Background With 89 239 cases, gonorrhoea was the second most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in 2017. Gonorrhoea is a serious public health problem as untreated infections may lead to severe secondary sequelae, including pelvic inflammatory disease, first-trimester miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy and infertility [1]. N. infections also [...]

  Response activities that stalled for more than 2 weeks in one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) Ebola hot spots due to security issues has resumed on a limited basis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest situation report on the outbreak. The WHO said though the decline in [...]

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the contribution of serious mental illness (SMI), and specific risk factors (comorbidities and substance use) to the risk of adverse birth outcomes.  Study design: This cross-sectional study uses maternal delivery records in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide/National Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) to estimate risk factor prevalence and relative risk of [...]

It is well recognized that people who work night shifts, or who travel across time zones frequently, are more likely to become overweight or to suffer from gut inflammation. There has been considerable research aimed at trying to understand the underlying mechanisms that link the brain’s circadian clock, which acts in response to the daylight [...]

New research presented yesterday at IDWeek 2019 indicates that nearly 4% of the patients given antibiotics unnecessarily before dental procedures experience serious adverse events, including allergic reactions and emergency room visits. The findings are a follow-up to a study published in May that found that nearly 81% of antibiotics prescribed before dental procedures are unnecessary. [...]

In its latest snapshot of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there’s a clear shift away from densely populated urban areas toward sparsely populated rural areas. And in other developments, Tanzanian health officials again denied covering up Ebola cases, Hong Kong health officials have isolated a [...]

EAST LANSING, MI. (WILX) — The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease has been detected on Michigan State University’s campus. MSU officials confirmed levels of Legionella bacteria were detected Thursday at the university’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. As of 4 p.m. Friday, there were no cases of humans or animals infected with the bacteria or disease, MSU spokeswoman [...]

Structured Summary Background Smartphones used in clinical settings harbour potentially pathogenic bacteria, and this may pose an infection risk. Previous studies have relied on culture-based methods. Aim To characterize the quantity and diversity of microbial contamination of hospital staff smartphones using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. To determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistant potential pathogens. To [...]