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December 2005 New threats, such as avian influenza, and old enemies, like polio and rabies, dominated the pages of Infectious Disease News in 2005. The year was full of good and bad news. Because I’m inherently an optimist, let’s talk about the good news first. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was good news. Researchers found Gardasil (Merck) to be almost 100% effective in preventing precancerous lesions from HPV-16 and -18. Its approval is expected next year. The approval of meningococcal C vaccine (MCV4; Menacta, Sanofi Pasteur) was also good news. However, reports of six cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have tempered the news somewhat. Public health officials are investigating whether this is related to the vaccine or just normal cases for this disease. Other vaccines for adolescents that made the pages this year included the two diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. The new Tdap vaccines (Boostrix, GlaxoSmithKline; Adacel, Sanofi Pasteur) are recommended for adolescents aged 10 to 18. Eventually, though, they may wind up being the “tetanus” shot that emergency room doctors give to anyone who comes in with a wound. Other news included the new recommendations for the hepatitis A vaccine, which is now universally recommended for infants. Until this change, the hepatitis A vaccine was only given to high-risk children and those living in endemic areas of the country. The remarkable difference the vaccine made in those areas lead to the universal recommendation. Influenza and avian influenza dominated the pages this year, and will probably dominate the pages next year. Although the hype may lead you to think this is just a media event, one influenza expert said that the migratory patterns of Asian water fowl has gripped his attention as birds have never done in the past. In other words, a pandemic is very possible and it is wise for the world to pay attention, prepare and work to prevent one. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to make headlines too, as it moved from the hospital to the community and back again. A while back, the IDSA called on Congress to implement strategies to encourage development of new and better antibiotics. Antibiotics, which are only given for a short period, just are not the moneymakers that shareholders demand. If something is not done to encourage the development of new antibiotics, we could return to an era when doctors cannot treat infections. Developments in the fight against HIV continued to make headlines, as research continues in the best way to thwart this deadly virus. Another story dominating our pages this year included the Marburg hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Angola. WHO officially declared the outbreak, which consisted of 252 cases, over last month. Finally, another leading story was the increasing frequency and severity of Clostridium difficile–associated disease during the past year. Recently, researchers identified an emerging virulent strain associated with outbreaks of severe disease in multiple locations in North America and Europe. This newest bacterium strain has the ability to produce significantly more protein toxins A and B, has binary toxin and a deletion in a negative regulatory gene (tcdC) and antimicrobial resistance properties that make it virulent. How did our stories make our top 10 list? Our editorial board voted. It was very democratic, but not very scientific. We hope you enjoy our recap of the year’s news, and we look forward to another exciting year in infectious diseases. Have a happy holiday and wonderful New Year. |
