Top in ID: Suspected Marburg outbreak; long- vs. short-course antibiotic therapy
A suspected Marburg virus outbreak in the Kagera region of Tanzania has been linked to nine suspected cases and eight deaths, according to WHO.
The agency has classified the risk for regional and national spread to be high; however, they said that global risk is low.
“Health care workers are included among the suspected cases affected, highlighting the risk of nosocomial transmission,” WHO said. “The source of the outbreak is currently unknown.”
In a post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, MD, noted that WHO does not “recommend travel or trade restrictions with Tanzania at this time.”
It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
In another top story, researchers found that longer durations of antibiotic therapy were not tied to greater risk of harm or benefit vs. shorter durations.
Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:
WHO: 8 dead in suspected Marburg outbreak in Tanzania
A suspected Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania has been linked to nine cases and eight deaths, according to WHO. Read more.
Study: Longer antibiotic course not associated with increased benefit or harm
Using a novel approach accounting for prescriber preference, researchers found that longer durations of antibiotic therapy were not associated with greater risk for harm or benefit compared with shorter durations. Read more.
USDA enrolls 15 more states in H5N1 milk testing program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that 15 more states have enrolled in a national H5N1 milk testing program, raising the number to 28 states, which represents roughly 65% of the nation’s milk production, the agency said. Read more.
Support tool reduced urine culture tests by 50%
A computerized clinical decision support tool implemented as a diagnostic stewardship intervention led to an approximate 50% decrease in urine culture testing for patients with a urinary catheter, researchers found. Read more.
Q&A: Cause of DRC outbreak identified as combination of malaria, flu and malnutrition
In early December, health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that an unknown illness had emerged and had already killed dozens of patients, with hundreds more sick. Read more.