Infections cause 13% of cancers, measles outbreak in Congo kills thousands — top stories in infectious disease

A report that found infections were responsible for 13% of all new worldwide cancer diagnoses in 2018 was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story was about a measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that killed more than 6,000 since early 2019 — making it one of the worst measles epidemics in the world.

Read these stories and more infectious disease news below.

Infections caused 13% of cancers in 2018

In 2018, infections were the cause of 13% of all new cancer diagnoses, totaling 2.2 million new cases worldwide, although these totals do not include nonmelanoma skin cancers, according to findings published in The Lancet Global Health. Read more.

DRC measles outbreak kills more than 6K

More than 6,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, as a result of the “world’s worst measles epidemic,” with the country reporting about 310,000 suspected measles cases since the start of 2019, according to WHO. Read more.

3 cases of pan-resistant C. auris identified in New York

Three patients with Candida auris resistant to all three classes of antifungals commonly prescribed for the illness have been identified through active and ongoing surveillance in New York, according to findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Read more.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome -like illness has infected dozens in China

Chinese health authorities have reported the emergence of an unidentified strain of pneumonia that has infected dozens of people since the middle of December. Read more.

Hands of ICU patients may harbor MDROs

A portion of ICU patients’ hands harbor pathogenic bacteria, including multidrug-resistant organisms, according to findings published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Read more.