Tweet
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-persp...an-jul-26-2016
News Scan for Jul 26, 2016
E coli flour recall; Safety labels for fluoroquinolones; Antibiotic overuse for asthma; Ebola vaccine in monkeys
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship; E coli; Foodborne Disease; Ebola; VHF
Flour recall expanded after 4 more E coli cases reported
General Mills expanded its recall of flour products yesterday after four more people in two states became sick with Escherichia coli infections.
To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that 46 people in 21 states have gotten sick with E coli strains in outbreak linked to General Mills products. The CDC also said one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure linked to E coli. The outbreak has resulted in 13 hospitalizations.
According to the CDC, infections have been reported from Dec 21, 2015, to Jun 25, with Minnesota reporting five cases, the most in any one state. General Mills said the illnesses occurred after people ate raw dough or batter, and the CDC warned consumers to not eat or bake with the recalled products.
Jul 25 General Mills statement
Jul 25 CDC update
Candidate Ebola vaccine protects monkeys
A new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases showed that FILORAB1, an inactivated rabies virus?based Ebola vaccine, was both safe and effective in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys, and an updated vaccine that included glucopyranosyl lipid A as an immune-boosting adjuvant was 100% effective against lethal Ebola infection.
FILORAB1 was previously successful in preventing Ebola virus in mice, and the new data on monkeys is promising for potential human use.
"FILORAB1 builds on the excellent safety record of the current inactivated RABV vaccine approved for human use, which has been administered to tens of millions of people, including pregnant women and children, and addresses several shortcomings of the virally vectored EBOV vaccines currently in development by offering an improved safety profile, bivalency for a more common pathogen, and possibly improved stability for long-term storage," the authors wrote.
The Ebola outbreak that originated in West Africa in 2013 was the largest outbreak to date, with more than 28,000 cases. Ebola is very deadly, with a case-fatality rate of 53%. Since 2013, a number of Ebola vaccines have been in various stages of development.
Jul 24 J Infect Dis study
FDA updates safety warnings for fluoroquinolones
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated safety warnings for fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
The updated safety labels will now contain information about the risk of disabling and potentially permanent side effects associated with oral and injectable fluoroquinolones. Those side effects, which can occur in combinations hours to weeks after exposure to the antibiotics, involve tendons, joints, muscles, nerves, and the central nervous system.
In addition, the agency said that because of these side effects, the labels will say that fluoroquinolones should not be used to treat patients with acute bacterial sinusitis, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, or uncomplicated urinary tract infections?unless patients with those conditions have no alternative treatment options. But fluoroquinolones are still considered a therapeutic option for more serious bacterial infections such as anthrax and plague.
The updated warning comes after an FDA safety review concluded that the risk of disabling and potentially permanent side effects associated with the antibiotics outweighed the benefits for patients with other treatment options. The agency had advised about those side effects in May but did not specify warning labels at that point.
The drugs receiving updated warnings include levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ciprofloxacin extended-release tablets, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, and gemifloxacin.
Jun 24 FDA press release
May 12 CIDRAP News story on FDA safety warning
Nearly 60% of hospitalized patients given antibiotics for asthma
Findings from a large retrospective study indicate that a significant percentage of patients hospitalized for asthma are receiving inappropriate treatment with antibiotics.
In a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine, US researchers reported that, out of 51,951 patients hospitalized with asthma in 2013 and 2014, 58.2% were treated with antibiotics at some point during their stay, despite the lack of any indication for antibiotic therapy. Roughly 40% were prescribed antibiotics on their first day. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were macrolides, quinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, and tetracyclines.
The authors said the high rate of antibiotic treatment could be attributed to the difficulty of differentiating between bacterial and non-bacterial infections and distinguishing asthma from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But they also suggested that "gaps in knowledge" about the benefits of antibiotic therapy for asthma may play a role. The authors noted that current guidelines recommend against using antibiotics for exacerbations of asthma unless there is a concurrent infection.
"These findings suggest a significant opportunity to improve patient safety, reduce the spread of resistance, and lower spending through greater adherence to guideline recommendations," the authors said in the letter.
