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GLP-1 Drugs Effective For Weight Loss, Improving HbA1C Levels Among Patients With HIV Infection, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (5/7, Nye) reports, “Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are associated with weight loss, lower BMI, and improved HbA1C levels among patients with HIV infection, according to study results published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.” In the study, “overall, GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with a mean weight loss of 5.4 kg and a mean BMI reduction of 1.8 kg/m2, with 99 (44%) patients experiencing greater than 5% weight loss.”

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Higher Levels Of Social Vulnerability Associated With Worse RSV Outcomes, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (5/7, Nye) reports, “Individuals with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) who reside in more socially vulnerable census tracts are more likely to develop severe disease and require hospitalization, according to findings published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.” According to the study, “in relation to SVI quartiles, the incidence of hospitalization was lowest among patients who resided in areas with the least socioeconomic deprivation (IR, 23.7 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 22.2-25.2) and highest incidence among those who resided in areas with the most socioeconomic deprivation (IR, 37.6 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 34.5-40.7).”

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Benefits Of Suppressive Antibiotic Therapy For Patients With Periprosthetic Joint Infections May Be Limited, Study Finds

Healio (5/7, Stulpin) reports, “Despite suppressive antibiotic therapy being a routine strategy for managing periprosthetic joint infections [PJIs], a study showed the benefits may be limited.” For the study, published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, researchers looked at 167 patients with PJIs who received suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) “and 343 who did not – with 66 treatment failures reported. Overall, the researchers found no significant association between SAT and treatment failure (HR = 1.37; 95% CI, 0.79-2.39), although they noted that treatment failure occurred in 39 patients on SAT and 27 not on SAT.”

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People With Two Copies Of APOE4 Gene Variant Have Distinct Genetic Form Of Alzheimer’s, Study Suggests

The New York Times (5/6, Belluck) reports, “Scientists are proposing a new way of understanding the genetics of Alzheimer’s that would mean that up to a fifth of patients would be considered to have a genetically caused form of the disease.” The concept “involves a gene variant called APOE4. Scientists have long known that inheriting one copy of the variant increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and that people with two copies, inherited from each parent, have vastly increased risk.” The AP (5/6, Neergaard) reports that now, “research published Monday suggests that for people who carry not one but two copies of the gene, it’s more than a risk factor, it’s an underlying cause of the mind-robbing disease.” Additionally, for these patients, “symptoms can begin seven to 10 years sooner than in other older adults who develop Alzheimer’s.” Around “15% of Alzheimer’s patients carry two copies of APOE4.” Reuters (5/6, Steenhuysen) reports, “The reclassification could change Alzheimer’s research, diagnosis and approaches to treatment, according to the researchers, whose study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.”

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Gene Therapy Improves Vision In Patients With Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Study Shows

CNN (5/6, Howard) reports, “A treatment that used CRISPR was found to be safe and efficacious in improving vision among a small sample of patients with inherited blindness in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial.” Out of 14 participants, “the gene-editing tool was found to be associated with a ‘meaningful improvement’ in vision for most patients around three months later and it was not directly tied to any serious side effects, according to the trial results, published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.” The trial “enrolled 12 adults, ages 17 to 63, and two children, ages 9 and 14, with inherited retinal degeneration caused by mutations in the CEP290 gene.”

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Concurrent Bivalent COVID-19 Booster, Inactivated Influenza Vaccine Administration Improves SARS-CoV-2 Response While Maintaining Response Against Flu, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (5/6, Nye) reports, “Concurrent administration of the bivalent COVID-19 booster and the inactivated influenza vaccine may result in higher and more durable neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses against SARS-CoV-2 while maintaining responses against influenza, according to study results published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.” In the study, “patients in the concurrent administration group exhibited increased IgG1 responses to all Spike variants relative to those in the separate administration group. They also exhibited increased pseudovirus neutralization to both BA.5 and XBB.1.5 at the time of peak immunogenicity and at 6 months.”

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Standard Infection Prevention And Control Procedures Prevented Spread Of C. Auris At Dialysis Facility, Study Finds

According to Healio (5/6, Feller), “standard infection prevention and control procedures prevented the spread of Candida auris at a Tennessee dialysis facility despite two patients there being colonized for up to 4 months during treatment, researchers reported” at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring Conference. Presenter Carolyn Stover, MPH, CIC, CPH, said, “This was a testament to their standard infection prevention control practices – doing them well and adhering to them, they were able have a C. auris patient and not have any transmission.”

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Study Details Mutations In Avian Flu Virus Sweeping Across Dairy Farms

The New York Times (5/3, Mandavilli, Anthes) reported, “The bird flu virus sweeping across dairy farms in multiple states has acquired dozens of new mutations, including some that may make it more adept at spreading between species and less susceptible to antiviral drugs, according to a new study” published ahead of peer review on bioRxiv. Although “none of the mutations [are] a cause for alarm” individually, “they underscore the possibility that as the outbreak continues, the virus may evolve in ways that would allow it to spread easily between people, experts said.”

