Infectious Disease Commons^™

Structural Variation Of Centromeric Endogenous Retroviruses In Human Populations And Their Impact On Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Sézary Syndrome, And Hiv Infection, M. H. Kaplan, M. Kaminski, J. M. Estes, S. D. Gitlin, J. Zahn, J. T. Elder, T. Tejasvi, E. Gensterblum, J. P. Mcgowan, R. Contreras-Galindo, +7 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Human Endogenous Retroviruses type K HML-2 (HK2) are integrated into 117 or more areas of human chromosomal arms while two newly discovered HK2 proviruses, K111 and K222, spread extensively in pericentromeric regions, are the first retroviruses discovered in these areas of our genome. Methods: We use PCR and sequencing analysis to characterize pericentromeric K111 proviruses in DNA from individuals of diverse ethnicities and patients with different diseases. Results: We found that the 5′ LTR-gag region of K111 proviruses is missing in certain individuals, creating pericentromeric instability. K111 deletion (-/- K111) is seen in about 15% …

Increased Plasma Levels Of The Th2 Chemokine Ccl18 Associated With Low Cd4+T Cell Counts In Hiv-1-Infected Patients With A Suppressed Viral Load, P. Malhotra, P. Haslett, B. Sherry, D. H. Shepp, P. Barber, J. Abshier, U. Roy, H. Schmidtmayerova

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Combination Therapy With Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole And Caspofungin In A Case Of Severe Pneumocystis Pneumonia, R. Koshy, T. Chen

Journal Articles

© 2019 The Authors Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX, co-trimoxazole, or bactrim) has been the standard first-line treatment against Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) for decades. However, adverse effects and cases of treatment failure have led to a search for alternative agents. We present a case of a 50 year old immune compromised female whose course of PCP did not improve until Caspofungin was added to TMP-SMX.

Controlling Latent Tb Tuberculosis Infection In High-Burden Countries: A Neglected Strategy To End Tb, Gavin J. Churchyard, Susan Swindells

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

In a Perspective, Gavin Churchyard and Sue Swindells discuss the importance of strategies to target latent tuberculosis infection in high risk populations and thus disrupt a reservoir for new infections in high burden countries.

Implementing A Discharge Navigator Reducing 30-Day Readmissions For Heart Failure And Sepsis Populations, Karen Weeks

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Clinical Projects, 2016-2019

A national focus for healthcare reform is preventing hospital readmissions. Thirty-day unplanned hospital readmissions impact patient outcomes and are costly to the healthcare system. This project explored the impact between the discharge navigator and 30-day unplanned readmissions for heart failure and sepsis populations in a 238-bed community hospital located in central Virginia. The primary aim of this discharge navigator project was to reduce 30-day readmissions for the heart failure and sepsis populations to meet the goals of the top quartile for like hospitals and the evaluation of cost avoidance for these readmissions. Heart failure and sepsis populations are high risks …

Design And Characterization Of A Consensus Hemagglutinin Vaccine Immunogen Against H3 Influenza A Viruses Of Swine, Haiyan Sun, Jung-Hyang Sur, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, David J. Steffen, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The substantial genetic diversity exhibited by influenza A viruses of swine (IAV-S) represents the main challenge for the development of a broadly protective vaccine against this important pathogen. The consensus vaccine immunogen has proven an effective vaccinology approach to overcome the extraordinary genetic diversity of RNA viruses. In this project, we sought to determine if a consensus IAV-S hemagglutinin (HA) immunogen would elicit broadly protective immunity in pigs. To address this question, a consensus HA gene (designated H3-CON.1) was generated from a set of 1,112 H3 sequences of IAV-S recorded in GenBank from 2011 to 2015. The consensus HA gene …

Antibiotic Resistance Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae In The United States And Latin American Countries: Contributing Factors And Potential Solutions, Brian Sherman

Theses and Graduate Projects

Antibiotics have been heralded as one of the greatest contributions to modern medicine.

While antibiotics have been documented throughout many parts of the world, it was the discovery of penicillin in 1928 that marked the modern era of medicine.1 An antibiotic is a natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic compound that interferes with the growth of, or results in the death of a microorganism, specifically bacteria.2 These medications are used to treat or prevent infection of humans or animals. With the advent of antibiotics, many infections that would cause significant morbidity and mortality were greatly reduced. The 1930s-1960s is regarded as the …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of A Pharmacist-Led Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Program In The Midwestern United States, Joshua P. Havens, Kimberly Scarsi, Harlan Sayles, Donald G. Klepser, Susan Swindells, Sara H. Bares

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

BACKGROUND: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) substantially reduces the risk of HIV acquisition, yet significant barriers exist to its prescription and use. Incorporating pharmacists in the PrEP care process may help increase access to PrEP services.

