The AJMC® Infectious Disease compendium is a comprehensive resource for news and interviews about the viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites that create illness and outbreaks.
February 7th 2024
Results show that wastewater surveillance was sufficiently sensitive to detect Monkeypox virus (mpox) cases in these large, pooled samples.
Clostridioides difficile Poses a Challenge in Rural Areas, Patient Says
July 23rd 2022Before she finally had successful treatment for her Clostridioides difficile infection in New Haven, Connecticut, Freda Pyles’ family physician in rural Pennsylvania was terrified and frustrated that he could not cure her and other patients.
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Disinfectant Linked With Reduced Hospital-Onset Clostridioides difficile Infection
July 13th 2022Hospital ward cleaning with potassium peroxymonosulphate-based environmental disinfectant and a decrease in days of therapy with carbapenems were associated with a reduction in the rate of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection.
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Describing a Clostridioides difficile Infection and the 6-Month Journey to a Diagnosis
June 29th 2022At the end of September 2021, Freda Pyles, a resident of rural Pennsylvania, began an antibiotic for a dental infection. That set off a 6-month battle with Clostridioides difficile, which was misdiagnosed a few times before she was treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Here, she describes how she contracted the infection and what happened afterwards.
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Dr Preethi Venkat Discusses Differences in Hospitalizations for C diff, IBD Only
June 28th 2022Preethi 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.
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FMT Is Cost Effective for Any Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infection, Study Says
June 27th 2022Research 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.
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Women “Significantly” More Likely to Develop Long COVID, Review Finds
June 22nd 2022The 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.
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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.
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What We're Reading: FTC Launches PBM Inquiry; FDA Advisers Recommend Novavax; Drug Prices Soar
June 8th 2022The 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.
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Posters Show Success of RBX2660 in Reducing C difficile Recurrence, Reviving Microbiome
May 22nd 2022A 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.
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Clostridioides difficile Infection May Be Underdiagnosed in Health Care Facilities, Study Finds
May 11th 2022A 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.
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SHEA Updates Guidelines for Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection Prevention in Hospitals
May 8th 2022Preventing 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.
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Study Gives Insight Into Fidaxomicin’s Gut-Sparing Activity in Clostridioides difficile
May 2nd 2022Fidaxomicin, 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.
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Study: Effective Treatment Significantly Improves HRQoL in Recurrent Clostridioides difficile
April 30th 2022The 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.
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How Can the Health Care Industry Help Tackle Climate Change?
April 19th 2022In 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.
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Real-World Data Suggest Fidaxomicin Reduces Clostridioides difficile Reinfection Versus Vancomycin
April 1st 2022Both fidaxomicin and vancomycin are recommended for treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections, but real-world data suggest fidaxomicin should be the go-to treatment option.
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Study Finds Low Natural Antibody Response to Clostridioides difficile
March 27th 2022The presence of antigen-specific and neutralizing antibodies was not associated with Clostridioides difficile infection symptoms, severity, therapy approach, treatment response, or recurrences in a new exploratory study.
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