Jul 25 JAMA Intern Med research letter
News Scan for Jul 26, 2016
E coli flour recall; Safety labels for fluoroquinolones; Antibiotic overuse for asthma; Ebola vaccine in monkeys
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship; E coli; Foodborne Disease; Ebola; VHF
Flour recall expanded after 4 more E coli cases reported
General Mills expanded its recall of flour products yesterday after four more people in two states became sick with Escherichia coli infections.
To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that 46 people in 21 states have gotten sick with E coli strains in outbreak linked to General Mills products. The CDC also said one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure linked to E coli. The outbreak has resulted in 13 hospitalizations.
According to the CDC, infections have been reported from Dec 21, 2015, to Jun 25, with Minnesota reporting five cases, the most in any one state. General Mills said the illnesses occurred after people ate raw dough or batter, and the CDC warned consumers to not eat or bake with the recalled products.
Jul 25 General Mills statement
Jul 25 CDC update
Candidate Ebola vaccine protects monkeys
A new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases showed that FILORAB1, an inactivated rabies virus?based Ebola vaccine, was both safe and effective in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys, and an updated vaccine that included glucopyranosyl lipid A as an immune-boosting adjuvant was 100% effective against lethal Ebola infection.
FILORAB1 was previously successful in preventing Ebola virus in mice, and the new data on monkeys is promising for potential human use.
"FILORAB1 builds on the excellent safety record of the current inactivated RABV vaccine approved for human use, which has been administered to tens of millions of people, including pregnant women and children, and addresses several shortcomings of the virally vectored EBOV vaccines currently in development by offering an improved safety profile, bivalency for a more common pathogen, and possibly improved stability for long-term storage," the authors wrote.
The Ebola outbreak that originated in West Africa in 2013 was the largest outbreak to date, with more than 28,000 cases. Ebola is very deadly, with a case-fatality rate of 53%. Since 2013, a number of Ebola vaccines have been in various stages of development.
Jul 24 J Infect Dis study
FDA updates safety warnings for fluoroquinolones
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated safety warnings for fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
The updated safety labels will now contain information about the risk of disabling and potentially permanent side effects associated with oral and injectable fluoroquinolones. Those side effects, which can occur in combinations hours to weeks after exposure to the antibiotics, involve tendons, joints, muscles, nerves, and the central nervous system.
In addition, the agency said that because of these side effects, the labels will say that fluoroquinolones should not be used to treat patients with acute bacterial sinusitis, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, or uncomplicated urinary tract infections?unless patients with those conditions have no alternative treatment options. But fluoroquinolones are still considered a therapeutic option for more serious bacterial infections such as anthrax and plague.
The updated warning comes after an FDA safety review concluded that the risk of disabling and potentially permanent side effects associated with the antibiotics outweighed the benefits for patients with other treatment options. The agency had advised about those side effects in May but did not specify warning labels at that point.
The drugs receiving updated warnings include levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ciprofloxacin extended-release tablets, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, and gemifloxacin.
Jun 24 FDA press release
May 12 CIDRAP News story on FDA safety warning
Nearly 60% of hospitalized patients given antibiotics for asthma
Findings from a large retrospective study indicate that a significant percentage of patients hospitalized for asthma are receiving inappropriate treatment with antibiotics.
In a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine, US researchers reported that, out of 51,951 patients hospitalized with asthma in 2013 and 2014, 58.2% were treated with antibiotics at some point during their stay, despite the lack of any indication for antibiotic therapy. Roughly 40% were prescribed antibiotics on their first day. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were macrolides, quinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, and tetracyclines.
The authors said the high rate of antibiotic treatment could be attributed to the difficulty of differentiating between bacterial and non-bacterial infections and distinguishing asthma from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But they also suggested that "gaps in knowledge" about the benefits of antibiotic therapy for asthma may play a role. The authors noted that current guidelines recommend against using antibiotics for exacerbations of asthma unless there is a concurrent infection.
"These findings suggest a significant opportunity to improve patient safety, reduce the spread of resistance, and lower spending through greater adherence to guideline recommendations," the authors said in the letter.
Jul 25 JAMA Intern Med research letter