Background: Adults aged ≥65 years, adults with certain underlying medical conditions, and persons experiencing homelessness are at increased risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Two new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) and 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), were recently approved for use in US adults. We describe the epidemiology of IPD among Alaska adults and estimate the proportion of IPD cases potentially preventable by new vaccines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Indigenous children in Australia and Alaska have very high rates of chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD)/bronchiectasis. Antibiotics, including frequent or long-term azithromycin in Australia and short-term beta-lactam therapy in both countries, are often prescribed to treat these patients. In the Bronchiectasis Observational Study we examined over several years the nasopharyngeal carriage and antibiotic resistance of respiratory bacteria in these two PCV7-vaccinated populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The impact of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) on transmission of antimicrobial-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important concern for countries considering PCV7 introduction.
Methods: Every winter from 2000 to 2004, as PCV7 was routinely introduced, we obtained nasopharyngeal swabs for pneumococcal culture, serotyping, and susceptibility testing from 150 children aged 3-59 months at each of 3 Anchorage, Alaska clinics. We assessed risk factors for pneumococcal carriage, including vaccination status and antimicrobial use.
The relationship between prior fluoroquinolone use and levofloxacin resistance in Helicobacter pylori infection is unknown. Among 125 enrolled patients, 8.8% had H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite routine vaccination and declining disease rates, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) invasive disease still occurs in rural Alaska. Colonization studies indicate persistent transmission of Hib among village residents, including adults. As part of a project to eliminate Hib carriage in three rural villages, we evaluated a cohort of Alaska adults for antibody response and reactogenicity to a single dose of Hib conjugate vaccine (HbOC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA commercially available rapid fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) test, (seaFAST H. pylori Combi-Kit; SeaPro Theranostics International, Lelystad, The Netherlands) was used to simultaneously detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori and determine clarithromycin susceptibility in paraffin-embedded biopsy sections. The FISH method was found to be 97% sensitive, 94% specific for the detection of H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of invasive bacterial disease and pneumonia among children. Antimicrobial resistance among pneumococci has increased in recent years and complicates treatment. The introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) could reduce acquisition of antimicrobial-resistant pneumococci.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The relationship between previous antimicrobial treatments and infection with drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori is unknown.
Objectives: To determine whether previous use of antimicrobial agents predicts subsequent antibiotic resistance of H. pylori and whether resistance affects treatment outcome.