Top in ID: ‘Atypical’ flu season; increase in tuberculosis deaths

An early spike in influenza cases in Chile and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere could serve as a warning for the rest of the world, according to experts.

COVID-19 mitigation measures are a contributing factor in the change of influenza’s normal seasonality, Edward A. Belongia, MD, said.

“There have been all these measures in place since the beginning of the pandemic — those are largely gone now. And so, we’re in a situation where it will be much easier to transmit respiratory viruses,” Belongia, who is the director of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, Wisconsin, told Healio. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

The second top story was about the rise in tuberculosis deaths and cases since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to WHO, cases increased 4.5% from 2020 to 2021.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

Data from Chile suggest an early, ‘atypical’ flu season for US

Influenza reached epidemic levels in Chile months earlier than a typical influenza season, just like in several other Southern Hemisphere countries, researchers reported. Read more.

WHO: TB deaths, disease, treatment resistance continued to increase in 2021

Disruptions to care caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continued to negatively impact the fight against tuberculosis as cases and deaths have increased for the second year in a row after decades of declines, according to WHO’s 2022 Global TB Report. Read more.

Diagnostic stewardship drives reduction in antibiotic prescribing for UTIs

Decreases in urine cultures for asymptomatic bacteriuria reduced unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for UTIs, according to a study presented at IDWeek. Read more.

Letermovir prevents CMV disease in kidney transplant patients — a ‘less toxic’ alternative

Letermovir effectively prevented cytomegalovirus disease among kidney transplant patients with fewer side effects than valganciclovir, according to a study presented at IDWeek. Read more.

Medicaid spending on antiretrovirals nearly tripled in recent years

Medicaid spending on antiretrovirals nearly tripled between 2007 and 2019 because of increased antiretroviral use, as well as higher prices, according to a recent study. Read more.