Infectious Disease

Preethi Venkat, MD, second-year internal medicine resident at the University of California, San Diego, discusses differences in hospitalizations for patients with irritable bowel disease (IBD) and Clostridioides difficile (C diff) infection vs those with IBD hospitalized for other reasons.

Research found fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to be an optimal cost-effective treatment strategy for first and subsequent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), challenging current guidelines.

The FDA and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Wednesday gave positive decisions on an expanded indication for Merck’s pneumococcal 15-valent conjugate vaccine (Vaxneuvance).

The study, published in Current Medical Research and Opinion, finds that females were 22% more likely than males to have long COVID, which was defined as having symptoms that lasted more than 4 weeks after onset.

The FDA determined that the 3-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine worked in children aged 6 months through 4 years; the bipartisan Senate gun deal will focuses on mental health; the pandemic has other viruses acting mysteriously, with children diagnosed with respiratory viruses in May and June.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an inquiry into the practices of pharmacy benefit managers; FDA advisers overwhelmingly support approval of Novavax, a new COVID-19 vaccine; drug prices soar to 20% annual inflation.

Citing outbreaks of Clostridioides difficile infection in both America and Europe, the researchers emphasized the need for more effective treatments.

Abstracts presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022 showed that RBX2660, an investigational microbiota-based drug, was more likely to reduce the recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) compared with placebo.

A pair of posters presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022 showed the efficacy of an investigational biotherapeutic in preventing Clostridioides difficile infection recurrence and restoring the microbiome.

The latest report from FAIR Health shows that the majority of people diagnosed post-COVID condition were never hospitalized.

Experts warn, however, that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic could stymie this progress.

A study of hospitals and long-term care facilities in Louisville, Kentucky, found low rates of Clostridioides difficile testing in patients with new-onset diarrhea who are frequently infected.

Preventing health-care–associated infections in acute-care hospitals is crucial for patient well-being and health care cost burden, and comprehensive guidelines based on current research are an important aspect of prevention.

The drug, oteseconazole, is an azole antifungal indicated to reduce the incidence of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis in females who are infertile or postmenopausal.

Fidaxomicin, now commonly used to treat Clostridioides difficile infection, selectively targets the bacterium while sparing crucial gut commensals that protect against colonization. However, knowledge gaps in the molecular basis of its narrow-spectrum activity remain.

The researchers wrote that their findings showcase the need for close monitoring of patients and for effective treatments for those with recurrent infection, which occurs in 15%-30% of all patients with Clostridioides difficile.

The CDC said that 75% of children under age 17 and more than 60% of adults up to age 49 have evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Self-reported vaccination statuses are often used in studies of influenza vaccination, and a recent study found this method reliable in health care personnel who receive the vaccine consistently. 

In a talk presented by The Hastings Center, Gary Cohen, president of Health Care Without Harm, explains how the health care industry can fight climate change, mitigate social determinants of health, and reduce costs through a series of targeted efforts.

As more bacterial DNA sequences are identified, the computational challenges associated with whole-genome sequencing have researchers looking to other potential methods of tracking and understanding differences in bacterial pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, discusses training the next generation of public health professionals.

Cross-border acquisition of medications such as antibiotics has long been a practice in US communities bordering Mexico, and a lack of sufficient insurance is one driver of the trend, according to a recent study.

In addition to the 35 notifiable infectious diseases, 95 infectious diseases not required to be reported to public health authorities were also uncovered by the population-based observational study.

Both fidaxomicin and vancomycin are recommended for treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections, but real-world data suggest fidaxomicin should be the go-to treatment option.

Democrats and Republicans are near agreement on a $10 billion COVID-19 funding package; scientists perform the first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome; more than a third of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the pandemic.