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Infectious Disease

News, opinions and meeting coverage in infectious disease.

Shingles Vaccine OK in Mild Lupus

NEW YORK -- Vaccination against shingles may be safe for patients with mild, stable systemic lupus erythematosus, a researcher said here.

What You Need To Know About New .health Domains

Should doctors grab a shiny new .health domain?

HIV Case Linked to Lesbian Sex

In an uncommon occurrence, a Texas woman appears to have acquired HIV through sex with another woman, the CDC reported.

Can Antibiotics Trigger Arrhythmias?

Azithromycin and levofloxacin were both associated with elevated risks of death and serious cardiac arrhythmias during standard lengths of prescription, a study of mostly male military veterans showed.

A Cure for Chlamydia Arthritis?

Increased understanding of the biology and survival tactics of Chlamydia trachomatis is suggesting that the post-infectious chronic arthritis experienced by many patients may actually be curable.

Treating HCV -- Is the Price Right?

New drugs on the horizon hold out the promise of being able to cure up to 90% of people with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). They are also promising to be expensive.

ER Briefs: DIY Laptop to AED Kit -- Good Idea?

Inventors aim to resurrect laptops and tablets as AEDs. We asked Clifton Callaway, MD, PhD, an emergency medicine doctor who heads up EM research at the University of Pittsburgh, to weigh in.

Can You Get Paid For Prescribing Exercise?

How do doctors get reimbursed when they prescribe exercise? We asked Jordan Metzl, MD, author of the new book, "Exercise Cure."

Bodybuilders Bulk Up Using ... Cancer Drugs?

While steroids are all-stars among performance-enhancing drugs, breast cancer drugs are a lesser-known staple of doping regimens, as are some investigational agents that aren't available on any regulated market.

New Herpes Drug Blocks Viral Shedding

An investigational drug with a novel mechanism of action reduced the rate of viral shedding in patients with genital herpes simplex-2 (HSV-2) infection, researchers reported.

Testosterone Level Affects Flu Shot Response

Men with high testosterone and a certain genetic cluster may not experience an antibody response after a flu shot, researchers suggested -- a finding that could affect men taking prescription testosterone.

Jakafi Requires Careful Dosing Early: Experts

NEW YORK -- The JAK inhibitor can make a big difference for myelofibrosis patients, but must be monitored.

Common Allergy Myths Debunked

BALTIMORE -- Egg allergy is no issue for flu vaccination, allergen avoidance isn't a cure for eczema, and testing tots doesn't make skin prick testing any less accurate, according to allergists taking aim at common misconceptions.

Rape Laws Offer Little Protection

BOSTON -- The world over, laws to protect rape victims are paper tigers, often enacted but rarely enforced, a researcher said here.

Studies 'Validate' CDC HCV Testing Advice

WASINGTON -- Thousands of people in the U.S. -- including an estimated 50,000 veterans -- are infected with the hepatitis C virus, and don't know it, researchers reported here.

Babies Do OK if Mom on Tenofovir for Hepatitis B

WASHINGTON -- Pregnant women being treated for hepatitis B virus infections with the nucleotide inhibitor tenofovir (Viread) appeared to avoid transmission of the pathogen to their unborn children, researchers reported here.

Few Lupus, IBD Patients Getting HPV Vaccine

SAN DIEGO -- Despite being at greater risk of infection, few children and young adults with autoimmune diseases are being vaccinated against human papillomavirus, according to a study.

Delayed Measles Vax May Be More Effective

A first measles vaccine given at 12 or 13 months of age is less likely to provide lasting protection than a shot at 15 months or later, researchers reported.

MERS Knowledge Gaps Troubling to Many

SAN FRANCISCO -- Although much is known about the Middle East coronavirus (MERS-CoV), "unfortunately some issues are still unresolved," according to the man in charge of battling the outbreak.

'Nose Knows' Devices Not Ready for Clinic

BARCELONA -- Within a decade, doctors may be able to diagnose cancer, asthma, and tuberculosis simply by having an electronic nose analyze a person's breath, researchers reported here.

