News Scan for Sep 21, 2016

News brief
Topics
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Measles
MERS-CoV
Pneumonia

Saudi Arabia reports new MERS case linked to camels

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) reported one new MERS case today. Like other recent cases, this patient had direct contact with camels.

The MOH said a 78-year-old Saudi person from Sakaka was infected with MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The agency did not specify the patient's sex, which is unusual. He or she is listed in stable condition.

The patient had direct contact with camels, a known risk factor for contracting MERS-CoV. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said people at risk for MERS (diabetics, those with compromised immune systems, and the elderly) should avoid contact with camels and to refrain from eating camel meat or drinking camel milk.

Saudi Arabia's MERS case count since 2012 has now reached 1,454, including 610 deaths. Four patients are still being treated, according to the MOH.
Sep 21 MOH report

 

Study finds more evidence of effectiveness, herd protection for HPV vaccine

A study that tracked the impact of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine before and after introduction added more evidence that it provides herd immunity in unvaccinated women and dramatically cuts prevalence of the virus in their vaccinated counterparts. A research team based at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center published its findings yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The team recruited 1,180 girls and women from three sites in Cincinnati that provide primary care to adolescents and young adults. They looked at three groups of sexually experienced women ages 13 to 26 years old at three different time points: before the vaccine was introduced from 2006 to 2007, 3 years after introduction, and 7 years after introduction. Over those years, the vaccine rate increased to 71.3%.

Results from cervicovaginal swabs showed that the prevalence of the HPV types included in the quadrivalent vaccine decreased 91% in vaccinated women and 32% in unvaccinated women, which investigators said seems to confirm an earlier study that suggested herd protection.

Jessica Kahn, MD, lead author of the study who is at Cincinnati Children's, said in a press release from the facility, "Our study demonstrates high vaccine effectiveness in a community setting, even among sexually experienced young women who may already have been exposed to HPV." She added that it will be important to gauge the effectiveness over a longer period to see if the vaccine offers sustained protection and if HPV vaccination reduces HPV-related cancers.
Sep 20 Clin Infect Dis abstract
Sep 21 Cincinnati Children's press release

 

Hong Kong achieves measles-free status

The WHO's Western Pacific region released a statement today declaring that Hong Kong is no longer measles endemic. Hong Kong now joins Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Macao, and South Korea as the areas in the Western Pacific that are measles free, according to the WHO.

The Western Pacific Region has had sporadic bursts of measles cases in the last few years; 2012 was the lowest reported number of cases for the region, but there were some outbreaks the following years. Declaring Hong Kong, a city of 7 million, measles-free is considered a victory.

"Worldwide, measles is a major cause of death for children under the age of five, killing 315 people each day," said Shin Young-soo, MD, DrPH, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said in a press release. "Measles elimination in Hong Kong underscores the strength and importance of routine immunization programmes as well as close monitoring of disease using a robust surveillance system."

According to the WHO, measles-related deaths have dropped 79%, from 546,800 in 2000 to 114,900 in 2014.
Sep 21 WHO press release

 

MSF welcomes decision to lower vaccine price

Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) today applauded GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK's) recent decision to lower the price of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), a move the organization has suggested for 7 years. The cost of the vaccine for humanitarian organizations will now be $9.00 per child, or $3.05 per dose.

MSF said lowering the cost of the PCV could encourage more low-income countries to include it in their childhood vaccine rosters, according to the organization's Web site. The organization also said GSK's decision might trigger Pfizer to lower its price, too. GSK and Pfizer are the only two companies that produce a pneumococcus vaccine for children.

"GSK has taken a critical step forward for children in emergencies," said Joanne Liu, MD, MSF's international president, said in an online statement. "With this price reduction, our teams will finally be able to expand their efforts to protect children against this deadly disease. GSK should now redouble efforts to reduce the price of the vaccine for the many developing countries that still can't afford to protect their children against pneumonia."

