Opinion | Should We Bring Masks Back Into the Classroom?
Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections have skyrocketed this year relative to previous years, with infections from both viruses occurring earlier and increasing faster than any cold and flu season in recent history. Over the past couple of months, many pediatric hospitals have reported running out of beds necessary to treat severe influenza, RSV, […]
Vaginal Testosterone Shows Benefit in Postmenopausal Women
MIAMI — Postmenopausal women with frequent urinary tract infections benefited from vaginal testosterone (VT) cream, interim data from the randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled PIVoT trial suggested. Women in the VT group saw improvements in vaginal health and sexual function scores at 9 months compared with placebo, although the placebo group’s sexual function scores also improved, reported […]
A Once-Rejected Antibiotic Equals Standard for Complicated Staph Infections
WASHINGTON — Investigational ceftobiprole was just as effective as daptomycin for bacterial bloodstream infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, the phase III ERADICATE trial demonstrated. In the randomized head-to-head comparison, post-treatment success at 70 days was 69.8% with ceftobiprole and 68.7% with daptomycin, meeting prespecified criteria for non-inferiority, Thomas Holland, MD, of Duke University in […]
Hepatitis A Demographics Shift Dramatically
Hepatitis A is no longer mainly a travel and food-related infection, as the majority of infections from 2016 to 2020 related to drug use or homelessness, according to the CDC. Fully 56% of hepatitis A infected persons in the U.S. were using drugs (injected or not), 14% were homeless, and 12% were recently incarcerated in […]
Vitamin D Failed to Stop COVID, Other Respiratory Infections
Vitamin D supplements did not ward off COVID-19 or other respiratory infections, two randomized controlled trials showed. Among 6,200 participants in a phase III study from the U.K., 2.6% of those in the control group developed COVID-19 compared with 3.6% of those who received 800 IU vitamin D daily (OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.98-1.97) and […]
What Causes Henipavirus? Symptoms, Transmission, Vaccine & Cure
About four out of seven Hendra henipavirus infections may result in the death of the infected individual. Henipavirus infection in humans is caused either by the Nipah virus or Hendra henipavirus species. For both these species, flying foxes, also called pteropid fruit bats, act as reservoir hosts. A reservoir host means an animal in which the […]
Cronobacter Infection: How to Treat
Antibiotics are typically the first line of treatment for Cronobacter infections Cronobacter infections are often treated with antibiotics, typically cefazolin and amoxicillin, which are quite effective in most cases. However, treatment can be challenging because continued use of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance. What are the treatment options for Cronobacter infections? […]
People With Advanced AIDS Benefit From Dolutegravir Treatment
MONTREAL — Patients with advanced HIV/AIDS infections had higher proportion of viral suppression with dolutegravir (Tivicay) treatment versus efavirenz (Sustiva) treatment, a researcher reported. At 48 weeks, 73.9% of the 92 patients assigned to a dolutegravir-based (DTG) regimen achieved viral suppression based on the 200 copies/ml assay versus 47.8% of the 92 patients assigned to […]
Amoxicillin vs. Doxycycline: Antibiotic Uses, Side Effects & Dosage
Amoxicillin vs. doxycycline: What’s the difference? Amoxicillin and doxycycline are antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections of the respiratory tract and other infections. Amoxicillin is also used to treat bacterial infections of the middle ear, tonsils, throat, urinary tract, and skin. It also is used to treat gonorrhea. Doxycycline is also used to treat non-gonococcalurethritis […]
Germany Study Warns of Increasing Acute Hep C Reinfections in MSM
Although rates of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections have declined over the past decade across Europe, a small increase in reinfections was seen among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a German prospective observational study. Among 161 patients with acute HCV infection, 87% of whom were HIV-positive and 90% of whom […]