Articles related to Infectious Diseases

This article discusses some key infectious disease information that was released in 2022 but is unrelated to COVID-19. The literature was reviewed for sound new information relevant to internal medicine experts and subspecialists whose practice does not focus on infectious diseases. The publications mentioned are about diverse species in various patient populations.

Based on cases reported to the CDC, this study reports an acceleration in case detection, with a dramatic increase in 2021. From 2019 to 2021, 17 states identified their first case of C auris; however, resistance to echinocandins increased threefold in 2021 compared to the previous two years. And because screening is not conducted uniformly across the United States, the true burden of C auris cases is likely higher than reported.

In a follow-up to a previous article on HCN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently updated their website to report that 68 patients across 16 states have been identified with a rare and drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa called VIM-GES-CRPA (Verona integron-mediated metallo-β-lactamase). This strain is particularly concerning as it is difficult to treat with standard antibiotics. As a precaution, the CDC and FDA are recommending that clinicians and patients avoid using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears products until further guidance is issued. Optometrists are advised to stay informed about the situation and to follow the CDC and FDA’s recommendations to ensure the safety of their patients.

In this randomized trial, standard treatment of rifampin and isoniazid for 24 weeks plus pyrazinamide and ethambutol for the initial 8 weeks was compared with an initial treatment of bedaquiline–linezolid for 8 weeks, extended treatment for persistent clinical disease, monitoring after treatment, and retreatment for relapse. The shorter approach was determined to be non-inferior.

“The point I want to make specifically to the young people in the crowd—the pre-docs, the postdocs, the young investigators—is that what happens in this meeting in a very incipient form over a period of time becomes the reality of what we are dealing with and then the implementation of something that’s clinically actionable,” Fauci said as the keynote speaker at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) 2023.

Infection patients reported using more than ten different brands of artificial tears, and some patients used multiple brands. The majority of patients who used artificial tears said they used EzriCare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter, preservative-free product packaged in multidose bottles. The outbreak strain was found in opened EzriCare bottles with different lot numbers collected from two states, according to CDC laboratory testing.