April 12, 2013
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
How has the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) changed over the past decade, and what does the future hold? CDDEP blogs. [CDDEP]
CDDEP s new visualization tracks the seasonality of MRSA infections. [CDDEP]
A new model-based study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine shows that isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent tuberculosis among HIV infected individuals, who do not show symptoms of tuberculosis, increases the incidence of isoniazid-resistant TB in communities where they are implemented. An article on the study in Nature quotes CDDEP Director Ramanan Laxminarayan as saying that countries that have not yet implemented IPT should keep this caution in mind. [Nature, Voice of America]
In research published in the journal Nature, scientists develop strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker s yeast) that yield high levels of artemisinic acid and describe a practical, efficient and scalable chemical process for the conversion of artemisinic acid to artemisinin, the most potent drug to treat malaria. [NPR]
A study published in PLoS One finds that unsatisfactory patient experiences at hospitals were associated with increased risk for central line-associated bloodstream infections in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). [PLoS One]
Results from a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine show that in the US during 2010 penicillins and macrolides were the most common categories of antibiotics prescribed, and that antibiotic prescriptions rates were higher in the South and higher among persons younger than 10 and older than 65. [USA Today, US News]
Using copper alloy surfaces in ICUs of three major US hospitals has reduced the number of hospital-acquired infections by 58%, according to a new study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. [Science Blog]
The Global Fund announces that it still needs to raise another 15 billion USD to cover the total cost of 87 billion USD over the next three years to maintain the progress in the battle against HIV AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. [The Guardian, Devex.com]
Presentations and research abstracts from The World Organisation for Animal Health s Global Conference on the Responsible and Prudent Use of Antimicrobial Agents for Animals are available online. [OIE]
The Japanese government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are collaborating with five Japanese pharmaceutical companies to form the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT), which will provide research funding to develop medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for infectious diseases in developing countries. [PMLive]
An article in The Atlantic explores the tensions between drug patenting systems and drug accessibility in the US and India. [The Atlantic]
Building on the experiences from developing countries, text messaging for improved health care is also being implemented in the US. [The Atlantic]
A study in the journal Health Affairs reviews policies implemented in Canada, England, France, and Germany to contain healthcare costs and suggests strategies for containing healthcare costs in the US. [Health Affairs]
Simple measures that could prevent infections caused by a recent virulent strain of C. difficile are not being implemented by US hospitals, a recent survey by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) shows. [Scientific American]
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae image via Carl Zeiss Microscopy/Flickr
