Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: New Strain Of Mpox; Cancer; Antibiotic Resistance
Scientists say a new form of the disease detected in a mining town might more easily spread among people. ... An analysis of patients hospitalized between October and January in Kamituga, eastern Congo, suggests recent genetic mutations in mpox are the result of its continued transmission in humans; it’s happening in a town where people have little contact with the wild animals thought to naturally carry the disease. (Cheng and Malkia, 5/2)
A virulent strain of the monkeypox virus has gained the ability to spread through sexual contact, new data suggest. This has alarmed researchers, who fear a reprise of the worldwide mpox outbreak in 2022. Evidence from past outbreaks indicates that this strain, called clade I, is more lethal than the separate strain that sparked the 2022 outbreak. Clade I has for decades caused small outbreaks, often limited to a few households or communities, in Central Africa. Sexually acquired clade I infections had not been reported before last year. (Kozlov, 4/23)
A new meta-analysis of 16 studies reveals that, for pre-exposure prophylactic vaccination (PrEP, which is used for disease prevention), the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of one Jynneos dose ranged from 35% to 86%, and VE for post-exposure prophylactic vaccination ranged from 78% and 89% for one dose. (Soucheray, 5/1)
Also —
An mRNA cancer vaccine quickly reprogrammed the immune system to attack the most aggressive type of brain tumor in a first-ever human clinical trial. (5/1)
Two new studies highlight the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on antibiotic use and resistance. In one study, data gathered by researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms what previous research has shown—globally high rates of antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients despite low rates of suspected bacterial infections. In the other, a team led by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that rates of hospital-acquired, multidrug-resistant infections at US hospitals remain well above pre-pandemic levels. (Dall, 4/26)
