|
WSLH Scientists Contribute to Influenza and TB articles in JAMA
MADISON, Wis. –Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) scientists contributed to two important infectious disease articles in the March 11, 2009 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association -- the increasing resistance of influenza A (H1N1) viruses to the popular antiviral drug Tamiflu and the revising of TB testing guidelines in order to speed the response time for treating tuberculosis patients and protecting public health. WSLH Research Epidemiologist Steve Marshall was a co-author on the article detailing the increasing resistance nationwide of influenza A (H1N1) viruses to the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Surveillance studies conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists found that during the 2007-08 influenza season 12% of H1N1 viruses had become resistant to Tamiflu. But during this current 2008-09 season, resistance jumped to 98%. The WSLH performed pyrosequencing testing on clinical specimens from Wisconsin patients for this national surveillance study. The WSLH began pyrosequencing testing for antiviral resistance in 2006 at the request of CDC. Since antiviral medications are a cornerstone of states' emergency preparedness stockpiles, it's vital to have this type of surveillance in place in case of an influenza pandemic to know if these medications will be effective. The increasing resistance in seasonal influenza also underscores the importance of getting an annual flu shot to protect against getting sick. To see what's happening with influenza activity in Wisconsin, please visit the WSLH Laboratory-Based Surveillance web site. The second article outlines updated guidelines for the use of nucleic acid amplification (NAA) tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The DNA-based NAA tests, which the WSLH has performed since 1996, are becoming more commonly used nationwide. They can provide a laboratory diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in 24 - 48 hours as opposed to 2 - 6 weeks for the traditional culture test method. More rapid test results mean patients who test positive can begin treatment sooner, improving their health outcomes. It also provides public health officials crucial extra time to initiate public health interventions to interrupt the spread of the disease. Based upon input from a panel of experts that included WSLH Communicable Disease Division Deputy Director Dr. Dave Warshauer, the CDC is now recommending that NAA testing be performed on patients who show signs and symptoms of pulmonary TB but who haven't been definitively diagnosed yet and for whom a positive test result would affect their treatment and impact TB control actions. Learn more about the role of public health in TB control. JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 301, No. 10, March 11, 2009. Story and Photo By: Jan Klawitter, WSLH Public Affairs & Training Manager
|
||||||||||||
