Infectious Disease Update

September 2010

• Acinetobacter baumannii: infections caused by
• Acupuncture procedures: and infections (letter to the Editor)
• Bacterial vaginosis: prevention by lactobacilli application
• Serum potassium levels: some antibiotics may affect levels in the elderly
• Standards for ground beef: FDA establishes standards for school lunch programs
• H1N1 influenza A vaccine: bottom line for 2009-2010 outbreak
• Interferon gamma–release assays: CDC issues guidelines for their use in diagnosing TB
• Ambulatory surgical centers: lapses in infection control
• Vaccine information: where to find it
• Genital herpes: how common?

August 2010

• H1N1 Test: clearance given to Quest Diagnostics Focus Diagnostics Business unit
• Campylobacter infections: an overview
• Clostridium difficile infections: new guidelines for diagnosis, management and treatment issued
• MRSA reporting: Medicare reverses itself
• Proton pump inhibitors: increase risk for Clostridium difficile infection
• H1N1 influenza: how long do persons stay infectious?
• Vancomycin-resistant MRSA: CDC confirms 11th case in U.S.
• Dengue fever: returns to Florida
• Probiotic use: recommended for preterm babies
• Lyme disease treatment: 2009 IDSA guidelines upheld
• New tests from Quest Diagnostics

June 2010

• HIV infection: markers for diagnosis and monitoring therapy
• Campylobacter infections: new test now available
• TB in U.S.: cases hit all-time low!
• MRSA in France: 15-year program drastically reduces incidence
• Acupuncture: improved infection control needed
• Probiotics: and diarrhea
• Head lice: a pill may be available
• Soap and water: may be as good as alcohol hand sanitizers
• Healthcare workers: MRSA carriage
• Two antibiotics: a case where two may be better than one
• MRSA infections among trauma patients: washing daily with chlorhexidine
• A cephalosporin: effective against MRSA
• New tests from Quest Diagnostics

May 2010

• Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV): an overview
• Influenza immunization: new CDC recommendations
• Short” needles?: may short the patient on protection against Hepatitis B
• Plasma TVs: and hand hygiene
• Tuberculosis: treatment of latent cases
• Healthcare-acquired infectons: their toll on the economy
• Urinary tract infections: in long-term care facilities
• Pneumococcal vaccine: new vaccine for children recommended by CDC
• Bacterial conjunctivitis: when not to treat!
• Oral cancer: new test introduced
• Mosquitoes that can’t fly?: may be the answer to the control of malaria
• Hand hygiene: wash your hands or get fired!
• Blastocystis hominis infection

April 2010

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): an overview
• HIV testing: to be paid for by Medicare/Medicaid
• Influenza protection: do face masks and hand hygiene work?
• Rotavirus vaccine: how effective is the vaccine?
• Autism: and the MMR vaccine
• "Superspreaders": their role in spreading infections in hospitals
• Abscesses: caused by Staphylococcus aureus
• Adjuvants: may play a role in new vaccines
• UTIs: colony counts of greater than 100,000 may not work any more!
• Real-time PCR: what is it?
• Anthrax outbreak: in the U.S.?
• New Tests for Quest Diagnostics:
• Fungitell (1-3)-β-D-glucan assay
• Influenza A virus H1/H3 subtyping by real-time PCR

March 2010

• Adenoviruses: an overview
• Dengue fever: vaccine on the horizon
• Infections: and stroke
• Superbugs: pushed to new heights by disinfectants!
• Bacterial vaginosis: role of sex
• Adult immunizations: new guidelines published
• Influenza deaths: how do statins affect them?
• Licorice: might help fight burn infections
• Sharing a hospital room: could be dangerous to your health
• Clostridium difficile: risk in older persons
• Clostridium difficile: new treatment being researched
• Iguanas: diseases you can get from them
• Bed bugs: and diseases

