January 27, 2025

Prioritizing “bottom-up” AMR research in Brazil
“Bottom-up” approaches to estimating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can help ground evidence in the lived experiences of highly burdened communities and promote local ownership of AMR initiatives. In Brazil, bottom-up research should account for the country’s highly decentralized, multilayered governance model, inequities in healthcare access, and linkages between AMR and its social and economic impacts. [IJID Regions]
RSV infections in under-five children in Europe
A prospective study of 3,414 children under five years old in five European countries between 2021 and 2023 found that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections were associated with nearly one-third of acute respiratory tract infections during the RSV season. RSV infections, which lasted for an average of 11.7 days, often led to several primary care visits and missed parental working days. Antibiotic treatment varied substantially across countries, from 12.7 to 31.6 percent of cases. [The Lancet Respiratory Medicine]
Epidemiologic analysis of a recent U.S. avian influenza outbreak
Case data from a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A(H5N1) in the United States revealed that the virus typically caused a short course of mild illness in adults exposed to infected animals with no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The prevalence of conjunctivitis in patients is high (90 percent), while only 48 percent of occupationally exposed workers reported wearing eye protection while handling animals. Although the risk of infection in the general public is low, effective farm biosecurity measures, such as the widespread use of protective personal equipment, are critical to mitigate dairy workers’ high risk of infection. [New England Journal of Medicine]
Wastewater approach to explore AMR in socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods in Calgary, Canada
An analysis of wastewater collected from eight socioeconomically diverse urban neighborhoods in Calgary, Canada, between December 2020 and October 2021 revealed a lack of association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the number or types of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater. These results differ from those in Chile and Brazil, where significant associations between SES and AMR were identified, possibly due to distinct differences between healthcare systems, antibiotic prescribing practices, and waste/sanitation management in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. [Nature Communications]
Artificial intelligence in AMR mitigation
AMR burden is predicted to rise to nearly two million attributable deaths by 2050. At the same time, the development of new antimicrobials and diagnostic tools is challenging, time-consuming, and costly. A recent review discusses the opportunities and challenges of applying artificial intelligence in drug discovery and development, stewardship, and diagnostic innovation. In addition, the review discusses ethical issues and the importance of data sharing to ensure that the solutions serve a diverse population. [npj antimicrobials and resistance]
Role of urbanization in AMR gene abundance in soil microbiota
Metagenomic analysis of soil samples from urban parks and nearby undisturbed habitats in Italy revealed a higher abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and higher bacterial resistance to amoxicillin and linezolid in samples collected from urban areas. Urbanization could increase the abundance of ARGs in the soil directly through human activities or indirectly through changes in the composition of the soil microbiota from environmental modification, such as habitat fragmentation. [Nature Scientific Reports]
Risk communication approaches to enhance awareness of Marburg virus disease in Tanzania
A cross-sectional assessment of a Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) intervention initiated during the 2023 Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak in northwestern Tanzania found that all community respondents were aware of MVD at the time of the assessment. These respondents received information about MVD through various forms of RCCE, including home visits conducted by community health workers, local radio, and the distribution of educational materials. These findings highlight the utility of RCCE in similar disease outbreak contexts, such as Tanzania’s most recent MVD outbreak, declared on January 20, 2025. [Bulletin of the National Research Centre]
Recombinant vaccines conferred substantial protection against two influenza B viral lineages.
Two candidate recombinant vaccines designed to confer protection against two antigenically distinct influenza B virus lineages provided adequate protection and reduced virus titers in a ferret model. Notably, the recombinant vaccines generated an enhanced immunoprotective effect compared to the wild-type antigen-specific vaccines, underscoring the need for further exploration of recombinant or “hybrid” vaccines that confer broad, cross-lineage protection. [npj vaccines]
Seasonal variations in insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in the Republic of Korea
A study explored the presence of insecticide resistance-related mutations in eight species of Anopheles mosquitoes, the most common malaria vectors in the Republic of Korea. New resistance mutations and variations in seasonal insecticide resistance were observed in all eight species, indicating that rotating and mixing insecticides, along with new control strategies that complement insecticide use, are needed to optimize the effectiveness of these agents and mitigate resistance in Anopheles spp. [PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases]
Low awareness and perceived severity of mpox in urban informal settlements in Nigeria
An ethnographic study of urban informal settlements in three states in Nigeria revealed low levels of awareness and perceived severity of mpox among residents. Participants perceived the severity of mpox to be similar to that of chickenpox, smallpox, and measles, in contrast to the country’s declaration of mpox as a severe infectious disease. Lack of trust in healthcare systems, cost, and perceptions about Western medicine vs. traditional healing were barriers to participants’ healthcare-seeking behavior related to mpox. [BMC Public Health]
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