Abstract Objective Healthcare workers (HCWs) are one of the target groups for systematic testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in a setting of low TB incidence. We performed this study to describe the testing of HCWs for LTBI and analyse the acceptance and completion of treatment of LTBI. Methods This retrospective cohort study [...]
Abstract Objective Pakistan has a high pediatric burden of tuberculosis, but few studies describe the treatment experience of children with tuberculosis in Pakistan. We sought to identify risk factors for unsuccessful treatment outcomes in children with drug-susceptible tuberculosis identified in eight hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study among children (
Abstract Stewart Cole and colleagues determined the complete genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), in 1998 [1]. This was a landmark achievement that heralded a new age in TB drug discovery. With the genome sequence in hand, drug discoverers suddenly had thousands of new potential targets to explore. But the [...]
Abstract Context An estimated 21% of non-U.S.-born persons in the United States have a reactive tuberculin skin test (TST) and are at risk of progressing to TB disease. The effectiveness of strategies by healthcare facilities to improve targeted TB infection testing and linkage to care among this population is unclear. Evidence acquisition Following Cochrane guidelines, [...]
The pros and cons of this plant-based beverage A new drink has taken coffee shops and the nondairy section of the grocery store by storm: oat milk. What’s oat milk, you ask? It’s a popular alternative to cow’s milk (à la almond or soy milk) that’s made from oats, water and sometimes a few additional [...]
Sleep deprivation is a common health problem in physician culture. In fact, at least 25% of cardiologists reported suffering insufficient sleep in a 2018 survey published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Like stress, dietary habits can adversely affect your sleep architecture and quality. There are several foods and diets that may inhibit your sleep or disrupt [...]
Whole Foods Market brand beef products are the subject of the 14th E. coli related recall of such products since Oct. 3. The recall posted Oct. 19 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency lists numerous beef and veal products, as have the previous recalls. Several have specifically named Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. as a source [...]
Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present Frank M. Snowden Yale University Press (2019) When will we learn never to declare the end of anything? Only 50 years ago, two prominent US universities closed their infectious-disease departments, sure that the problem they studied had been solved. Now, cases of measles and mumps are on [...]
Your body produces more than a liter of mucus every day, and when you’re sick, it can be hard to miss. But what exactly is mucus? And what does it do, besides making you miserable? Katharina Ribbeck reveals the mysteries of this transparent, shape-shifting layer that moistens and lubricates the vulnerable parts of our body [...]
Their symptoms may not fit autism stereotypes When you think of “autism,” does a male child come to mind? It’s understandable if you answer “yes.” Past estimates have suggested that for every female on the autism spectrum, there are four males. But those estimates may change as we learn more about girls and women with autism, says [...]
