Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/12/news-scan-dec-03-2021
News Scan for Dec 03, 2021
Antibiotic resistance legislation; Slow US flu rise; H1N2v flu in Manitoba
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship; Influenza, General; H3N2v Influenza
Bill aims to boost federal response to antibiotic resistance
US Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced this week that he has reintroduced legislation to strengthen the federal response to antibiotic resistance.
The Strategies to Address Antibiotic Resistance (STAAR) Act, which was originally introduced in 2019, aims to strengthen the federal response by improving data collection on antibiotic use and resistance, expanding the capacity of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Laboratory Network, and boosting the development and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs in healthcare facilities.
The bill would also reauthorize the Interagency Task Force for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which was created in 1999 to coordinate federal action, through 2028, and would authorize the CDC to work directly with health departments nationwide to implement prevention collaboratives.
"We've seen over the past two years how critical it is that we prepare for possible health threats, and work to prevent or mitigate them before they become full-blown crises," Brown said in a press release. "We have to be proactive if we want to prevent another public health crisis, and stop the spread of these superbugs before they erase many of the health gains we’ve made over the past century."
Dec 1 STAAR Act press release
CDC: Flu rising, but still below baseline
Flu activity in the United States continues to rise slowly, mostly involving the H3N2 strain and more than 80% of cases in people ages 5 to 24, the CDC said today in its weekly update.
Flu markers—such as outpatient visits for flulike illness—are still below baseline, and activity is low but slowly increasing, the CDC said.
Of respiratory specimens tested at clinical labs, only 1.5% were positive for flu last week. Nationally, clinic visits for flulike illness reached 2.4%, reflecting an increase but still below the baseline of 2.5%. So far no pediatric flu deaths have been reported this season.
New Mexico is the only state to report high flulike illness activity, and Georgia and Rhode Island reported moderate activity.
Dec 3 CDC FluView report
In Europe, flu levels are at baseline with sporadic activity reported, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in its weekly communicable disease threat report. Most detections involve H3N2.
Dec 3 ECDC communicable disease threat report
Manitoba reports H1N2v flu case connected to pig exposure
Manitoba agriculture officials yesterday reported a variant H1N2 (H1N2v) flu case, which involves a patient who sought testing in October for flulike illness.
In a statement, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development (MARD) said the patient had mild symptoms and recovered. The patient's COVID-19 test was negative, but regular flu surveillance identified the H1N2v strain.
The investigation revealed that the patient had direct exposure to pigs, which are known to carry the virus. No evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found.
Variant flu cases are occasionally detected in North America and other parts of the world. Manitoba reported its last H1N2v case in April.
Dec 2 MARD statement
News Scan for Dec 03, 2021
Antibiotic resistance legislation; Slow US flu rise; H1N2v flu in Manitoba
Filed Under:
Antimicrobial Stewardship; Influenza, General; H3N2v Influenza
Bill aims to boost federal response to antibiotic resistance
US Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced this week that he has reintroduced legislation to strengthen the federal response to antibiotic resistance.
The Strategies to Address Antibiotic Resistance (STAAR) Act, which was originally introduced in 2019, aims to strengthen the federal response by improving data collection on antibiotic use and resistance, expanding the capacity of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Laboratory Network, and boosting the development and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs in healthcare facilities.
The bill would also reauthorize the Interagency Task Force for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which was created in 1999 to coordinate federal action, through 2028, and would authorize the CDC to work directly with health departments nationwide to implement prevention collaboratives.
"We've seen over the past two years how critical it is that we prepare for possible health threats, and work to prevent or mitigate them before they become full-blown crises," Brown said in a press release. "We have to be proactive if we want to prevent another public health crisis, and stop the spread of these superbugs before they erase many of the health gains we’ve made over the past century."
Dec 1 STAAR Act press release
CDC: Flu rising, but still below baseline
Flu activity in the United States continues to rise slowly, mostly involving the H3N2 strain and more than 80% of cases in people ages 5 to 24, the CDC said today in its weekly update.
Flu markers—such as outpatient visits for flulike illness—are still below baseline, and activity is low but slowly increasing, the CDC said.
Of respiratory specimens tested at clinical labs, only 1.5% were positive for flu last week. Nationally, clinic visits for flulike illness reached 2.4%, reflecting an increase but still below the baseline of 2.5%. So far no pediatric flu deaths have been reported this season.
New Mexico is the only state to report high flulike illness activity, and Georgia and Rhode Island reported moderate activity.
Dec 3 CDC FluView report
In Europe, flu levels are at baseline with sporadic activity reported, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in its weekly communicable disease threat report. Most detections involve H3N2.
Dec 3 ECDC communicable disease threat report
Manitoba reports H1N2v flu case connected to pig exposure
Manitoba agriculture officials yesterday reported a variant H1N2 (H1N2v) flu case, which involves a patient who sought testing in October for flulike illness.
In a statement, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development (MARD) said the patient had mild symptoms and recovered. The patient's COVID-19 test was negative, but regular flu surveillance identified the H1N2v strain.
The investigation revealed that the patient had direct exposure to pigs, which are known to carry the virus. No evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found.
Variant flu cases are occasionally detected in North America and other parts of the world. Manitoba reported its last H1N2v case in April.
Dec 2 MARD statement
