tablet and oral suspension form for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection in children aged 6 months or older, Merck announced.

The FDA has expanded the approval of Mavyret for a treatment duration of 8 weeks to include treatment-naive adults and children aged 12 years and older with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 through 6 and compensated cirrhosis.

According to research published in The Journal of Pediatrics, during a recent 17-year period, 4% of infants with necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, or spontaneous intestinal perforation, or SIP, in one NICU had intestinal infection with cytomegalovirus.

Researchers reported findings from a norovirus outbreak in a pediatric ward with multiple-bed rooms and emphasized the importance of early detection and prompt implementation of strict infection control measures.

Researchers identified a link between the presence and severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children with reduced whole-body bone mineral density, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

An NIH-funded study published in Nature Microbiology further highlighted the dangers of prolonged antibiotic use during infancy. Researchers found that infants who were heavily treated with antibiotics had reduced gut microbiota diversity and increased resistance genes to several antimicrobial agents.