Research Publications (Food Safety)

Background Microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing of plasma can identify the presence of a pathogen in a host. In this study, we evaluated the duration of pathogen detection by mcfDNA sequencing vs conventional blood culture in patients with bacteremia. Methods Blood samples from patients with culture-confirmed bloodstream infection were collected within 24 hours of the index positive blood culture and 48 to 72 hours thereafter.

Background Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is in 10% to 20% of cases complicated by infective endocarditis. Clinical prediction scores may select patients with SAB at highest risk for endocarditis, improving the diagnostic process of endocarditis.

Background Persons who use drugs (PWUD) face substantial risk of Staphylococcus aureus infections. Limited data exist describing clinical and substance use characteristics of PWUD with invasive S. aureus infections or comparing treatment and mortality outcomes in PWUD vs non-PWUD. These are needed to inform optimal care for this marginalized population. Methods We identified adults hospitalized from 2013 to 2018 at 2 medical centers in San Francisco with S.

Background While there are ongoing regulatory convergence efforts, differences remain in primary end points recommended for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) trials. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends assessing CABP symptom resolution at an early time point (3–5 days after randomization). Other regulatory agencies recommend assessing overall clinical response at a later time point (5–10 days after therapy ends).

Background Maternal overweight and obesity are related to risks of pregnancy and delivery complications that, in turn, are associated with newborn infections. We examined the associations between early pregnancy body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and risk of early-onset neonatal bacterial sepsis (EOS). Methods We conducted a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study of 1 971 346 live singleton infants born in Sweden between 1997 and 2016.

Background As drug development has globalized, trials have increasingly enrolled participants from all parts of the world rather than just the United States and Western Europe. For antibacterial drug trials, understanding enrollment trends and regional differences is important for generalizability considerations.

Background Environmental contamination is an important source of hospital multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) transmission. Factors such as patient MDRO contact precautions (CP) status, patient proximity to surfaces, and unit type likely influence MDRO contamination and bacterial bioburden levels on patient room surfaces.

Background The 2019 American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) revised recommendations for culturing and empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics. We simulated guideline adoption in Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatients.

More than 3 decades have passed since infection control was implemented nationwide in China in 1986. A comprehensive set of regulations and guidelines has been developed, and almost all hospitals have established infection control teams. However, compliance is variable and is usually suboptimal.