November 28, 2014
A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health
Antibiotic resistance is one of the four major global health threats of the 21st century, according to a story to be published this Monday in the International Monetary Fund’s Finance and Development Magazine. “Resistance is driven by local factors but has global consequences,” writes CDDEP Director Ramanan Laxminarayan in the article. [Finance and Development]
This week from CDDEP, fellow Eili Klein co-wrote a story in The Conversation on patient expectations and antibiotic prescribing entitled “Have a Cold? Don’t Ask Your Doctor for Antibiotics”. On the CDDEP blog, Senior Research Analyst Molly Miller-Petrie wrote a post from the field on her recent trip to Mozambique working with CDDEP’s Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP)-Mozambique project and the critical work GARP does toward preserving antibiotics there. [The Conversation, CDDEP]
CDDEP’s Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP) and the Public Health Foundation of India held a policy forum in New Delhi this week on antimicrobial stewardship in Indian hospitals, highlighting effective interventions and education campaigns as solutions to fight antibiotic resistance. [Stop Antibiotic Resistance]
Significant developments have been made towards an Ebola vaccine, according to research published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine that found antibodies in all 20 human study participants given different doses of an experimental vaccine. The majority of new Ebola cases this week were in Sierra Leone, according to the latest WHO report on the outbreak. [The New England Journal of Medicine, WHO]
The African continent may be on the verge of eradicating polio. Nigeria, its last polio-endemic country, saw the disease’s incidence decline significantly from 2013 to 2014; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, widespread vaccination campaigns are critical to continuing this progress. [CDC]
Recent papers published in the British Medical Journal and Health Affairs highlight concerning antibiotic prescription trends in China; the average Chinese person consumes 10x the amount of antibiotics that the average American does annually. Widespread patient demand for antibiotics and misplaced financial incentives contribute to these trends, but a pay-for-performance study in the Ningxia province showed a potentially promising reduction in antibiotic prescriptions. [BMJ, Health Affairs]
Scientists at the University of Manitoba are investigating a link between iron deficiency and lower rates of malaria, tuberculosis and some types of cancer. The researchers stated they think certain pathogens’ need for iron may be related to the correlation. [The Washington Post]
The ‘virome’, or collection of viruses in one’s gut, may have a function in health maintenance similar to the bacterial microbiome, according to findings from a study published this week by researchers at the NYU Langone School of Medicine. The researchers investigated mice with wiped-out microbiomes and found a gut norovirus provided beneficial effects for the host. [Nature]
The latest source of untapped antibacterial drugs may be in the ancient single-celled organism family Archaea. A study published this week found a functional antibacterial gene in the organisms that are normally found in earth’s most extreme environments. [Vanderbilt University]
CDDEP is currently hiring Research Analysts for our New Delhi, India office. For more information and to apply, visit CDDEP’s jobs page.
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Photo of polio vaccination courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
