Publications by authors named "Antje Van Der Linden"
Stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and border closures are not currently recommended for pandemic influenza control. New Zealand used these NPIs to eliminate coronavirus disease 2019 during its first wave. Using multiple surveillance systems, we observed a parallel and unprecedented reduction of influenza and other respiratory viral infections in 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and border closures are not currently recommended for pandemic influenza control. New Zealand used these NPIs to eliminate coronavirus disease 2019 during its first wave. Using multiple surveillance systems, we observed a parallel and unprecedented reduction of influenza and other respiratory viral infections in 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Legionnaires' disease is often under-diagnosed due to inconsistent testing practices, prompting a national study in New Zealand to evaluate the effectiveness of routine PCR testing for detecting cases in hospitalized pneumonia patients.
- During the study from May 2015 to May 2016, 5622 respiratory specimens were tested, leading to the identification of 238 hospital cases, significantly increasing case detection three-fold compared to previous years.
- The findings revealed that Legionella longbeachae was the most common cause, indicating the importance of systematic testing for better understanding regional disease patterns and informing prevention strategies.
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), such as , are major causes of bloodstream infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Recently, a distinct clone of (designated NRCS-A) has emerged as an important pathogen in NICUs internationally. Here, 122 isolates from New Zealand (NZ) underwent whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and these data were supplemented with publicly available sequence reads.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To examine the pharmacokinetics of amikacin and its pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic (PKPD) relationship in neonates. To develop an alternative dosing strategy for amikacin in neonates.
Methods: A population PKPD analysis was performed using data collected from 80 neonates with gestational ages from 24 to 41 weeks.
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that cost, as well as frequency of infection, could be used to demonstrate a difference in the performance of prophylactic antibiotics. In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 1013 patients undergoing abdominal surgery were given 1 g of intravenous ceftriaxone (R) or cefotaxime (C) at induction of anesthesia, and an additional 500 mg of metronidazole for colorectal surgery. Infection was checked for during the hospital stay and at 30 days postoperatively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although ceftriaxone (R) and cefotaxime (C) are highly effective antibiotics, few studies have directly compared their prophylactic efficacy.
Methods: In a prospective, randomized, double blind study of 1,013 patients undergoing abdominal surgery, the prophylactic use of ceftriaxone and cefotaxime were compared. Intravenous cephalosporin, 1 g, was given at induction of anesthesia, with intravenous metronidazole, 500 mg, also being given for colorectal surgery.