February 2010

• Probiotics: an overview
• Focus Diagnostics: about the company
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: a primer for clinicians
• New antibiotics: needed badly
• On-line newsletter: published by the National Foundation on Infectious Diseases
• Biostatistics: excellent primer now available on line
• Chlorhexidine daily bath: may reduce infectious diseases
• New HIV recommendations: from the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Infectious diseases: in rural Nigeria
• Infection control in LTC: revised standards issued by Federal agency
• MRSA: screening patients
• Syphilis: using real-time PCR to screen for
• New tests from Quest Diagnostics

January 2010

• An overview of respiratory viruses: Part I Human Rhinoviruses
• Cronobacter: old bug, new name
• Federal government earmarks $17 million to fight healthcare-associated infections
• CDC publishes new recommendations for diagnosing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infections
• A possible link between viruses and obesity
• Staphylococcus aureus is able to escape the host immune response by producing adenosine
• A survey of Connecticut long-term care employees receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine
• Immunizing persons with vaccine allergies: is it a safe practice?
• Herpes zoster (shingles) infections and the risk of stroke
• No link between vaccination and health problems
• Rare strain of MRSA is much deadlier than normal!
• Naegleria infections

New tests from Quest Diagnostics

• Antimicrobial level, sulfamethoxazole, HPLC
• Brucella Antibody, agglutination

December 2009

• Pneumocystis infection: an overview
• A new antiviral for influenza may be available soon!
• New AHRQ planning guide for mass medical care when demand is greater than resources.
• Chlamydia screening underused
• Are multiple stool toxin assays of value when diagnosing Clostridium difficile infections?
• Did aspirin play a role in the mortality associated with the 1918 pandemic influenza outbreak?
• Good infection control highly effective in reducing transmission of respiratory viruses
• Acetaminophen and the immune response in children
• Antiviral drugs getting into the watersheds?
• Index to Volume 16 (2009)

November 2009

• Babesiosis: an overview
• Infectious disease: tracking and predicting by satellite
• MRSA screening: is screening by PCR worth it?
• Prostate cancer: possible link with Trichomonas vaginalis
• Helicobacter pylori vaccine: would the effort be worth it?
• Ventilator-associated pneunomina: effect of chlorhexidine and toothbrushing
• Aggressive prostate cancer: link with a virus
• Zoster vaccine: making it more effective in the elderly
• Cell phones: source of nosocomial pathogens
• Haemophilus aegyptius: what is it?
• Klyvera ascorbata: what is it?

New Tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Streptococcus pneumoniae AB (23 Serotypes) MAID

October 2009

• Facelift: for Infectious Disease Update
• Parvovirus B19 (Fifth disease): an overview
• Healthcare-associated infections: how many really occur annually?
• Iron deficiency: and bacterial infections
• Clostridium difficile infection (CDI): that's now the new name
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers: exposure time is important
• MRSA: bringing it home from the hospital
• Portable X-ray equipment: may cause spread of resistant microorganisms in the ICU
• Probiotics: may aid in colds and flu-like symptoms in children
• Cold sores: a step towards healing them
• Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): what does it mean?
• Scientific paper abstract: how to find it on the Internet
• New Tests from Quest Diagnostics: Antimicrobial level, Ethanbutol, HPLC
• Test change: microbiology transport containers

September 2009

• H1N1 swine influenza: Quest Diagnostics announces first commercial test
• Overview of tickborne diseases. Part II: anaplasmosis
• MRSA carriage: in long-term care residents and nursing staff
• Infection control: how has the economy affected it?
• Germ killers: that contain germs
• MRSA screening: nasal screening may not be enough
• Clostridium difficile: incidence may be rising
• Rheumatoid arthritis: link with oral bacteria
• Probiotics: value to patients receiving antibiotics
• Egg handling: FDA releases new regulations
• Haemophilus influenzae: is it related to influenza?

