Top in ID: Respiratory infection prevention guidance; triple testing for HIV, HBV, HCV

Updated guidelines for protecting health care workers and patients from respiratory infection transmission are on their way, at the request of the CDC.

The CDC asked the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee to provide clarifications on recommendations for isolation and infection control. Healio had a conversation with Tom Talbot, MD, chief hospital epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) to learn more about the upcoming guidance.

It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

In another top story, researchers suggested that triple testing for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C should be expanded to all groups, not just those considered at-risk by WHO.

“This study was prompted by the vast differences in HIV and hepatitis B and hepatitis C diagnoses and treatment,” study researcher Natasha Beard, BSc, a medical student at Imperial College London, told Healio. “Whilst 85% of people living with HIV have been diagnosed, only 10.5% of people living with hepatitis B and 21% of people living with hepatitis C have received diagnoses. Similarly, 75% of people living with HIV are receiving treatment, yet only 2.2% of people living with hepatitis B and 21% of people living with hepatitis C are receiving treatments.”

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

Q&A: CDC asks for clarification on respiratory guidance

On Tuesday, the CDC asked the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee to clarify its recommendations for protecting health care personnel, patients and others from respiratory infection transmission. Read more.

Triple testing for HIV, HBV, HCV at once would help identify more cases across populations

Study results suggest that WHO’s triple testing campaign for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C should be expanded and not just target the three groups WHO listed to be most at risk, researchers said. Read more.

Infection prevention training in ID fellowship is limited, survey shows

A national survey of ID fellowship program directors revealed that only about a third of programs have a dedicated infection prevention and control and health care epidemiology training track. Read more.

Investigation links Salmonella outbreak to pet bearded dragons

An investigation into a Salmonella outbreak in Canada linked to pet bearded dragons revealed a multinational outbreak that included a dozen cases in the United States in 2021 and 2022, researchers reported. Read more.

TB testing practices may miss high-risk groups

Current practices for latent tuberculosis infection testing may be missing high-risk patients, according to a study assessing factors associated with testing and positivity, researchers said. Read more.