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Preoperative Urine Cultures Not Associated With Reduced Risk Of Postoperative UTIs, SSIs, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (5/3, Kuhns) reported, “Preoperative urine cultures are not associated with reduced risk for postoperative urinary tract infections (UTIs) or surgical site infections (SSIs), according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.” In the study, “researchers observed no significant difference in the rate of postoperative SSIs between patients who underwent procedures with vs without a preoperative urine culture. Similar results were observed between the groups in regard to the rate of postoperative UTIs.”

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Influenza-Related Hospitalizations May Increase At A Younger Age Than Previously Thought, Study Finds

Healio (5/3, Stulpin) reported, “Influenza-related hospitalization rates begin to increase in patients at a younger age than previously assumed, indicating that prevention strategies should be encouraged for younger patients, researchers found.” Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, “the study showed that the incidence of influenza-related outpatient visits was highest among people aged 18 to 34 years and declined with increasing age, with ED visits also being elevated for patients of this age group. ED visits remained stable among patients aged 35 through 60 years but rapidly increased after 60 years.”

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Study Identifies Prescribers At Risk For Inappropriate Antibiotic Use

Healio (5/3, Stulpin) reported, “A study assessing outpatient antibiotic prescribing among clinicians in Philadelphia successfully identified those considered ‘high-volume prescribers’ who may be at risk for inappropriate antibiotic use.” In the study, “the researchers identified the top 25% of these prescribers by antibiotic volume, and then determined that these 89 contributed 60.5% of all antibiotic claims and 55.5% of the claims for the three specific drugs combined.” These results were presented at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring Conference.

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Shorter Courses Of Antibiotics Associated With Increased Risk Of Reinfection, Mortality Among Infants In NICU With E. Coli Bacteremia, Study Finds

Healio (5/4, Weldon) reported, “Shorter courses of antibiotics were associated with increased odds of reinfection and death among infants treated in the NICU for Escherichia coli bacteremia who were not evaluated for meningitis, a study showed.” In the study, “infants who received 14 to 21 days of antibiotics or more than 21 days were far less likely to experience the combined outcome of recurrence of infection or death, with ORs of 0.14 (95% CI, 0.09-0.22) and 0.2 (95% CI, 0.13-0.31), respectively, compared with infants who received less than 14 days of therapy.” The results were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting.

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Long Beach, California Declares Public Health Emergency Over TB Outbreak

CNN (5/3, Howard) reported, “An outbreak of tuberculosis has led to a public health emergency in Long Beach, California.” On Thursday, “City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis declared a public health emergency...in response to the outbreak, according to a city announcement, and the declaration is expected to be considered for ratification by the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday.” So far, “the city health department has identified about 170 people who have probably been exposed to tuberculosis. But overall, ‘the risk of TB for people who live, work, study or visit in Long Beach remains very low,’ the announcement said.”

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Additional Testing Of Retail Dairy Products Shows Pasteurization Preventing Spread Of Bird Flu

The New York Times (5/1, Weiland, Qiu) reports officials announced on Wednesday that “additional testing of retail dairy products from across the country has turned up no signs of live bird flu virus, strengthening the consensus that pasteurization is protecting consumers from the threat.” However, while scientists “have not found evidence of potentially infectious virus,” the Times says that “the scope of the bird flu outbreak in cattle remains unclear, as dairy herds are not routinely tested for the infection.” The USDA indicated that “as of Wednesday, the outbreak had spread to 36 herds in nine states,” and “just one human infection, which was mild, has been reported.” However, experts “fear there may be many more undetected infections, particularly among farm workers.” STAT (5/1, Molteni, Subscription Publication) reports the FDA last week “announced it had conducted PCR testing in 96 commercially purchased milk products and found genetic traces of the H5N1 virus in one in five samples, but that early data showed no live virus. On Wednesday, the agency reported results from testing of a further 201 products, which included cottage cheese and sour cream, in addition to milk.”

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More Than Half Of Domestic Cats Died After Consuming Raw Milk From Cattle With H5N1, CDC Report Says

According to The Hill (5/1, Fortinsky), “More than half of the domestic cats on a Texas dairy farm that were fed unpasteurized milk from cows infected with the bird flu got sick and died,” a preliminary CDC report released Monday shows. Researchers “said the new findings raise concerns about the possible cross-species and mammal-to-mammal transmission of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1).” The new report also suggests “the cattle show signs of apparent systemic illness, reduced milk production, and ‘abundant virus shedding in milk.’”

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Global Responses To Outbreaks Of cVDPV Has Slowed Over Past Decade, Research Shows

Healio (5/1, Weldon) reports that global responses to outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polio virus (cVDPV) “has slowed over the past decade, according to” researchers who “investigated the responses to 64 cVDPV outbreaks in 44 countries from 2016 through the end of 2023” and found an increase in “the median time from outbreak declaration to the first” supplementary immunization activity. The finding were presented at the CDC’s Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference.