N.H. Hospital May Have Exposed Patients to CJD

Health officials in New Hampshire said eight neurosurgery patients at one hospital in the state may have been unwittingly exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

FDA Beefs Up Fluoroquinolone Warning

The risk of nerve damage that fluoroquinolone antibiotics carry may come on rapidly and perhaps be permanent, the FDA warned Thursday.

Lab Notes: Meth May Worsen Fungal Infection

Mice injected with methamphetamine and exposed to Cryptococcus fungi showed more extensive and hard-to-eradicate infections. Also this week: an organic pesticide fights parasitic worms.

FDA Warns of Fatal Skin Reactions with Acetaminophen

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Acetaminophen is associated with rare but severe and sometimes fatal skin reactions at usual doses, the FDA said Thursday.

FDA Adds Black Box Warning to Malaria Drug

The FDA has added a boxed warning to the labeling of the antimalarial drug mefloquine, advising of the possibility of neurologic and psychiatric adverse events, the agency announced.

Itching: No Big Deal in Most Cases But ...

Summer usually brings with it plenty of causes for itching, most of which are annoying but not indicative of serious health problems.

Honey, Cola May Disrupt Heart

A detailed history of patients with arrhythmia or syncope might need to include their cola intake or the origin of the honey they consume, two case studies suggest.

A Little Estrogen Goes a Long Way in Preventing UTI

Short-term estrogen therapy induced cellular changes in urothelium consistent with improved ability to fight off urinary tract infection, results from clinical and preclinical studies suggested.

CDC: Cut Back on Doxycycline Use

A continuing shortage of doxycycline means the drug should be used only for conditions that have no alternative treatments, the CDC advised this week.

C. Diff Dangerous in ESRD

ORLANDO -- Kidney dialysis patients who are infected with Clostridium difficile have a greater risk of infection relapse and also have a higher all-cause mortality that patients who do not have kidney disease, researchers said here.

Model Predicts MRSA in Septic Arthritis

CHICAGO -- A model that included easily obtainable values early in treatment successfully ruled out most cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in children with septic arthritis, researchers found.

'Latex-Free' Claims Not Valid, FDA Says

The claim "latex-free鈥� is impossible to guarantee and should not be used on labeling of medical products, according to a new FDA guidance.

PML Not Fatal if Caught Early

SAN DIEGO - All multiple sclerosis patients taking natalizumab (Tysabri) who were diagnosed with a serious condition called PML before symptoms appeared were still alive a year later, researchers said.

Contraception: Condoms Are King, Plan B Takes Hold

In the realm of contraception, the condom reigns supreme, but one in 10 have used emergency contraception such as Plan B, according to two reports on the contraceptive methods used by women of reproductive age in the U.S.

Is Pot Smoking a Stroke Trigger?

HONOLULU -- Middle age stroke patients were twice as likely to be pot smokers than healthy middle age controls, researchers found.

Infection High in Myeloma, with High Mortality

ATLANTA -- More than a fifth of patients with multiple myeloma died of infection within a year of diagnosis, Swedish investigators reported here.

No Need for Skin Preps to Be Sterile, FDA Told

WASHINGTON -- Requiring that antiseptic skin preparation products be sterile is unnecessary and wouldn't lead to a dramatic drop in infections, speakers told the FDA Wednesday.

C. Difficile Inpatient Stays Long, Costly

LAS VEGAS -- Among the many factors that contribute to the burgeoning costs associated with Clostridium difficile infections are long hospital stays, particularly in intensive care units, and the need for multiple specialist consultations, a chart review determined.

FDA to Look at Tainted Skin Preps

Antiseptic skin preparation products can be contaminated by microbes, a problem the FDA will address at an upcoming public hearing.

Lupus Patients Tend to Skip Pap Tests

WASHINGTON -- Women with systemic lupus erythematosus do not appear undergo timely cervical cancer screening despite being at an increased risk for cervical dysplasia and HPV infection, researchers said here.

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