Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
CIDRAP: PAHO Warns Of Rise Of Yellow Fever In The Americas
Yellow fever infections are on the rise in several Americas countries, with the virus expanding its reach outside the zone where cases are typically reported, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said yesterday in an epidemiologic alert. PAHO is one of the regional offices of the World Health Organization (WHO). (Schnirring, 2/5)
CIDRAP: Case Study: Mpox In Nursing Home Worker Resulted In No Spread
Despite widespread exposure, residents in a Kentucky nursing home in 2023 did not contract mpox from an infected worker, suggesting that routine caregiving is not a robust risk factor for mpox transmission. A study spotlighting the case was published last week in the American Journal of Infection Control. In 2023, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) worked three shifts while infectious with mpox, exposing as many as 56 residents to the virus. (Soucheray, 2/5)
MedPage Today: Biomarker Screening In Second Trimester May Improve Neonatal Outcomes
Among those at low-risk for preterm birth, a blood-based biomarker screening test during the second trimester identified pregnancies at higher risk for preterm birth, and a treatment plan improved neonatal outcomes, the PRIME randomized control trial found. Compared to usual care, those who were identified as higher risk and received low-dose aspirin, progesterone, and extra nursing calls had lower scores on the Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality Index (NMI) scale ... reported Brian Iriye, MD, of Hera Women's Health in Las Vegas. (Robertson, 2/5)
AP: A Spine-Zapping Implant Helped 3 People With A Muscle-Wasting Disease Walk Better
Three people with a muscle-destroying disease destined to worsen got a little stronger – able to stand and walk more easily – when an implanted device zapped their spinal cord. On Wednesday, researchers reported what they called the first evidence that a spine-stimulating implant already being tested for paralysis might also aid neurodegenerative diseases like spinal muscle atrophy – by restoring some muscle function, at least temporarily. (Neergaard, 2/5)
CIDRAP: Unproven Lyme Disease Treatments Regularly Offered In US, New Data Show
Recently in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, researchers from the University of Minnesota reported that many non-traditional clinics for Lyme disease exist in states where the tick-borne disease is endemic, and the treatments offered at such clinics are often unproven and costly and raise safety concerns. (Soucheray, 2/5)
MedPage Today: Common Bacterial Infection Might Be Key To Lung Transplant Rejection
After lung transplantation, infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa independently predicted antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), researchers found. Individuals found to carry the bacteria after receiving a new lung had a more than four-fold increased risk of developing definite AMR ... and nearly three-fold elevated risk of probable AMR ... Andrew E. Gelman, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues reported in Science Translational Medicine. (Phend, 2/5)
NPR: Vagus Nerve Stimulation May Tame Autoimmune Diseases
Tiny pulses of electricity may provide the next big advance in treating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. The pulses would be delivered via implanted devices that stimulate the vagus nerve, and they are showing promise in people with arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's, and multiple sclerosis. (Hamilton, 2/3)
MedPage Today: Omega-3 Daily May Slow Biological Aging
Consuming 1 g of omega-3 per day may slow down the rate of biological aging in humans, a post-hoc analysis of DO-HEALTH trial data suggested.DO-HEALTH tested the effects of three daily interventions -- 2,000 IU of vitamin D, 1 g of omega-3, or a strength-training program -- on older adults in Europe. (George, 2/3)
Also —
CIDRAP: Report: Severe COVID Can Catalyze Arterial Plaque Growth, Sparking Deadly Heart Problems
Severe COVID-19 infection can trigger extensive inflammation, resulting in the rapid growth of plaque in the coronary arteries and a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening cardiovascular events for as long as 1 year, reports a Fudan University–led research team in China. (Van Beusekom, 2/5)
CIDRAP: Nursing Homes Used Unproven COVID Measures And Didn't Use Vaccines, Antivirals Enough, Review Finds
Few of the many nonpharmacologic efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes during the pandemic were evidence-based, and vaccinations and antiviral drugs were underused, concludes a scoping review published late last week in JAMA Health Forum. Boston University–led researchers analyzed the federal COVID-19 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Database to determine trends over time in rates of infection, death, testing, vaccination, and treatment among residents and staff, as well as shortages of staff and personal protective equipment (PPE) from 2020 through 2023. (Van Beusekom, 2/4)
CIDRAP: Nearly 30% Of Cats, Dogs Owned By COVID Patients Had SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies By 2021
Nearly 30% of cats and dogs belonging to COVID-infected patients in central Texas tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, signaling previous infection, from 2020 to 2021, according to a study published yesterday on the preprint server bioRxiv. (Van Beusekom, 2/5)
