New Rapid, Low-Cost Test for Zika Virus Surveillance
A new rapid, low-cost test may enable on-site detection of Zika virus in mosquitoes and human blood and semen, allowing for more efficient disease surveillance and diagnosis.
A new rapid, low-cost test may enable on-site detection of Zika virus in mosquitoes and human blood and semen, allowing for more efficient disease surveillance and diagnosis.
Women with a high hepatitis B viral load who receive tenofovir during pregnancy have a significantly reduced risk for passing on the virus to their child, without an increase in the risk of adverse events.
Patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis are at higher risk for infective endocarditis than the general population and are also likely to have poorer outcomes, such as stroke and death.
Pitavastatin reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to a greater extent than pravastatin with a similar safety profile in patients with HIV and dyslipidemia.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and Staphylococcus aureus infection have more complications and a higher mortality rate than those without rheumatoid arthritis.
Patients with chronic HCV infection who have achieved a sustained virologic response with treatment are considered cured, but they may still be at risk for complications such as hepatocellular carcinoma. The American Gastroenterological Association Institute addresses these issues in its clinical practice update on managing patients cured of HCV infection.
Statin use decreased rates of decompensation in patients with liver cirrhosis due to HBV and HCV infections and, to a lesser extent, in patients with alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Mortality rates were also reduced in statin users with HBV-related cirrhosis.
Investigations in vitro and in mouse models showed that pentamidine, an antifungal and antiprotozoal agent, rendered Gram-negative pathogens susceptible to conventional antibiotics, even in the setting of colistin resistance.
HCV infection is associated with an increased risk for cataract formation, possibly due to HCV-related oxidative stress. Some treatment regimens, such as interferon/ribavirin combination therapy, also increase the risk for cataracts.
Long-term treatment with tenofovir for hepatitis B virus infection is associated with hypophosphatemia and elevated serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 23, a hormone that induces renal phosphate excretion.