August 22, 2014
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
In this interview with BioSpectrum, CDDEP Director Ramanan Laxminarayan shares his views on India’s national immunization program and discusses efforts to tackle major public health issues such as malaria and antimicrobial resistance. [BioSpectrum]
Should children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) be treated with antibiotics? CDDEP Associate Director for Policy Hellen Gelband considers the issue in this blog post. [CDDEP]
Vitamin K injections reduce the risk of potentially fatal hemorrhaging in infants after birth, but more parents many of whom are against vaccinating their children are refusing these shots. [Scientific American]
After a recent study revealed rampant overprescribing of antibiotics in Australia, the Australian Research Council has approved a new grant for research on the implications of overprescribing. [Queensland Government]
While vaccines to prevent malaria in humans are entering clinical trials, developing a vaccine to prevent mosquitos from contracting the disease could be crucial in prevention. [The Guardian]
Research published this week suggests the healthcare-associated pneumonia definition may not be associated with multidrug-resistant pathogens. The authors suggest that individual hospitals should integrate local etiology of community-onset pneumonia and specific MDRO risk factors into therapeutic decisions to prevent empirical overprescribing of antibiotics. [PubMed]
The two American aid workers who were the first patients to be treated for Ebola in the US were released from Emory University Hospital this week. [New York Times]
An experimental drug has shown success in treating an Ebola-like virus in monkeys, raising hopes that it may be useful for treating human infections. [Science]
Handwashing with antibacterial soap exposes hospital workers to potentially unsafe levels of triclosan, according to a recent study. [Science Codex]
Bacteriophages viruses that infect bacteria can both help and hurt humans in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. [Scientific American]
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