December 10, 2017
Philippines suspends use of dengue vaccine in schoolchildren. Following a new warning from pharma company Sanofi that its dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, could pose health risks in people not previously infected, Philippines has suspended its use in schoolchildren. Long-term data on the vaccine now shows that vaccinating people without previous exposure to dengue may put them at risk of developing more severe forms of the disease if they do get infected with dengue. [NYT]
Resistance to HIV drugs on the rise. A study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases reports that in many low- and middle-income countries, HIV drug resistance is rising in people starting or re-starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). The analysis covered more than 56,000 adults in 63 countries and found increases in pre-treatment resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)—a component of first-line ART—each year, and across all regions. [The Lancet Infectious Diseases]
Factors aiding the spread of ampicillin resistance. Researchers at the Pasteur Institute have found that ampicillin resistance in a Salmonella strain may have occurred even before the antibiotic was ever used in humans. The reason may be the widespread use of penicillin G in European livestock and poultry until 1969. The researchers analyzed 288 Salmonella
Typhimurium samples collected from humans, animals and food products in thirty-one countries between 1911 and 1969. They found 3.8 percent of all samples resistant to ampicillin along with the presence of beta-lactamase genes. Further analysis showed that the presence of penicillin G increased the chance of resistance to ampicillin. [The Lancet Infectious Diseases]
Trials for Clostridium difficile vaccine called off. Pharma giant Sanofi has discontinued its clinical trial of an experimental vaccine for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), based on early results from the phase 3 clinical trial. An independent data-monitoring committee concluded that the study was unlikely to meet its primary objective. The trial was designed to test the efficacy and safety of a toxoid vaccine against CDI. [PharmaTimes, Press release]
Inappropriate antibiotic use for Enterobacteriaceae infections increases costs. A study of patients with Enterobacteriaceae infections in the US shows that inappropriate empiric therapy (IET) is associated with higher readmission rates and higher costs. The study looked at more than 40,000 patients diagnosed with Enterobacteriaceae infections in 175 US hospitals between 2009 and 2013. Both the costs of hospitalization and 30-day readmission rates were found to be significantly higher in the IET patients as compared with the non-IET patients. [Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control]
Filovirus exposure detected in Southeast Asian fruit bats. A study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases finds indications of several filoviruses, including Ebola, in populations of fruit bats in Southeast Asia. Researchers tested three species of bats (Cynopterusbrachyotis, Eonycteris spelaea, and Penthetor lucasi) in Singapore between 2011 and 2016. Of these, 4.3% to 9.1% were found to have antibodies against filoviruses, including Ebola Zaire, Bundibugyo, and Sudan strains, but not against Marburg virus or Ebola Reston. [Emerging Infectious Diseases]
Heavy burden of severe flu in developing countries. Three studies in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses find that the severity of the disease is higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The risk of severe outcomes was fifty percent higher in children under five and twice as high in people with HIV/AIDS compared to risks in those groups in high-income countries. Pregnant women had a 66 percent higher risk of severe disease as compared to non-pregnant women in LMICs, whereas the risks were similar in these populations in high-income countries. [Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Study 1, Study 2, Study 3]
Antimicrobials in environment contribute to resistance. The Frontiers 2017 report by UN Environment highlights the release of antimicrobials into the environment by households, hospitals, pharmaceutical factories, and farms as one of six emerging issues of environmental concern. Once consumed, most antibiotic drugs are excreted along with resistant bacteria in human waste, and several studies have found antibiotics in soil, rivers, and wastewater facilities. Even low levels of antimicrobial residues in soil and water systems may be contributing to rising levels of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. [Frontiers 2017 report]
Uganda calls off Marburg virus disease outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the Marburg virus disease outbreak in Uganda has been successfully controlled since first being reported in mid-October this year. Three people had died during the outbreak in eastern Uganda. Ugandan health workers followed up with 316 close contacts of the victims in Uganda and Kenya to prevent the disease from spreading further. [Outbreak News Today, WHO]
Image courtesy: PAHO (CC BY-ND 2.0)
