Top in ID: Monkeypox outbreak; COVID-19 rebound

Last week, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in the United States.

The announcement was made as the case count surpassed 6,600 in the U.S. as of Aug. 3. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story was about so-called “rebound” COVID-19, which has been reported in some patients after receiving Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir; Pfizer). Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Healio that “reports about rebound should not dissuade high-risk individuals from taking this life-saving drug.”

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

US declares monkeypox a public health emergency

The United States has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. The U.S. declaration came more than a week after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Read more.

COVID-19 rebounds like Biden’s ‘should not dissuade’ patients from taking Paxlovid

President Joe Biden retested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the White House announced last week. It was the third day in a row he tested positive after testing negative for 3 days the week before. Read more.

White House names monkeypox coordinator as US cases climb

Biden named Robert Fenton as the White House national monkeypox response coordinator and Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, as the deputy coordinator. Read more.

Polioviruses detected in sewage in two NY counties, indicating local spread

Poliovirus has been detected in wastewater in two neighboring New York counties, indicating local transmission, health officials said. Read more.

Regular dental care reduces risk for nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia

Undergoing preventive dental treatment within 12 months or periodontal treatment within 6 months of hospitalization was associated with a reduced risk for nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, researchers found. Read more.