METHODS: Our pharmacist-led PrEP program (P-PrEP) included pharmacists from a university-based HIV clinic, a community pharmacy, and two community-based clinics. Through a collaborative practice agreement, pharmacists conducted PrEP visits with potential candidates for PrEP, according to the recommended CDC guidelines, and authorized emtricitabine-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate prescriptions. Demographics and retention in care over 12 months were summarized and participant satisfaction and pharmacist acceptability with the P-PrEP …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection And Treatment, Genesis M. Brador

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection globally is high, and although there is no cure for it, the antiviral drug acyclovir is used to alleviate symptoms. There are two types of HSV: HSV-1, which typically infects the oral area, and HSV-2, which is associated with genital infections. A mother who carries the infection may transmit it to a neonate in different ways, most commonly via vaginal delivery in the presence of active lesions. There are three types of HSV disease that affect newborns: skin, eyes or mouth (SEM) disease, central nervous system (CNS) disease, or disseminated disease. The …

Epidemiology, Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Hospitalized With Influenza, Kyle P. Openo

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Influenza is a respiratory viral infection responsible for annual epidemics, periodic pandemics and regularly causes substantial morbidity, mortality and economic burden worldwide. In the United States alone, influenza causes between 9.2 – 35.6 million cases, 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 – 56,000 deaths annually. Individuals with comorbid health conditions are at increased risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from influenza infection and were recommended for vaccination prior to universal vaccine recommendations. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been included in this group for decades though limited data existed to describe influenza among those with SCD. Recent studies showed …

Is There A Greater Statistically Significant Difference In The Clearance Or Partial Clearance Of Anogenital/Genital Warts When It Comes To Combination Therapies That Include Cryotherapy Versus Cryotherapy Alone?, Erika Burbano

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in using combination therapies that include cryotherapy vs. cryotherapy alone in the clearance of genital/anogenital warts.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three peer reviewed primary studies that were published between 2009-2014.

DATA SOURCES: Review of a double-blind placebo-controlled study, a single-blinded randomized controlled study, and a randomized clinical comparative study from 2011. All sources were selected from PubMed based on the applicability to the clinical question and how accurately they answered the question regarding the patient population

OUTCOMES: The outcomes of investigation …

Improving Access To Clean Water In Rural Ecuador: The Connection Between Willingness To Pay And Population Health, Micalea Leaska

Capstone Collection

Climate change is affecting social and environmental determinants of health through access to safe drinking water, safely managed sanitation systems, and access to health care services and the ability for individuals to break free from unsuitable circumstances. Ecological disturbances such as those caused by climate change can cause a shift in host vectors or a change in habitat that results in a greater likelihood of the pathogen coming in contact with humans. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services and their accessibility to populations can directly impact a community’s vulnerability to diseases and limiting factors to increase economic growth. If rural …

Adaptation Of The Streptococcal Collagen-Like Protein 1, Scl1, Of Group A Streptococcus To Recognize Fibronectin Type Iii Repeats, Dudley H. Mcnitt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is responsible more than 700 million infections worldwide each year. Most of these infections start with initial colonization of the throat and skin, which is augmented by surface adhesins. The streptococcal collagen-like protein 1 (Scl1) is a major adhesin expressed by GAS that contains an N-terminal sequence-variable (V) domain, protruded away from the cell surface by the collagen domain. The Scl-V domain is comprised of three pairs of anti-parallel α-helices interconnected by surface-exposed loops. For attachment, GAS adhesins require a portal of entry, such as a wound or breach in the epithelium, to enter …

A Qualitative Case Study Exploring Hand-Hygiene Standards In An Intensive Care Unit, Lyndon Augustine, Walter Mccollum, Richard Brown, Phoenix Mourning-Star

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that occur in patients during their time of care in a hospital. Considerable emphasis is currently placed on reducing HAIs through improving hand-hygiene (HH) compliance among healthcare professionals because HAIs are a critical challenge to public health in the United States. By focusing on meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HH standards, the purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how noncompliance with these standards and lack of technology usage affect HAIs in the intensive care unit. Additionally, the goal of this research was to explore behavioral factors and best practices that influence …

