March 15, 2013
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
Quoting CDDEP Director Ramanan Laxminarayan, a cover story in India Today reviews India s problem of rapidly growing antibiotic resistance and urges for strategies, including an antibiotic policy and a national registry to prevent a health crisis. [India Today]
CDDEP researchers visit Nepal and work to expand the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership. [CDDEP]
In a letter to the editor of the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, CDDEP researchers report on regional differences in the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis in the U.S., supporting earlier observations that resistance is significantly more common in the East North Central region. [ICHE]
Early treatment with antiretroviral drugs has functionally cured 14 adults of HIV. [New Scientist]
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a stricter warning on the risk of potentially fatal heart rhythms of using azithromycin, an antibiotic used to treat infections including bronchitis and pneumonia. [NY Times]
A New York Times article discusses challenges in using cell phone technology to improve health outcomes in the developing world. [NY Times]
In a report on infections and the rise of antimicrobial resistance, Sally Davies, UK s chief medical officer, warns that antimicrobial resistance poses a catastrophic threat and that international action to combat this problem is needed now. Figures from the country s Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that samples testing positive for antibiotic resistance increased from three in 2003 to 800 in 2012. [Nature, Independent]
NIH epidemiologist Tara Palmore and infectious disease specialist Brad Spellberg discuss ways to detect and contain superbugs on NPR s Science Friday. [Science Friday]
The Guardian posts responses from health professionals after the recent warning on antibiotic resistance by the UK Chief Medical Officer. [The Guardian]
Drops in hip and knee surgical infection rates have been reported after implementation of Project JOINTS (Joining Organizations IN Tacklings SSIs), a federally funded program to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) after hip and knee replacement surgery. [WSJ]
Could growing Lantana camara, a mosquito-repelling plant, be a sustainable and low cost strategy to aid the battle against malaria in Africa? [Huffington Post]
Infections caused by E. coli ST131, an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli, have increased significantly since the strain was first discovered in 2008. [US News]
A study in The American Journal of Medical Quality finds a strong correlation between more likes on New York hospitals Facebook pages and lower mortality rates. [Co.Design]
A visualization uses data from the WHO, the OECD, and other secondary sources to illustrate the major causes of mortality in the 20th century. [Information is Beautiful]
Image via elycefeliz/Flickr