Pneumonia is the number one killer of kids worldwide, taking almost 1 million lives annually. Earlier this year MSF used the Pfizer vaccine to vaccinate refugee children in Greece at $68.01 per dose.
Sep 21 MSF news release
Sep 21 MSF statement

Antimicrobial Resistance Scan for Sep 21, 2016

News brief
Topics
Antimicrobial Stewardship
MRSA

HHS invests up to $287 million for possible drug-resistance solutions

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced today it has invested more than $67 million into partnerships with two drug companies to develop innovative antibiotics and diagnostics to help combat the growing threat of  multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, with options that could bring the investment to about $284 million.

The agreement, which will be managed by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), involves The Medicines Company, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., and Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc., part of the Roche Group, based in Basel, Switzerland, HHS said in a news release.

The partnership with The Medicines Company will continue to advance the development of multiple antibiotics, including Carbavance, a drug being developed to treat hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Under a 2014 ASPR contract, Rempex, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Medicines Company, began evaluating Carbavance as a possible treatment for serious gram-negative infections, such as complicated urinary tract infections and infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

The partnership with Roche will include continued development of diagnostic tests to detect specific viral and bacterial infections, which could help avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. The investment will also go toward an investigational antibiotic being developed to treat a variety of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria in combination with another antibiotic. In addition, Roche will continue to review promising products that are in early research stages that could be added to the contract.

BARDA will provide more than $32 million over 4 years and potentially more than $132 million over 5 years to The Medicines Company and more than $35 million over 2 years and potentially more than $151.6 million over 5 years to Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc.

"The partnerships are the third and fourth ASPR has formed under other transaction authority," HHS said in the release. "All of the partnerships focus on developing new products to address the rising threat of antibiotic resistant infections."
Sep 21 HHS news release

 

Novel MRSA strain likely linked to poultry meat

A study today in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that 10 human cases of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) were probably linked to eating contaminated poultry.

Though MRSA has previously been found in livestock, most people don't contract the "superbug" from foods. This study used genetic analysis to show how 10 cases of MRSA between 2009 and 2015 likely originated in turkey and chicken distributed throughout Europe. The genotype, LA-MRSA CC9/CC398, had never been found in Danish livestock, and the patients had no livestock exposure.

The study demonstrates both poultry and human adaptation of MRSA, which is resistant to most antibiotics. The authors wrote, "Isolates from the epidemiologically linked urban cases were nearly identical to each other, suggesting either transmission between these persons or acquisition from a common source, for example, a contaminated food product."

The authors recommend heightened surveillance for S aureus in consumer food products.
Sep 21 Clin Infect Dis study

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    The cats started showing symptoms a day after clinical disease was noted in the cows, and about half of the cats died.

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  2. Common diabetes drug lowers SARS-CoV-2 levels, clinical trial finds

    The mean SARS-CoV-2 viral load was reduced 3.6-fold with metformin.

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  3. WHO COVID vaccine advisers recommend switch to JN.1 strain

    The FDA's vaccine advisory group will discuss the make-up of 2024-25 vaccines at its meeting on May 16. 

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  4. USDA to test ground beef for traces of H5N1 avian flu virus as more poultry outbreaks reported

    Dairy cows make up about 7% of US beef production.

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  5. High-risk patients with COVID symptoms should use PCR rather than rapid tests, study suggests

    The sensitivity of RATs was 47%, compared with RT-PCR and 80% versus viral culture.

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  6. COVID booster linked to 25% lower odds of long COVID

    People who received the COVID-19 booster vaccine had 25% lower odds of having long COVID than their unvaccinated counterparts.

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  7. USDA genome study sheds light on H5N1 avian flu spillover to cows, but data gaps remain

    In other developments, the USDA said ground beef samples were negative for the virus and Michigan and Colorado announced emergency measures.

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  8. Case report bolsters evidence for H5N1 avian flu spread from cow to Texas dairy worker

    The patient worked at a farm where the illness was suspected in cows and in a region where H5N1 was confirmed in other dairy herds.

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  9. FDA finds no live H5N1 avian flu virus in sour cream or cottage cheese, will assess raw milk

    The FDA will test pooled raw milk to give the agency a better picture of the viral load before pasteurization.

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  10. Global survey shows COVID booster uptake in question

    Willingness to get a booster dose of vaccine dropped most notably in high-income countries.

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