Outbreak News Radio

One of the bigger stories in recent weeks is the situation of human infections with a strain of Brucella, known as RB51, linked to the consumption of raw, or unpasteurized milk.

Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to talk about this specific situation, the process of pasteurization, why people choose raw milk and the risks associated with drinking unpasteurized milk.

In this interview from the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show in May 2017, we looked at this amazing story of an individual with a multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infection and the use of an experimental therapy involving bacteriophages — viruses that target and consume specific strains of bacteria.

Case study lead author and the primary physician of the patient, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Robert Schooley,MD joined me to share the details of the remarkable story.

CDC epidemiologist and author of a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, Dr. Jennifer McQuiston joined me to talk about the tick borne disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and the importance of timely treatment with the drug of choice, doxycycline.

Because the antibiotic carries the warning of tooth staining in children under 8 years of age, some physicians hesitate to treat suspected cases of RMSF in young children putting them at risk of serious infection and possibly death.

McQuiston says, based on the study, "This shouldn't be a reason to avoid this life-saving drug. Changing the drug's label may encourage physicians to use doxycycline earlier to treat suspected RMSF in children, which will help save lives."

This originally aired on the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show on March 29, 2015

In an interview from the radio show in March 2015, I spoke to pediatric infectious disease specialist and research associate professor at the University of the Philippines in Manila, Dr Anna Lena Lopez about the mosquito borne viral disease, Japanese encephalitis (JE).

Besides talking about the ABCs of JE, Dr Lopez also talked about the findings from a study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical diseases about Japanese encephalitis in the Philippines, which she was a lead author.

In addition, in the study Lopez and her colleagues concluded the need to put the JE vaccine on the national vaccination schedule in the Philippines, which she also discussed.

The annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is among the largest mass gatherings in the world draws about 2 to 4 million Muslim pilgrims every year; at least 1.5 to 2 million pilgrims are foreign visitors. This event is happening this week.

For observant Muslims, the Hajj is a religious duty and important act of faith. For public officials in Saudi Arabia and internationally, the Hajj poses serious challenges in the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Applied epidemiologist at Metabiota, Jaclyn Guerrero, MPH joined me discuss several issues surrounding the Hajj and infectious diseases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI).Did you know that hospital-acquired infections are the nation's eighth leading cause of death, just behind diabetes and just ahead of flu and pneumonia?

Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection. It is life-threatening, and without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Each year in the U.S., more than 1.5 million people develop sepsis, and at least 250,000 Americans die as a result.

I had the opportunity to have speaker, advocate and sepsis survivor, Mary Millard on the show to tell the story of her battle against HAI's and sepsis.

In an earlier episode of the podcast we discussed the giant intestinal roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides--a nematode parasite.

Today, we'll look at a nematode that is about the size of a staple--Enterobius vermicularis, or the pinworm.

Pinworm is the most common worm infection in North America, in fact, it is estimated that there are 40 million infections at any one time in the U.S. and 500 million infections worldwide.

Joining me to shed some light on this common parasite is friend to the show, Rosemary Drisdellle, Rosemary is a Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests.

In early 2013, the first reported human cases of H7N9 avian influenza were reported in China. Since that time, more than 1500 cases have been reported with about half the cases reported since last October. About 40% of those infected died.

A study was published this summer in PLoS Pathogens showing the virus being three mutations away from changing into a form that's easily transmitted between humans.

How worried should we be about this influenza type, it's potential adaptability to spread among humans and its pandemic potential?

Michael Osterholm, PhD joined me for The Story Behind the Story. Dr Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.

With record amounts of rain and unprecedented flooding, Houston and the southeastern part of Texas have their hand full with rescues, shelters and numerous public safety issues. What about the infectious disease situation that goes along with a natural disaster like this? Waterborne diseases? Mosquito borne diseases? Concerns about tetanus?

I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, PhD on the podcast.

The treatment of Lyme disease is one of the most contentious issues in medicine with people coming from two very different sides of the topic.

In his blog, My thoughts on the future of infectious disease and medicine, Infectious disease physician, Dr Steven LaRosa described some "soul searching" he did recently concerning "the sizable number of poor souls who continue to suffer symptoms after what is considered standard of care treatment".

In a segment from the radio show, Dr LaRosa talks to me about Lyme treatment and the need for more clinical trials.