Top in ID: First severe bird flu case confirmed; homeless vulnerable to S. sonnei bacteria
After 61 confirmed cases of avian influenza in humans since April, the CDC has announced the first case in which the infected person became severely ill.
The patient, a Louisiana resident, also became the first ever U.S. case of H5N1 infection linked to backyard flock exposure, the agency reported.
“This case underscores that, in addition to affected commercial poultry and dairy operations, wild birds and backyard flocks also can be a source of exposure,” the CDC said.
It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
In another top story, researchers reported large increases in a bacterial infection during the COVID-19 pandemic spread primarily by those experiencing homelessness.
Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:
CDC confirms first severe case of bird flu in US
A person in Louisiana was hospitalized with what the CDC has confirmed as the first severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in the United States after encountering sick and dead birds. Read more.
Resistant S. sonnei found spreading among people experiencing homelessness
A retrospective analysis found a large increase in resistant Shigella sonnei infections during the COVID-19 pandemic spread primarily among people experiencing homelessness. Read more.
New, rare diseases made their mark in 2024
Among our most popular stories in 2024, travelers returned to the U.S. with uncommon infections, such as Lassa fever from West Africa and Oropouche virus from the Amazon, while Bird flu emerged in cattle and people. Read more.
Early oseltamivir use leads to better outcomes for patients hospitalized with flu
Individuals hospitalized with influenza and treated with oseltamivir on the day of admission had lesser odds of experiencing severe clinical outcomes — including ICU admission and death — compared with those who were treated later, results of an observational study showed. Read more.
PharmDs dig into the literature to explore the latest in ID care
In 2024, our “Pharmacology Consult” columnists provided evidence-based answers to questions about UTI treatment, surgical site infections, measles prevention, pneumococcal vaccination and more. Read more.