Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
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Although pandemic and avian influenza are known to be transmitted via human hands, there are minimal data regarding the effectiveness of routine hand hygiene (HH) protocols against pandemic and avian influenza. ⋯ HH with SW or alcohol-based hand rub is highly effective in reducing influenza A virus on human hands, although SW is the most effective intervention. Appropriate HH may be an important public health initiative to reduce pandemic and avian influenza transmission.
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Studies that assess the value of initiating oral antifungal therapy to treat primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis have not been published previously. ⋯ Approximately one-half of patients with primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis were prescribed antifungal therapy on the basis of clinical severity. Complications were seen only among patients in the group that was prescribed therapy but whose treatment was discontinued.
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Comment Letter
Use of active surveillance cultures in intensive care units.
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The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) continues to view with concern the lean pipeline for novel therapeutics to treat drug-resistant infections, especially those caused by gram-negative pathogens. Infections now occur that are resistant to all current antibacterial options. Although the IDSA is encouraged by the prospect of success for some agents currently in preclinical development, there is an urgent, immediate need for new agents with activity against these panresistant organisms. ⋯ Now, more than ever, it is essential to create a robust and sustainable antibacterial research and development infrastructure--one that can respond to current antibacterial resistance now and anticipate evolving resistance. This challenge requires that industry, academia, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Department of Defense, and the new Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the Department of Health and Human Services work productively together. This report provides an update on potentially effective antibacterial drugs in the late-stage development pipeline, in the hope of encouraging such collaborative action.
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Case Reports
Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis by detection of Taenia solium DNA using a global DNA screening platform.
Neurocysticercosis is caused by Taenia solium infection of the brain. Diagnosis is most often made by visualization of the parasitic scolex by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain or by characteristic neuroimaging findings with serologic test results positive for T. solium. ⋯ We describe 2 patients with solitary CNS lesions who received a neurocysticercosis diagnosis after identification of T. solium DNA in brain biopsy tissue with use of a global DNA screening platform. Global screening is a promising tool for the diagnosis of CNS infection, especially when traditional diagnostic tools are insensitive.