Volume 72, Issue 8, 15 April 2021

Women living with HIV (WLWH) experienced a greater burden of non-AIDS comorbidities than HIV-seronegative counterparts overall and in certain age groups. Traditional risk factors were commonly associated with multimorbidity and should be prioritized for screening and intervention in aging WLWH.

Less than 15% of eligible patients with pneumonia had antibiotics de-escalated immediately following negative cultures and de-escalation rates varied widely among hospitals. To adhere to newly published guidelines, hospitals will have to change practice substantially.

In this study, 210 patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis were randomized to receive either ceftriaxone for 3 weeks or doxycycline for 4 weeks. Patients in both groups improved equally as measured by visual analogue scale after 12 months of follow-up.

In this observational cohort study in 104 women evaluated daily, Escherichia coli Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (ASB) (≥10⁵ CFU/mL) occurred on 2.5% of days and rarely persisted beyond 2 days. Pyuria occurred on 25% of days but was poorly predictive of E. coli ASB.

Severe hepatotoxicity occurred in 2.5% of women with HIV who initiated efavirenz-containing regimens. Liver-related mortality occurred in 3% of those with severe hepatotoxicity. Older age was predictive of severe hepatotoxicity. Safer antiretroviral therapy regimens are needed in women of childbearing age.

Cord blood transplant (CBT) recipients have a high cumulative incidence of herpes zoster (HZ) despite longer-term antiviral prophylaxis. Antiviral prophylaxis during immunosuppression and for 3 or more years might reduce the incidence and complications of HZ after CBT.

A contact network analysis in 4 countries of sub-Saharan Africa revealed Cryptosporidium neighborhood clusters in rural communities with human-to-human transmission being the predominant transmission route, while zoonotic transmission appears to contribute only marginally.

In this multinational study of critically ill patients treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT), antibiotic dosing regimens, RRT prescription, and estimated total renal clearance varied markedly and resulted in highly variable antibiotic concentrations that frequently failed to meet therapeutic targets.

Aspergillus group ustus (section Usti) represents a rare cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA). This retrospective multicenter study reports the epidemiology and outcome of 72 cases of proven/probable IA due to this fungal pathogen.

This is the first report of invasive Stachybotrys sinusitis in a severely immunocompromised patient with refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia. Tissue invasion by Stachybotrys chlorohalonata was confirmed by histopathology, IHC, and genotyping. The patient was successfully treated, but later succumbed from other causes.

Among this high-risk population, the overall incidence of reinfection was 3.1 cases/100 person-years, considerably lower than the incidence of primary infection among similar populations. The incidence was elevated among younger people and people who shared needles/syringes.

Implementation of an internally developed, cross-reactivity chart for surgical prophylaxis in patients with a documented B-lactam allergy, in combination with enhanced antimicrobial stewardship program, pharmacy, and organizational processes, significantly improved the prescribing of B-lactam antibiotic therapy for surgical prophylaxis.

People with HIV starting antiretroviral therapy when asymptomatic did as well if not better than symptomatic individuals with respect to adherence and treatment outcomes. This evidence supports differentiated care models focusing resources on vulnerable groups in need of support.

In antibacterial drug trials for serious bacterial diseases, changes over time in Eastern European and North American enrollment were observed. Subject demographic, clinical, and microbiologic factors were generally similar among regions, supporting the global generalizability of trial results.

Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) with or after measles vaccine was associated with two-fold higher mortality than having measles vaccine as last vaccination. DTP after measles vaccine was associated with a strong negative effect for girls, the female-male mortality ratio being 14.83 (1.88-117.1).

We discuss a framework of interventions and policies aimed at engaging and equipping frontline clinicians to optimize their antibiotic use to reduce the need for day-to-day antibiotic stewardship program oversight.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted neglected tropical disease programs. Modelling shows the impact of this will vary across diseases. Once interventions are reintroduced, there are opportunities for mitigating the delay and accelerating progress towards the 2030 goals.

This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the duration of infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and how this has informed evolving public health recommendations on when it is safe to discontinue isolation precautions.

Hybrid simulation for modeling infections is promising, as it can help gain deeper insights, assist decision-making at different management levels, and provide a balance between simulation performance and result accuracy, yet challenging to adopt without comprehensive theoretical and technical guidance.