Top in ID: EDs not co-testing for HIV with STI screening; undetected bird flu infections

An analysis of STI screening for gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis at 11 EDs revealed that less than 3% of patients tested for one of the three STIs were also tested for HIV, despite the CDC’s recommendation for HIV co-testing.

“If people are asking to be screened for gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis, or presenting with those symptoms, they’re also at risk for HIV,” Braden Sciarra, MD, an infectious diseases clinical fellow at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, told Healio. “You should make sure you test folks for those things.”

It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

In another top story, the CDC reported that 7% of dairy farm workers in Michigan and Colorado showed evidence of H5N1 infection, also known as bird flu.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

Hospitals may not be following CDC guidance on STI screening, study shows

Less than 3% of patients tested for a bacterial STI in nearly a dozen EDs were also tested for HIV, demonstrating widespread nonadherence to a CDC recommendation, according to a study presented at IDWeek. Read more.

CDC: Bird flu infections going undetected in farm workers

Seven percent of dairy farm workers in two states had evidence of a recent infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to a new report. Read more.

FDA clears Qiagen panel for meningitis, encephalitis

The FDA cleared Qiagen’s 1-hour PCR test for meningitis and encephalitis, which the company said could help treat meningococcal disease more quickly. Read more.

Safer, shorter regimens needed for latent TB infection

It is estimated that approximately one-quarter of the world’s population has latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Although effective therapies are available, these agents can have significant adverse effects that can complicate treatment. Read more.

VIDEO: What patients are saying about long-acting cabotegravir for HIV PrEP

In this video from IDWeek, Vani Vannappagari, MBBS, PhD, MPH, global head of epidemiology and real-world evidence at ViiV Healthcare, discusses study findings demonstrating the effectiveness of cabotegravir for HIV prevention. Watch here.