April 05, 2013
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
CDDEP director Ramanan Laxminarayan speaks to CNN-IBN about the growing threat of antibiotic resistance in India and urges for a policy that limits non-prescription availability of some broads-spectrum antibiotics, while assuring poor and rural communities have over-the-counter access to essential medicines. [IBN Live, CDDEP]
Dr. Daniel Morgan, an infectious disease physician and CDDEP collaborator, writes for KevinMD about the threat of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in hospitals. [Kevin MD]
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association shows that V710, a potential vaccine to prevent postoperative S. aureus infections, has failed to reduce the rate of serious postoperative S. aureus infections in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery and was associated with more adverse effects, including multi-organ failure and increased mortality. [JAMA, HAI Controversies]
To curb antibiotic resistance, a recently formed 15-member Task Force for Antibiotic Stewardship Kolkata plans to identify the five most common bacteria and the drugs that work best against them. [Times of India]
Research published in the journal Nature Biotechnology shows that the effectiveness of existing antibiotics against E. coli can be increased by targeting proteins that might inhibit the production of a class of molecules called reactive oxygen species. [The Daily Princetonian, Futurity]
A strain of avian flu known as H7N9, detected in humans earlier this week for the first time, has already killed five people in China. [BBC]
Research to be published in the upcoming issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases discusses how zombies can be used as a powerful tool for increasing awareness of issues of public health significance. [The Atlantic]
An article in the journal mBio writes on the advantages of viewing immunity to pathogens as one aspect of managing a healthy microbiome. [mBio]
AARP The Magazine highlights the successful strategies that America s safest hospitals have implemented to prevent medical errors and keep their patients safe. [AARP The Magazine]
NPR s On Point features a discussion on the use of antibiotics in animals and the associated increase in antibiotic resistance. [NPR]
An article in The Huffington Post describes the ten common medical errors that can kill patients. [Huffington Post]
In a recently published manifesto, Doctors Without Borders and a group of people infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) made three demands to control the epidemic of DR-TB. [Doctors Without Borders]
An infographic on superbugs illustrates the causes and costs of antibiotic resistance and suggests what individuals can do to avoid superbugs. [MPH Online]
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