Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy

A roundup of news on drug resistance and other topics in global health.

Featuring a contribution from CDDEP researchers, the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports on the rising prevalence of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections in US health care facilities and stresses the need for increased surveillance and “a broader, multi-institutional or regional approach” to prevent and control infections. The McClatchy News Network published an op-ed and CDDEP also blogged on the story.

A paper authored by CDDEP researcher Arindam Nandi in the Journal of Development Economics examines the effectiveness of a legal ban on sex-selective abortion in India.

An article in Public Health Perspectives explains what current research, including a recent paper authored by CDDEP’s Eili Klein, informs us about MRSA trends. [PLoS Blogs]

Eili Klein speaks to Rodale.com about seasonal patterns in MRSA infection rates. [Rodale.com]

For the first time, a very early treatment with standard drug therapy appears to have have cured a child who was born with HIV. [New York Times]

A paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change finds a strong association between malaria epidemics in northwest India and sea surface temperatures in the tropical South Atlantic and uses the relationship to predict malaria outbreaks in the region. [Hindustan Times]

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has created interactive visualizations based on data from the Global Burden of Disease study. [Humanosphere]

An article in The Atlantic warns parents about the dangers of unchecked antibiotic use. [The Atlantic]

The blunted spikes called ‘nanopillars’ on the surface of clanger cicada wings are identified as one of the first natural antibacterials, according to a study published in the Biophysical Journal. [Nature]

Wired’s blog Superbug writes on the challenges of collecting more data from antibiotic use in animals. [Wired]

Superbug also covers the latest news about CRE infections while also mentioning CDDEP’s ResistanceMap. [Wired]

An article in The Guardian suggests a few strategies for effectively treating drug-resistant tuberculosis. [Guardian]

The Economist explores the impact of the US’s Sunshine law, which will require the reporting of payments and other transfers made to doctors by drug firms. [Economist]

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