What We’re Reading: Updated Anthrax Guidelines; At-Home STI Test; Veteran Psychedelic Therapy

CDC Updates Anthrax Prevention, Treatment Guidelines

The CDC has published updated recommendations for the postexposure prevention and treatment of Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. The CDC based the updates on systemic reviews of studies that involved, for example, in vivo drug activity against anthrax and in vivo antimicrobial drug efficacy for postexposure prevention and treatment. The updates, published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, includ an expanded list of alternative antimicrobial drugs to use if first-line drugs are not tolerated, depleted, or ineffective. The CDC also issued new recommendations on anthrax meningitis diagnosis and treatment, as well as its comorbid, social, and clinical predictors. Conversely, the CDC did not change previously published recommendations for anthrax critical care measures, anthrax vaccine use, or clinical assessment tools or procedures.

FDA Approves First Chlamydia, Gonorrhea At-Home Test

The FDA has granted marketing approval to an at-home chlamydia and gonorrhea test, the first authorization for something of its kind, according to STAT. It was granted to LetsGetChecked’s Simple 2 Test, which allows individuals to collect a sample at home and submit it to a laboratory for processing. Before this, patients had to go to medical offices to have samples collected, as this was the only approved method; patients must continue doing so to get tested for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as the only other approved at-home STI test is for HIV. The Simple 2 Test will be available over the counter to those aged 18 and older.

Veteran Psychedelic Therapy Gets Support at First House Hearing Since 1960s

On Tuesday, in one of the first Congressional hearings on psychedelics since 1966, lawmakers and Department of Veterans Affairs officials acknowledged the potential for psychedelic drugs to treat veterans’ mental health conditions, according to Military.com. The treatment, which consists of three 8-hour sessions, would involve veterans taking 3,4-Methyl​enediox (MDMA, also known as ecstasy) in the presence of a therapist, who then leads them through counseling for their posttraumatic stress disorder. At the hearing, supporters said they welcomed the treatment to help reduce the number of veteran suicides, but they also expressed concern since the drugs remain illegal under federal law and can be dangerous if used recreationally; additional research and FDA approval is needed before these therapies become widely available.