April 07, 2025
Examining intergenerational mobility in mental health scores in India
OHT’s Dr. Arindam Nandi and Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan co-authored an article that determined that the intergenerational associations in depression and anxiety scores between parent-child pairs in India were 0.61 and 0.68, respectively, indicating low intergenerational mobility in mental health. However, they found notable heterogeneity when accounting for variations in parental mental health. While minimal parental symptoms of depression and anxiety typically persisted in their children regardless of socioeconomic status (SES), children of parents with mild to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety with high SES experienced improved mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the role of mental health interventions to promote intergenerational upward mobility in mental health outcomes in India and other low- and middle-income countries. [Scholarly Commons]
Antibiotic treatment guidance – artificial intelligence models vs. general practitioners
A study comparing the ability of large language models (LLMs) and general practitioners (GPs) to guide antibiotic treatment and provide general patient management in 24 medical vignettes found that GPs were more reliable than LLMs in referencing and applying national antibiotic prescribing guidelines. While LLMs showed high reliability in decisions around prescribing an antibiotic, GPs often modified their advice and provided nuanced guidance based on national guidelines and patient-specific information. Notably, LLMs showed significant data leakage by repeating confidential patient information, raising concerns about patient privacy. [Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy]
Trends in antibiotic use in maritime settings
A review of antibiotic use and misuse in maritime settings suggests contextual patterns of antibiotic overuse and misuse (incomplete antibiotic courses) due to the isolated and self-contained nature of maritime vessels. Without access to advanced diagnostics, laboratory testing, and expert medical consultation, healthcare staff and passengers of maritime vessels often rely on observed symptoms rather than laboratory confirmation when choosing to prescribe or use antibiotics, respectively, increasing the likelihood of inappropriate antibiotic use. Staff training, increased regulations, and telemedicine can improve evidence-based decision–making around antibiotic use at sea. [Current Infectious Disease Reports]
Call for the United States to rejoin global health efforts
The inauguration of the current U.S. presidential administration (under Donald Trump) has ushered in a new era of limited public health communications, drastic funding cuts, and a withdrawal of support from global health research and programs. In a recent commentary, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases strongly encourages the U.S. administration to restore support for the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Health Organization and to lift the communication pause, allowing U.S.-based organizations to participate in the global health community again. [Clinical Microbiology and Infection]
Novel gene linked to Imipenem resistance identified in pediatric E. coli isolates
A genetic analysis of Escherichia coli isolates collected from pediatric patients aged 2 months to 15 years in Vietnam reveals a novel Imipenem-linked resistance gene (ILR-VIN) in an Imipenem-resistant E. coli strain that lacks any previously known Imipenem-resistance genes. Transformation experiments revealed that ILR-VIN could be expressed via induction and successfully conferred resistance to Imipenem. E. coli cells induced to express ILR-VIN survived at various concentrations of Imipenem, indicating that ILR-VIN expression provides substantial protection against Imipenem and promotes bacterial cell survival. [Nature Scientific Reports]
One Health approach to aquaculture and fisheries in African Small Island Developing States
Aquaculture and fisheries, vital components of food security and livelihoods in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Africa, are threatened by marine pollution. This risk comes with several One Health implications, including the spread of antimicrobial residues in marine animals raised for human consumption, excessive release of nitrogen and phosphorus into aquatic environments, and disease transmission between farmed and wild marine animals. A One Health approach tailored to fit the context of African SIDS is critical in developing best practices for capture fisheries and aquaculture industries and ultimately ensuring food security. [Regional Studies in Marine Science]
Research and development priorities for schistosomiasis in Africa
Mitigating schistosomiasis, a widespread neglected tropical disease in Africa, requires a multifaceted, integrated public health approach to compensate for research and development gaps. Priorities to combat schistosomiasis in the WHO Africa Region should include improving definitions of morbidity indicators, evaluating current interventions such as mass drug administration, and developing models to predict the impact of climate change on disease transmission. [Infectious Diseases of Poverty]
Mitigating disease transmission in conflict areas through risk communication
As of May 2026, 7,851 cases of mpox and 384 fatalities were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Managing this devastating outbreak across the country and within camps of Internally Displaced People is complicated by ongoing armed conflicts that disrupt healthcare services and deny people essential medical assistance. In a recent publication, researchers from Congo and other African countries highlight the importance and role of risk communication and community engagement to connect with communities in fragile and conflict-ridden areas, build trust, and effectively engage them in the fight to combat the spread of mpox. [One Health]
Integrating social dimensions of AMR burden in studies
A case study analysis using data from research projects in the United Kingdom, east Africa, Thailand, and Brazil outlines four dimensions of the social burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the distribution of AMR among and between populations; the lived experiences of AMR by patients and carers; how and by whom AMR interventions are shouldered; and how AMR can change society. Future AMR studies should take a people-centered approach and consider multiple forms of data equitably to further understand the social dimensions and burden of AMR. [JAC – Antimicrobial Resistance]
Understanding TB patients’ access to diagnosis and treatment in India
A qualitative study of 26 bacteriologically positive tuberculosis (TB) patients undergoing first-line TB treatment in Bengaluru, India, revealed that patients in private health facilities experienced a significantly shorter wait time to diagnosis and treatment but incurred considerably higher costs compared to those in government health facilities. The study highlighted issues of patient misinformation and a lack of knowledge regarding TB and its treatment. Interactions between patients and staff from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which play a crucial role as a bridge between patients and India’s National TB Elimination Programme, addressed some information gaps and underscored the necessity of providing all TB patients with access to NGO support. [BMC Health Services]
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