December 27, 2013
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.
In a recent interview with CDDEP, Sir George Alleyne, Director Emeritus of the Pan American Health Organization, talked about the findings of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health’s report Global Health 2035: A World Converging within a Generation. [CDDEP]
According to a new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, the NDM-1 gene, which confers resistance to bacteria against a wide range of antibiotics, has now been detected in wastewater treatment plants in China. [Digital Journal]
CBS News reports that the anti-malaria drug mefloquine continues to be prescribed in the US military despite causing brain injury and being labeled as having permanent side effects by the FDA. [CBS News]
New research published in the journal mBio indicates that USA300, the most common strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), proliferates by acquiring genes from other common skin bacteria. [Medical News Today]
According to a new study published in the journal eLife, drug resistance in typhoid bacteria may not be associated with fitness costs: the study finds that even in the absence of antibiotic pressure, antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacteria outnumbered drug-sensitive strains. [Wellcome Trust]
The US government must institute stricter regulations to monitor and respond to salmonella outbreaks, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. [redOrbit]
A new method of preserving viruses could change the way vaccines are delivered in poorer countries, where necessary refrigeration is often unavailable due to a lack of electricity. [NY Times]
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested 84 acid-fast bacilli smear-positive sputum samples from patients previously treated for TB in Zimbabwe and found that 20 (24%) of these specimens were consistent with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB. This suggests that the country is in urgent need of a national drug resistance survey to determine the prevalence of MDR TB. [CDC]
Identifying the resistance profiles of malaria-causing parasites could lead to more efficient anti-malarial prescribing practices, according to new research. [Vaccine News Daily]
Researchers at the University of Iowa have developed a new vaccine that protects against the lethal pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including resistant strains of the bacteria such as MRSA. [Eurekalert]
A study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology found Clostridium difficile (C. diff) spores on the hands of nearly 25% of healthcare workers following routine treatment of patients with C. diff infections. This suggests that more intensive hygiene practices are needed, with the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America recommending hand-washing with soap and water over the alcohol-based sanitizers that are often used in healthcare settings. [Science Codex]
Image via Novartis AG/Flickr
