Infectious Disease Alert articles from November 2004

Infectious Disease Alert archives from November 2004

Influenza A resistant to Oseltamivir.(Abstract & Commentary)
November 1, 2004... Synopsis: Oseltamivir treatment of children with influenza A virus infection was associated with the selection of resistant mutants in 18%. Source: Kiso M, et al. Resistant Influenza A Viruses in Children Treated With Oseltamivir:...

Empiric therapy in the persistently febrile patient with neutropenia: caspofungin vs liposomal amphotericin B.(Abstract & Commentary)
November 1, 2004... Synopsis: Overall, caspofungin was at least as effective as liposomal amphotericin B for empiric therapy in persistently febrile neutropenic patients. Caspofungin therapy was associated with greater survival 7 days after the end of therapy,...

Novel naked pneumococcal naval eye infection: an outbreak of conjunctivitis.(Abstract & Commentary)
November 1, 2004... Synopsis: An outbreak of conjunctivitis caused by a macrolide resistant unencapsulated pneumococcus occurred among naval trainees who were receiving azithromycin as prophylaxis against atypical pneumonia. Source: Crum NF, et al. An Outbreak...

Lassa fever.(Abstracts & Commentary)
November 1, 2004... Synopsis: Importation of Lassa fever remains a continuing danger. Sources: Lassa Fever, Imported-USA (New Jersey) ex Liberia. CDC. M MWR. 2004:53:894-897; United Kingdom: Probable Lassa Fever in Traveler Returning From West Africa....

Reptile-associated salmonellosis in children.(Abstract & Commentary)
November 1, 2004... Synopsis: A retrospective review of 1387 cases of salmonellosis revealed that almost half of cases in children younger than 5 years of age were associated with contact with a reptile. Source: Wells EV, et al. Reptile-Associated...

Persisters: bacterial cells that ignore antibiotics.(Abstracts & Commentary)
November 1, 2004... Synopsis: Exposure of E. coli to ampicillin results in selection of a preexisting population of persister cells. Persistence may also be induced by ampicillin exposure via activation of the SOS response. Sources: Miller C, et al. SOS...

CME questions.
November 1, 2004... 16. Which of the follow statements regarding conjunctivitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is false? a. In an outbreak of S. pneumoniae conjunctivitis, pharyngeal carriage of the outbreak strain by asymptomatic individuals is common. ...

Longer-term symptoms of WNV fever.(Updates)(west nile virus)
November 1, 2004... Source: Watson J, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:360-365. WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTION without central nervous system involvement is generally believed to be a self-limited febrile illness, lasting about 3-7 days. Recent data suggest,...

Hepatitis E hits Iraq.(Updates)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ProMED-mail post, September 23, 2004; www.promedmail.org. AN OUTBREAK OF HEPATITIS E, which is generally spread by fecally contaminated water, is occurring in 2 areas of Iraq, where the water and sewage systems have been disrupted by the...

Maggot you another appetizer?(Updates)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Sherman RA, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39:1069. You CAN'T FIND MUCH ABOUT maggots in your standard ID texts, but they are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in wound debridement. Interest in maggot therapy for...

SARS and the environment.(Updates)
November 1, 2004... Dowell SF, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2004; 39:652-657. A CENTRAL QUESTION REMAINING from the SARS outbreak was the mode of transmission of virus in situations where direct patient contact or droplet exposure had not occurred, such as on...

The FDA and Merck fielding concerns about Vioxx.
November 1, 2004... Merck announced on September 30th that it is voluntarily withdrawing rofecoxib (Vioxx) from the worldwide market. The decision was based on data from the APPROVe (Addenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx) trial, a company sponsored perspective...

Erythromycin and the risk of sudden death.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Erythromycin may be associated with an increased risk of sudden death, according to new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Oral erythromycin, which is extensively metabolized by cytochrome P-450 3A (CYP3A), prolongs cardiac...

Vaccine shortage putting Americans at risk.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Just as healthcare providers are about to start their annual flu vaccination program, British regulators have shut down Chiron Corporation's Liverpool flu vaccine manufacturing plant due to sterility problems. Chiron was expected to supply...

FDA actions.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The FDA will move ahead with warnings for many antidepressants stating that the drugs sometimes raise the risk of suicidal behavior in youth. The recommendation comes after an agency advisory panel, on a split vote, recommended a Black box...

Functional decline in peripheral arterial disease.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Source: McDermott MM, et al. JAMA. 2004;292:453-461. PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE (PAD) may be stratified in severity by the ankle-brachial index (ABI), measured by dividing the ankle systolic BP by the brachial systolic BP. Normally, this...

Topical capsaicin for chronic pain.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Source: Mason L, et al. BMJ USA. 2004;4:349-358. TOPICAL ANALGESICS, SUCH AS CAPsaicin (CAP), methylsalicylate, and transdermal lidocaine, are agents which are applied topically for a local effect, as opposed to agents applied topically for...

Topical tacrolimus therapy for Vitiligo.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Source: Grimes PE, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004;51:52-61. VITILIGO (VIT) IS A DISORDER CHARacterized clinically by one or more skin sites of depigmentation caused by loss of melanocyte activity. Demonstrated etiologies include genetic...

US prevalence and impact on axillary hyperhidrosis.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Source: Strutton DR, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004;51:241-248. THE DIAGNOSIS OF HYPERHIDROSIS, OR excessive sweating, is achieved by clinical inquiry rather than laboratory testing, though quantitative metrics are available for...

Mortality and incidence of cancer during follow-up of the Scandinavian simvaslatin survival study (4S).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Source: Strandberg TE, et al. Lancet. 2004;364:771-777. ALTHOUGH THE VALUE OF STATINS for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events is widely accepted, inconsistent background signals of disproportionate cancer risk...

Effects of extended outpatient rehabilitation after hip fracture.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Source: Binder EF, et al JAMA. 2004;292:837-846. FOR SENIOR CITIZENS WHO DO NOT succumb to the sequelae of hip fracture (HFX), the long-term consequences remain daunting for most. Insurers may provide coverage sufficient only to sustain a...