Infectious Disease Alert articles from November 2003

Infectious Disease Alert archives from November 2003

Staphylococcus lugdunensis: not your father's (or mother's) coagulase-negative Staphylococcus.(Special Feature)
November 1, 2003... Staphylococcus lugdunensis, IN CONTRAST TO THE OTHER skin and mucus membrane-colonizing coagulase-negative staphylococci, has virulence factors that closely resemble those of Staphylococcus aureus and consequently causes similar aggressively...

Corticosteroids for Kawasaki disease.(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: Pulsed-dose intravenous methylprednisolone added to the conventional treatment of IVIG and high-dose aspirin, resulted in faster resolution of fever and lower ESR, CRP, and levels of IgA in children with Kawasaki disease. Source:...

Progress in the control of nosocomial Legionnaires' disease.( )(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: Copper silver ionization in potable waters was found to be highly effective in reducing environmental Legionella colonization and preventing nosocomial Legionnaires' disease over prolonged time periods. Source: Stout JE, Yu VL....

Treatment of CAP with levofloxacin: what dose? Wshat duration?(community-acquired pneumonia)(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: Treatment of CAP with 750 mg of levofloxacin daily for 5 days was as effective as a 10-day course of 500 mg daily. Source: Dunbar LM, et al. High-dose, short-course levofloxacin for community-acquired pneumonia: A new treatment...

Mycoplasma and acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease.(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: A prospective study of 671 episodes of acute chest syndrome in 538 patients with sickle cell anemia found that 51 (9%) had serologic evidence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, including 12% of episodes in children Source:...

Asymptomatic lyme disease.( )(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: Up to 7% of B burgdorferi infections in the United States are asymptomatic. Source: Steere AC, et al. Asymptomatic infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Clin Infect Dis. 2003;37:528-532. ********** IN A STUDY OF A VACCINE...

Human metapneumovirus infection in children.( )(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: Human metapneumovirus was found in 6.4% of respiratory tract specimens collected from children Source: Esper F, et al. Human metapneumovirus infection in the United States: Clinical manifestations associated with a newly emerging...

Duration of antiviral immunity after smallpox vaccination.(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: More than 90% of individuals studied maintain measurable humoral or T-cell mediated immunity against vaccinia virus for as long as 75 years after smallpox vaccination. Source: Hammarlund E, et al. Duration of antiviral immunity...

HIV, FUO, and Bartonella.( )(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Synopsis: Bartonella is a cause of unexplained fever in HIV-infected patients. Source: Koehler JE, et al. Prevalence of Bartonella infection among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with fever. Clin Infect Dis. 2003;37:559-566....

CME questions.(continuing medical education)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... 10. A 3-year-old boy presents with fever, cough, rhinorrhea, and wheezing. Chest x-ray shows scattered, diffuse infiltrates. DFA testing for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza viruses, parainfluenza viruses, and adenoviruses is...

Management of Lipodystrophy in HIV: a mini-update.(Updates)
November 1, 2003... Source: Abstracts of the Fifth International Workshop on Adverse Drug Reactions and Lipodystrophy in HIV. July 8-11, 2003. Paris. SEVERAL RECENT ABSTRACTS from the Fifth International Workshop on Adverse Drug Reactions and Lipodystrophy in...

Yersiniosis outbreak from chitterlings.(Updates)
November 1, 2003... Source: Jones TF. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003;9(8): 1007-1009. YERSINIOSIS IS AN UNCOMMON cause of food-borne disease and generally accounts for only a small number of sporadic cases of infection in the United States. An outbreak of Yersiniosis...

Compassionate-use daptomycin now available.(Updates)(Cidecin from Cubist Pharmaceuticals)
November 1, 2003... NEWER ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS in development for the treatment of VRE and MRSA infections include daptomycin, oritavancin, and tigecycline, as well as ramoplanin for potential decolonization of the intestinal tract of VRE. Daptomycin (Cidecin [R],...