Most US burger chains fail on antibiotic use policies. US livestock production, particularly beef, uses over 70 percent of medically important antibiotics. In the absence of government policies regarding antibiotic use, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has released a report grading the 25 top-selling burger chains on their antibiotic use policies. Shake Shack and BurgerFi received “A” grades for sourcing antibiotic-free beef while the other 23 chains received “D-” or “F” grades for having weak or no policies regarding antibiotic use. The NRDC recommends the US Government enforce policies that restrict the use of antibiotics in livestock for the treatment of verified illnesses under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. [CNN, NRDC]

Molecular diagnostics improve determination of causes of childhood diarrhea. Determining the cause of diarrheal disease episodes remains a global challenge and often results in inappropriate antibiotic treatment as healthcare workers do not have the tools to identify the pathogenic cause of diarrhea. Using quantitative molecular diagnostics, researchers were able to ascertain the responsible pathogen for 64.9 percent of diarrheal episodes compared to 32.8 percent using traditional microbiology methods. Molecular diagnostic analysis of diarrheal samples from more than 1,700 children from eight countries in south Asia, Africa, and South America revealed that viruses accounted for 36.4 percent of overall diarrheal incidence while bacteria and parasites accounted for 25 and 3.5 percent, respectively. Shigella was the most common causative pathogen followed by sapovirus and rotavirus. Half of the patients in the study underwent antibiotic treatment, of which 91.7 percent was inappropriate. [The Lancet]

First deadly outbreak of multi-drug resistant Salmonella Typhi in Pakistan. An outbreak of Salmonella Typhi that is resistant to three first-line antibiotics –ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and co-trimoxazole – is ongoing in several cities in Pakistan and has resulted in several deaths among Pakistani patients. Three cases in the US and the UK have also been reported among travelers returning from Pakistan, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends travelers to South Asia be vaccinated against typhoid fever and practice safe food, water, and hand hygiene. Fortunately, the World Health Organization recently prequalified a new typhoid vaccine and expanded immunization recommendations to include children six months or older. Other large-scale typhoid vaccine development projects are also underway. [CDC, Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, NEJM]

Six cases of measles in New York. Six children in the Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn were diagnosed with measles, the health department reported. The initial case was acquired during travel to Israel. The children ranged in age from 11 months to 4 years; five of the six were unvaccinated prior to exposure. Seven additional cases of measles were confirmed in New York outside of the city; the majority also acquired the infectious disease during travel to Israel where a large measles outbreak is ongoing.  [NYC Health, The New York Times]

Estimating the cost of vaccine development against epidemic-prone diseases. Researchers with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations estimated the costs of pushing 224 vaccine candidates through the development pipeline to address 11 epidemic-prone infectious diseases, including Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, Ebola, Zika, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Assuming no risk of failure, the cost to advance a single vaccine from preclinical to phase 2 clinical trials ranged from $31 to 68 million and increased to $84 to 112 million after accounting for the probability of success. The total cost to advance one vaccine for each of the 11 epidemic-prone diseases would cost an estimated $2.8 to 3.7 billion. [The Lancet]

Strong evidence supporting the relationship between herpes and Alzheimer’s disease. Several recently published studies support the concept that cumulative damage from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) activity in the brain causes beta-amyloid and abnormal tau protein accumulation, two characteristics strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease. While this concept dates back to the early 1990’s, new research provides strong evidence that beta-amyloid is deposited as part of the immune response to HSV1 infections and that those with active HSV1 infections are more than two times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. [Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Aging, The American Journal of Medical Sciences, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, The Conversation]

Promising new alternative for treating MRSA. Biaryl hydroxyketone small molecules F12 and F19 may be a non-antibiotic alternative to treating gram-positive pathogens such as multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Case Western University report. These small-molecules work by interrupting transcription of the agr operon thereby preventing the production of disease-causing toxins. This approach renders toxin-producing pathogens harmless but does not kill them, removing the survival pressure that drives antibiotic resistance. In animal studies, the small-molecules showed promise as a monotherapy and when used in combination with antibiotics including cephalothin and vancomycin. [Nature Scientific Reports]

New Lancet series outlines current bioterrorism threat and global preparedness. In the past two decades, great progress has been made in preparing for and preventing bioterrorism attacks. However, as demonstrated by recent naturally occurring outbreaks such as the West Africa Ebola virus epidemic, more work is needed to strengthen prevention and response measures to infectious disease threats, researchers report. Key recommendations for strengthening global preparedness and response to bioterrorism include improving international collaboration, keeping health care providers informed of the symptoms of possible agents of bioterrorism, increasing the capacity of laboratories to develop more reliable diagnostic tests, and expanding clinical, environmental, and syndromic surveillance systems. [The Lancet]

Image Credit: Anush Gorak on Pexels