Antimicrobial Resistance News and Research

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National monitoring essential for preventing emergence of malaria drug resistance

WHO is calling on countries to be increasingly vigilant in monitoring antimalarial drug efficacy in order to allow for early detection of artemisinin resistance.1 This is one among several conclusions of the Global report on antimalarial drug efficacy and drug resistance: 2000-2010, released today. The report is based on 1100 studies conducted by national malaria control programs and research institutes over the ten-year period.

19 Nov 2010

Otoscopic exams critical for accurate diagnosis of ear infections in children

Among the findings of an analysis of previous studies regarding ear infections in children are that results from otoscopic exams (an instrument for examining the interior of the ear) are critical to accurate diagnosis and antibiotics are modestly more effective than no treatment, with most antibiotics demonstrating similar rates of clinical success among children at normal risk, according to an article in the November 17 issue of JAMA.

17 Nov 2010

New disease map resource can reduce MRSA infection in hospitalized patients

Gary A. Puckrein, Ph.D., CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum, and Gary Doern, Ph.D., nationally recognized infectious disease expert, will host the launch of the national MRSA Atlas by way of a webinar.

25 Oct 2010

NIAID announces four new contracts for clinical trials to address problem of antimicrobial resistance

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced four new contracts for large-scale clinical trials that address the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

20 Oct 2010

WHO regional meeting in South-East Asia addresses antimicrobial resistance, developing country access to medical devices

During the WHO's 63rd Regional Committee Session for South-East Asia in Bangkok on Wednesday the WHO called for enhanced "efforts at the national and international level to preserve the efficacy of antimicrobial agents through the rational use of antibiotics," Indian Express reports (Thacker, 9/9).

10 Sep 2010

Concerted action on antibiotic resistance discussed at Uppsala meeting

For 70 years the world has mismanaged the common good of antibiotics. The result is a growing global burden of antibiotic resistance, threatening to take health care back to an era where ordinary infections might once again become fatal.

9 Sep 2010

New antibacterial peptide effective against infections in burn or blast wounds

An antibacterial peptide developed by Laszlo Otvos, a research professor of biology in Temple's College of Science and Technology, looks to be a highly-effective therapy against infections in burn or blast wounds suffered by soldiers.

2 Sep 2010

WHO calls on countries to prevent, control spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria

Amid the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the WHO on Friday urged countries to take greater action to limit the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, CIDRAP News reports. "Calling such pathogens 'a growing and global public health problem,' the WHO said, 'Countries should be prepared to implement hospital infection control measures to limit the spread of multi-drug resistant strains and to reinforce national policy on prudent use of antibiotics, reducing the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria,'" according to the news service (Roos, 8/20).

24 Aug 2010

WHO calls upon countries to be alert to antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - the ability of micro-organisms to find ways to evade the action of the drugs used to cure the infections they cause - is increasingly recognised as a global public health issue which could hamper the control of many infectious diseases. Some bacteria have developed mechanisms which render them resistant to many of the antibiotics normally used for their treatment (multi-drug resistant bacteria), so pose particular difficulties, as there may be few or no alternative options for therapy.

21 Aug 2010

Study suggests reimbursements can address inappropriate antibiotic usage

Antibiotic use appears to have increased among older adults whose prescription drug coverage improved as a result of enrolling in Medicare Part D, with the largest increases for broad-spectrum, newer and more expensive drugs, according to a report in the August 9/23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Aug 2010

Study finds ST131 a major cause of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections

The new strain, ST131, was a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States in 2007, researchers found. This strain has been reported in multiple countries and encountered all over the United States. In the study, researchers analyzed resistant E. coli isolates collected during 2007 from hospitalized patients across the country. They identified 54 ST131 isolates, which accounted for 67 percent to 69 percent of E. coli isolates exhibiting fluoroquinolone or extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance.

31 Jul 2010

Smoking cessation effectively alter subgingival microbiome in patients on periodontal therapy: Study

Patients with chronic gum disease who quit smoking in addition to undergoing nonsurgical therapy not only demonstrated a lower abundance of harmful oral pathogens, but also an increase in health-associated bacteria. The researchers from The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, and Newcastle University, United Kingdom report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

22 Jul 2010

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today commended federal food safety agencies for their accomplishments supporting the charge of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group, which advises the President on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system for the 21st century.

12 Jul 2010

Draft Guidance on judicious use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued draft guidance intended to help reduce the development of resistance to medically important antimicrobial drugs used in food-producing animals.

2 Jul 2010

Daily use of probiotics reduces VAP in critically ill patients: New research

Daily use of probiotics reduced ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients by almost half, according to new research from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska.

17 Jun 2010

2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases at Atlanta, Georgia

Journalists are invited to attend and cover the 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID), to be held July 11-14, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting is being organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Society for Microbiology, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the World Health Organization.

10 Jun 2010

Antibiotics have significant resistance effects on individual patients in primary care

Antibiotics prescribed in primary care make a considerable contribution to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, both in individual patients and the population as a whole, according to research from the University of Bristol published in this week’s BMJ.

18 May 2010

Treatment with MP-376 reduces P. aeruginosa in CF patients: Research

A new possible treatment to treat P. aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients appears to be promising, according to research to be presented at the ATS 2010 International Conference in New Orleans.

17 May 2010

Gonorrhea may soon become untreatable according to WHO

According to the World Health organization (WHO), gonorrhea may soon become untreatable and urgent measures need to be taken to prevent and treat the sexually transmitted infection. This is the result of improper use of first line antibiotics which has led to widespread anti microbial resistance to drugs. The cheaper antibiotics no longer have as much effect as they should and the higher antibiotics will soon lose efficacy as well.

30 Apr 2010

New ways to halt the rise of antimicrobial-resistant infections

Preventing, controlling and treating drug-resistant infections is one of the major challenges in modern medicine. Antimicrobial Resistance goes beyond simple definitions and microbiological data to fully explore this rapidly changing area, describing evidence for effective interventions, costs, treatment strategies and directions for future research.

27 Mar 2010