Top stories in infectious disease: L. infantum prevalent among sewer rats in Barcelona, levofloxacin disrupts gut microbiome less than broad-spectrum beta-lactams

Among the top stories in infectious disease last week were a study that found around one-third of Norway rats captured in the sewers of Barcelona tested positive for Leishmania infantum and findings that suggested prophylactic levofloxacin was less disruptive of the gut microbiome than treatment with broad-spectrum beta-lactams in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Other highlights included research that indicated a novel point-of-care tuberculosis test for patients with HIV offered superior diagnostic sensitivity to the currently available test, a study that demonstrated flu virus coinfection occurs more often than previously thought and a report by the World Health Organization that determined the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not meet the criteria to be declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

L. infantum prevalent among Barcelona sewer rats

Around one-third of Norway rats, or Rattus norvegicus, captured in the sewers of Barcelona tested positive for Leishmania infantum, indicating a public health concern, researchers said. Read more.

Levofloxacin disrupts gut microbiome less than broad-spectrum beta-lactams

In patients with hematologic malignancies, receipt of prophylactic levofloxacin was associated with less disruption of the gut microbiome than treatment with broad-spectrum beta-lactams, according to findings from a retrospective cohort study. Read more.

Novel point-of-care tuberculosis test for patients with HIV superior to current test

Study findings showed that a novel point-of-care tuberculosis test for patients with HIV offers superior diagnostic sensitivity to the currently available test while maintaining specificity, researchers reported. Read more.

Flu virus coinfection occurs more often than previously thought

A case-control study conducted in southern Brazil described the first case of triple influenza virus infection, and researchers said their findings indicate that “influenza virus coinfections probably occur more often than has been previously documented.” Read more.

World Health Organization: Ebola outbreak not an international health emergency despite deaths in Uganda

An emergency committee convened by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, for the third time, determined that the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not meet the criteria to be declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, despite reports of the first cross-border cases and deaths. Read more.