Training As An Intervention To Decrease Medical Record Abstraction Errors Multicenter Studies., Meredith Nahm Zozus, Leslie W. Young, Alan E. Simon, Maryam Garza, Lora Lawrence, Songthip T. Ounpraseuth, Megan Bledsoe, Sarah Newman-Norlund, J Dean Jarvis, Mary Mcnally, Kimberly R. Harris, Russell Mcculloh, Rachel Aikman, Sara Cox, Lacy Malloch, Anita Walden, Jessica Snowden, Irene Mangan Chedjieu, Chester A. Wicker, Lauren Atkins, Lori A. Devlin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Studies often rely on medical record abstraction as a major source of data. However, data quality from medical record abstraction has long been questioned. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) potentially add variability to the abstraction process due to the complexity of navigating and locating study data within these systems. We report training for and initial quality assessment of medical record abstraction for a clinical study conducted by the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network (NRN) using medical record abstraction as the primary data …

Is Sinupret (Bno 1016- Herbal Combination) An Effective Treatment For The Symptoms Of Acute And Chronic Rhinosinusitis Compared To Non-Treatment In Male And Female Adults Ages 18-75?, Sarah K. Boyle

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Sinupret (BNO 1016- herbal combination) is an effective treatment for the symptoms of acute and chronic rhinosinusitis compared to non-treatment in male and female adults ages 18-75? Study Design: This is a systematic review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding Sinupret treatment for sinonasal symptoms. All RCTs were published in the English language in peer-reviewed journals in 2011, 2015, and 2017. Data Sources: Three randomized controlled trials were found using PubMED and CINAHL databases. Outcomes Measured: Symptom relief of acute and chronic rhinosinusitis was measured …

Is Frozen Fecal Microbiota Transplantation As Effective As Fresh Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Via Colonoscopic Versus Nasogastric Tube Administration In Treating Adults With Clostridium Difficile Infection?, Baylee D. Summers

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “is frozen fecal microbiota transplantation as effective as fresh fecal microbiota transplantation via colonoscopic versus nasogastric tube administration in treating adults with Clostridium difficile infection?”

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and one randomized, open-label, controlled pilot study published between 2014 and 2017. Each included study was published in a peer reviewed journal in English language.

DATA SOURCES: Two RCTs and one pilot study were researched via PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Resolution of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was measured via written subject diaries of …

Treatment Options For Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Barbara Bowman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

With the high incidence of Lyme disease in the endemic areas of North America, it is important to appropriately diagnosis and treat this condition to prevent post treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Background information regarding Lyme disease is given. The purpose of this research is to discuss the treatment options available for those patients that fit the case definition of PTLDS. A literature review was conducted using several different electronic databases finding peer reviewed research articles pertaining to the treatment options available for PTLDS. Extended antibiotic use is shown to be not beneficial in most cases. Alternative treatment options listed …

Expedited Partner Therapy For Gonorrheal And Chlamydial Infections, Nicholas Coburn-Pierce

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as Neisseria Gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia Trachomatis pose a challenge to the healthcare system worldwide. Treating sexual partners is as crucial to controlling the spread of these infections as treating index patients. However, because of problems associated with stigma, reaching affected populations, and ensuring follow-up, unique solutions are require to ensure partners receive treatment. One solution is Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT). EPT refers to treating patients, and providing necessary medication for both patient and partner. Current recommendations are for oral doses one gram of azithromycin and 400 milligrams of cefixime. This literature review looked at thirteen …

Digital Monitoring Technologies Could Enhance Tuberculosis Medication Adherence In Uganda: Mixed Methods Study, Angella Musiimenta, Wilson Tumuhimbise, Aaron T. Mugaba, Conrad Muzoora, Mari Armstrong-Hough, David Bangsberg, J. Lucian Davis, Jessica E. Haberer

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Effective administration of tuberculosis therapy remains challenging. The recommended strategy of direct observed therapy is challenging and its implementation has been limited in many settings. Digital adherence technologies could be promising patient-centered strategies for monitoring adherence. However, few quality studies have assessed patients’ experiences with these technologies. Objective: To explore TB patients’ perceptions of a digital adherence intervention composed of a digital adherence monitor and SMS texts. Methods: We purposively sampled TB patients who owned phones, had been taking TB medication for at least a month, and were receiving their treatment from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. We interviewed 35 …