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Yersinia enterocolitica antibodies
• (IGG, IgA)
• Hepatitis B virus DNA, quantitative
• PCR with reflex to HBV genotype
• Acid-fast culture with sensitivities
• HIV-1 coreceptor tropism

June 2009

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever: An overview
• Another Salmonella outbreak!
• Chlorhexidine sponges in dressings reduces catheter-related infections
• The use of the QuantiFERON®–TB Gold test for following treatment of l latent TB
• A comparison of the QuantiFERON®–TB Gold test with the tuberculin skin test
• Cell phones as a source of nosocomial infections
• Is repeat testing for Clostridium difficile of value?
• Pandemic influenza planning and prevention gets a big boost!
• A "quadrivalent" flu vaccine being discussed
• Breaking through Clostridium difficile's suit of armor!
• Treatment of Clostridium difficile infections: We've been looking in the wrong place!
• Disinfection for Clostridium difficile
• New Tests from Quest Diagnostics
• HIV-1 RNA, Qualitative TMA
• Rubella Virus RNA, Qualitative
• Real-Time PCR

May 2009

• An overview of the genus Streptococcus
• MRSA infections - not all doom and gloom
• Corticosteroid inhalers and pneumonia
• Helping antibiotics do their job!
• Treating children with secretory otitis media
• Vitamin D plays important role in upper respiratory tract infections
• The quest for a better influenza vaccine
• DNA versus RNA viruses
• Hepatitis E virus

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Antimicrobial level, Pyrazinamide, HPLC
• Clostridium difficile DNA and toxin B gene, qualitative, real-time PCR
• Epstein-Barr virus, ISH with interpretation
• Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, IHC with interpretation
• HIV-1 RNA, quantitative real-time PCR, CSF

April 2009

• Human metapneumovirus infections – an overview
• MRSA among pigs and workers
• New class of antibiotics found
• Free antibiotics at the grocery store?
• Immunizing against measles. Does it work?
• The “Superbugs” – running out of options?
• Influenza and dry air in the winter
• Vaccines and autism – there is no evidence
• A new Streptococcus emerging?
• U.S. Government gets first shipment of new anthrax drug
• Do face masks stop respiratory tract infections?
• Several States may pass MRSA screening laws
• What is Sphingomonas?
• Re-testing of C. difficile-infected patients after treatment
• Shedding of Norovirus particles after infection

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• BK Virus, DNA, Qualitative Real- Time PCR, Urine
• BK Virus, DNA, Quantitative Real-Time PCR, Urine

March 2009

• Rat bite fever: an overview
• Water quality: in a Pakistani hospital
• Not ready for pandemic influenza: according to report from Homeland Security Committee of Congress
• Influenza immunization rates: among the elderly
• Influenza immunization rates: among employees of Connecticut long-term care facilities
• Pneumovax for smokers: now recommended by CDC
• Anti-influenza drugs: two new ones being studied
• Healthcare-associated pneumonias: more severe than community-acquired ones
• Healthcare-acquired infections: Federal government roles out plan to prevent them
• Human metapneumovirus: no longer just among children
• BK virus: and prostate cancer
• MRSA on stethoscopes: of emergency medical personnel
• Bocavirus: a new one found

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Human metapneumovirus, FDA
• Fungal identification, phenotypic and sequencing
• Fungal sequencing, ITS region

February 2009

• Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) — an overview
• Surgical scrubs outside surgery
• More alcohol hand sanitizer means less MRSA!
• Cutting the size of an influenza vaccine dose
• Promising vaccines for malaria
• A new class of antibiotics that "hugs" ribosomes
• The economic "down turn" leads to an "up turn" for infections
• An unusual sore throat
• How long does immunity towards smallpox last?
• Health and Human Services releases guideline for use and stockpiling of antiviral drugs for pandemic influenza
• The risks associated with personal hygiene products

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Coxiella burnetti DNA, qualitative real-time PCR
• Treponema pallidum DNA, qualitative real-time PCR

January 2009

• Dengue Fever: An overview
• CDC releases new guidelines for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities
• Screening for single pathogens in facilities may not be worth it!
• How does bleach kill bacteria?
• Clostridium difficile survey released
• An intranasal TB vaccine may be feasible
• Faster detection of enterococci leads to better treatment
• Bacteria on your hands: men versus women

• Quest Diagnostics study documents impact of Rotavirus immunization on incidence of disease
• Can the rotavirus vaccine be given with other infant vaccines?
• Salmonella in pet food
• CDC issues recommendations for managing chronic Hepatitis B infections
• KPC-producing microorganisms