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Study Suggests AMR Prevalence In WHO Gram-Negative Priority Pathogens May Be “Substantial” In Countries Lacking Current Data

According to Healio (5/1, Stulpin), “New estimates presented at ESCMID Global Congress show that antimicrobial resistance [AMR] prevalence in WHO gram-negative priority pathogens may be ‘substantial’ in countries lacking current data.” Study researchers developed a machine learning-driven “stacked ensemble modeling approach” to “estimate AMR prevalence in countries lacking data” and found “that resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in E. coli and resistance to carbapenems in A. baumannii are both on the rise, with a notably sharp increase observed in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia between 2004 and 2021.”

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CDC May Not Act On WHO Report On How Airborne Diseases Spread

KFF Health News (5/1, Maxmen) says, “The World Health Organization has issued a report that transforms how the world understands respiratory infections like covid-19, influenza, and measles.” In the report, “the WHO concluded that airborne transmission occurs as sick people exhale pathogens that remain suspended in the air, contained in tiny particles of saliva and mucus that are inhaled by others.” Although this “may seem obvious, and some researchers have pushed for this acknowledgment for more than a decade, an alternative dogma persisted – which kept health authorities from saying that covid was airborne for many months into the pandemic.” But “a committee advising the CDC appears poised to brush aside the updated science when it comes to its pending guidance on health care facilities.”

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Spikes Of Influenza A Seen In Wastewater Samples Point To Spread Of H5N1 Infecting Dairy Cattle, Research Suggests

CNN (4/30, Goodman) reports, “Spikes of influenza A virus seen in wastewater samples from 59 sewer systems across 18 different states this spring may point to the spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that is currently infecting dairy cattle,” according to researchers who monitor “a large network of wastewater treatment plants across the US” and “measured both a genetic marker for influenza A viruses and genetic markers specific to H5 viruses.” Results showed that “as levels of the marker for influenza A viruses began to rise in early March, the markers for the H5 viruses began to rise in tandem.” The research was posted as a preprint on the BioRxiv server.

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Results Show Painless Vaccine Patch Effective In Preventing Measles, Rubella Infections In Infants

HealthDay (4/30, Thompson) reports phase 1/2 results show that “more than 90% of 190 Gambian infants were protected from measles and all were protected from rubella after receiving a single vaccine dose through” a patch containing “an array of microscopic needles that painlessly penetrate the skin and deliver the vaccine.” In developed countries including the US, “vaccine patches could offer greater convenience and a pain-free alternative to conventional shots, researchers said.” The results were published in The Lancet.

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GLP-1 Drugs Effective For Weight Loss, Improving HbA1C Levels Among Patients With HIV Infection, Study Finds

Higher Levels Of Social Vulnerability Associated With Worse RSV Outcomes, Study Finds

Benefits Of Suppressive Antibiotic Therapy For Patients With Periprosthetic Joint Infections May Be Limited, Study Finds

People With Two Copies Of APOE4 Gene Variant Have Distinct Genetic Form Of Alzheimer’s, Study Suggests

Gene Therapy Improves Vision In Patients With Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Study Shows

Concurrent Bivalent COVID-19 Booster, Inactivated Influenza Vaccine Administration Improves SARS-CoV-2 Response While Maintaining Response Against Flu, Study Finds

Standard Infection Prevention And Control Procedures Prevented Spread Of C. Auris At Dialysis Facility, Study Finds

Study Details Mutations In Avian Flu Virus Sweeping Across Dairy Farms

Preoperative Urine Cultures Not Associated With Reduced Risk Of Postoperative UTIs, SSIs, Study Finds

Influenza-Related Hospitalizations May Increase At A Younger Age Than Previously Thought, Study Finds

Study Identifies Prescribers At Risk For Inappropriate Antibiotic Use

Shorter Courses Of Antibiotics Associated With Increased Risk Of Reinfection, Mortality Among Infants In NICU With E. Coli Bacteremia, Study Finds

Long Beach, California Declares Public Health Emergency Over TB Outbreak

Additional Testing Of Retail Dairy Products Shows Pasteurization Preventing Spread Of Bird Flu

More Than Half Of Domestic Cats Died After Consuming Raw Milk From Cattle With H5N1, CDC Report Says

Global Responses To Outbreaks Of cVDPV Has Slowed Over Past Decade, Research Shows

Study Suggests AMR Prevalence In WHO Gram-Negative Priority Pathogens May Be “Substantial” In Countries Lacking Current Data

CDC May Not Act On WHO Report On How Airborne Diseases Spread

Spikes Of Influenza A Seen In Wastewater Samples Point To Spread Of H5N1 Infecting Dairy Cattle, Research Suggests

Results Show Painless Vaccine Patch Effective In Preventing Measles, Rubella Infections In Infants