Measles

The FDA’s approval of Talicia for Helicobacter pylori infection, which is associated with up to a six-fold increased risk for gastric cancer, was among the top stories in infectious disease last week.

Two studies investigating the immune systems of unvaccinated children in the Netherlands demonstrated that measles virus can give patients “immune amnesia” — that is, it erases the immune system’s memory of past encounters with other pathogens, leaving them vulnerable to future infections.

Two studies investigating the immune systems of unvaccinated children in the Netherlands demonstrated that measles virus can give patients “immune amnesia” — that is, it erases the immune system’s memory of past encounters with other pathogens, leaving them vulnerable to future infections.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that a person with an infectious case of measles visited Disneyland and a coffee shop last week, potentially exposing many others to the highly contagious virus.

The CDC’s announcement that 2018 marked the United States’ fifth straight record-breaking year for cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis was the week’s top story in infectious disease.

WASHINGTON — Unvaccinated adults had a “significant” impact on the early days of the New York State measles outbreak, with 51% of cases during the first month being attributable to them, according to data presented at IDWeek.

Although the United States appears to have avoided losing its nearly 20-year status as a measle-free nation, there have been at least 1,243 cases of measles from 31 states reported to the CDC thus far in 2019 — more than any year since 1992.

One of the lessons that health care centers learned during New York City’s recent measles outbreak was to screen patients before they entered the facility — either over the phone or while the patient sat in the car — methods that could help reduce exposure and the spread of disease, according to a report published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The New York City measles outbreak that sickened more than 600 people in Brooklyn and Queens over the course of almost a year has ended, officials said.

Among the top stories in infectious disease this past week included an announcement that four European countries had lost their measles elimination status — a major setback the United States may soon experience as well. Also, a small pilot study demonstrated that pharmacists can play a central role in improving uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.