Top research from CROI highlights new discoveries in HIV, Zika, TB

As a service to its readers, Healio Internal Medicine presents the top five news articles from the 2017 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle, including research in topics such as new tuberculosis regimens, pre-exposure prophylaxis use for STIs, Zika RNA persistence in serum and a decline in HIV infections in the United States.

New TB regimens promise to simplify, shorten therapy

Two novel TB treatment regimens comprising the same backbone of Sirturo and the experimental pretomanid are showing promise against all forms of the disease, researchers reported here. Read More.

PrEP use contributes to decline in STI incidence among MSM

Results from a modeling study indicated that the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention in addition to routine screening and treatment STIs, could reduce the incidence of STIs among men who have sex with men, even when condom use was reduced. Read More.

Zika RNA persists in serum longer than dengue, West Nile

Preliminary study results showed that Zika RNA may persist in serum longer than other flaviviruses such as dengue and West Nile — a finding that researchers said could impact how the virus at the center of an alarming outbreak in the Americas is diagnosed and prevented. Read More.

New HIV infections decline 18% in US

The overall number of annual HIV infections in the United States declined 18% over a 6-year period, with approximately 45,700 new infections occurring in 2008 and 37,600 occurring in 2014, according to new CDC estimates. Progress, however, was lacking in certain populations. Read More.

Study: Dolutegravir / rilpivirine combo noninferior to multidrug regimen in HIV suppression

A two-drug regimen for treating HIV-1 could become an alternative to three- or four-drug regimens in the future, according to a pair of studies presented here. Read More.