Current opinion in infectious diseases
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Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. · Aug 2015
ReviewEbola virus disease: preparedness and infection control lessons learned from two biocontainment units.
This review details infection control issues encountered in the management of patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD), with emphasis on how these issues were confronted in two biocontainment patient care units in the United States. ⋯ This review intends to serve as a reference for facilities that are in the process of creating protocols for managing patients with EVD. Given the lack of literature to support many of the recommendations discussed, it is important to utilize the available referenced guidelines, along with the practical experiences of biocontainment units, to optimize the care provided to patients with EVD while strictly adhering to infection control principles.
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Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. · Aug 2015
ReviewMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in healthcare settings.
Attracting global attention, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) continues to cause sporadic cases and a potential risk of healthcare-associated infections. In this review, we highlight what is known about the risk of transmission within healthcare facilities and discuss interventions to halt its transmission within healthcare. ⋯ Understanding factors contributing to the spread and the dynamic of MERS-CoV transmission within healthcare settings would further enhance the control of the disease in and outside the healthcare setting.
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The detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in different categories of compromised patients is reviewed with focus on the role of strategies incorporating immunodiagnostic tests and analysis of epidemiological and clinical risk factors. ⋯ The LTBI detection in immunocompromised patients is a challenge. The development of new immunological biomarkers and integrated clinical and epidemiological strategies are needed to identify LTBI in compromised individuals and to plan preventive chemotherapies in those at risk of developing active TB.
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Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. · Jun 2015
ReviewRespiratory syncytial virus in infants: is maternal vaccination a realistic strategy?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains an important cause of serious and sometimes fatal acute lower respiratory tract disease in infants, yet no effective antiviral treatment or vaccine for the prevention of RSV in early life is available. Vaccination of women during pregnancy is considered to be the most plausible strategy to provide direct RSV antibody protection to young infants during a period of greatest vulnerability. ⋯ Studies of RSV vaccination in pregnancy are in progress, making maternal vaccination a realistic intervention for the protection of young infants against RSV disease in the near future. Maternal immunization with an immunogenic vaccine has the potential to substantially impact the morbidity and mortality of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract illness in infants worldwide.
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Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. · Jun 2015
ReviewDecolonization and decontamination: what's their role in infection control?
Hospital-acquired infections cause up to 19% of infections in paediatric patients contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This review evaluates the effect of decolonization and decontamination in hospitalized children and neonates as an adjunct to standard infection control measures. ⋯ Strong evidence about the efficacy of decolonization and decontamination interventions exists in adult medicine but not in paediatric patients. There is an urgent need to understand how these interventions could be adapted to neonates and resource-poor settings in which the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections is higher.