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Chlamydia trachomatis and eisseria gonorrhoeae RNA by TMA in throat and rectal swabs

December 2008

• Sister Bernadette Washy, Quest Diagnostics employee, honored for service
• Malaria – An overview
• On the ground in Tanzania: protecting the population against malaria
• Community-acquired Clostridium difficile infections in absence of antibiotics
• Acinetobacter baumannii among war wounded
• Norovirus may be the most infectious virus ever studied
• How to reduce treating asymptomatic bacteriuria in long-term care
• MRSA is a major cause of vulvar abscesses
• CDC launches National MRSA Educational Initiative
• How long are noroviruses shed after infection?
• Can norovirus infections be fatal?
• Pneumococcal immunization may lower the risk of heart attack
• Screening for HPV infections in men

November 2008

• Unusual microorganisms, Part IV – Francisella tularensis
• Unusual microorganisms, Part IV – Tatumella ptyseos
• Measles rate reaches its highest in 12 years
• Federal government changes payment rules for hospital-acquired infections
• What is the burden of hospitalacquired infections?
• 90 Years after the 1918 Flu Pandemic!
• The use of corticosteroids in treating infectious diseases
• Clostridium difficile and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
• New alcohol-based hand sanitizer effective against norovirus

New tests from Quest Diagnostics:

• Chikungunya antibodies with reflexes to titer (includes IgG and IgM)
• Enterovirus/Parechovirus RNA, qualitative, Real-time PCR
• Mumps virus RNA, qualitative, Real-time PCR

October 2008

• Unusual microorganisms – Part III: Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis
• Unusual microorganisms – Part III: Pantoea agglomerans
• Name of "infection control practioners" is changed!
• Leprosy in Mississippi reported
• Heavy alcohol consumption and infections in the ICU
• Most nursing homes have no plan for pandemic influenza
• Are anaerobic blood cultures necessary?
• Cranberry juice really does prevent bacterial attachment to uroepithelial cells lining the bladder5
• The cost of post-operative infections
• HPV infections among men
• How well does the flu vaccine protect the elderly?
• "Priming" may improve response to avian influenza vaccine
• Janthinobacterium: what is it?
• Sapoviruses: what are they?

September 2008

• Patients and physicians to share diagnostic test results on-line with launch of Google Health
• Unusual Microorganisms Part II — Plesiomonas shigelloides
• Unusual Microorganisms Part II — Aeromonas hydrophila
• Invasive streptococcal infections in long-term care facilities
• Number of Clostridium difficile infections in hospitals doubles between 2000 and 2005
• Antipsychotic medications and pneumonia in the elderly
• China takes steps to combat Kaschin-Beck disease
• Honey used to eradicate microorganisms on the skin
• Pandemic influenza ("avian influenza") — out of mind but not out of existence!

June 2008

• Correction: article on shigellosis in May issue
• Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: an overview
• Staphylococcus lugdunensis: an overview
• Clostridium difficile deaths: in the U.K.
• Corynebacterium ulcerans: and human disease
• MRSA: value of screening for carriers
• MRSA: from cats?
• Staphylococcus aureus: why they are able to survive in the nares
• TB rate: U.S. rate the lowest ever!
• Reducing hospital infections: Congressional report critical of country's efforts
• Urinary tract infections: fighting with E. coli
• Chaga's disease: what is it?
• Horses: diseases from
• New lab tests: available from Quest Diagnostics

May 2008

• Genus Shigella: an overview
• Influenza immunization in long-term care facilities: Connecticut 2007-2008
• MRSA strains from animals: increased in the Netherlands
• Daptomycin versus vancomycin: for treating MRSA infections
• TB: untreated latent cases in the U.S.
• Multidrug-resistant TB: reaches new world high
• Pneumococcal vaccine: use greatly reduces disease in children
• New infectious diseases: where do they come from?
• New flu vaccine: for the elderly
• Malaria: it can be beaten!

April 2008