Infectious diseases arise from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites and can spread through contact, contaminated food or water, or weakened immunity. Common types include bacterial infections (e.g., strep…
Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection causing redness, swelling, and pain, often in the lower legs. Tom Warren, MD, explains it results from bacteria entering compromised skin barriers…
For people born in foreign countries but living in the United States, language and cultural barriers can make it difficult for many to learn about preventing, testing or…
During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, pregnant women were among many groups targeted to receive the flu vaccine. Several million women in the United States and more than three…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – There is “sufficient” evidence that treatment with a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) increases the incidence of Clostridium-difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), say the authors of a…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – When ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is suspected, the absence of Gram staining on a respiratory specimen reliably rules out the diagnosis. On the other…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) is more specific, at least as sensitive, and may better predict disease progression than the tuberculin skin test…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A second dose of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) 6 months after the first dose significantly improves response rates in youth infected with…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Generally, the accuracy of antigen-based point-of-care tests for hepatitis B infection is high, but the sensitivity of antibody-based tests needs to be improved,…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Risk of developing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) with use of ceftriaxone is reduced when doxycycline is given concomitantly, according to a report in…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – For pediatric influenza, a single inhalation of laninamivir octanoate is as safe and effective as 10 inhalations over five days of zanamivir, according…
Treatment, education and prevention have been the focus of the United States when it comes to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. In 2003, the President’s Emergency Plan…
