June 13, 2014
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
After premiering in New York on May 21, the documentary Resistance screened in Washington, DC, this week. The June 11 screening at E Street Cinema featured a discussion panel that included CDDEP director Ramanan Laxminarayan, as well as a speech by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. The documentary is set to screen around the United States throughout 2014. Keep an eye on the website for details or learn about hosting a screening in your city.
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that the rotavirus vaccine saved nearly $1bn in healthcare costs between 2007 and 2011. [USA Today]
More chia powder products in the U.S. and Canada are being recalled after being linked to a Salmonella outbreak. [Food Poisoning Bulletin]
An article published last week in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control reviews a number of studies on the surveillance and prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). [ARIC]
Cue, a new device that processes biofluid samples in real time, could change the face of self-diagnosis. [Fast Co.Labs]
The discovery of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) for the first time in a food product raw squid is raising concerns about a heightened risk of public exposure. [Gizmodo, Washington Post]
An outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that causes severe joint pain, has spread to at least 13 U.S. states from the Caribbean. [USA Today]
A malaria outbreak in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura has killed at least 20 people and infected more than 400 in the past week. [Times of India]
Scientists at Imperial College London have modified mosquito sperm to only produce male offspring, opening new possibilities for eradicating malaria. [Imperial]
Using testing strips that cost just 25 cents each, a new, iPhone-compatible blood glucose monitor the world’s smallest will lower costs for diabetic patients. The device just received FDA approval and will be available for purchase next month. [KQED]
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Image via Scott Beale/Flickr