Assessment of harm reduction receipt and infectious diseases outcomes in United States Veterans with opioid use disorder and history of injection drug use.

Background: Injection drug use (IDU) may lead to negative health outcomes and increased healthcare utilization. In US Veterans (USV) with opioid use disorder (OUD), there is sparse information about healthcare utilization, harm reduction prescription, and outcomes associated with IDU, including severe injection-related infections (SIRI). We assessed psychosocial factors, clinical outcomes, and harm reduction receipt in a cohort of USV with OUD, specifically focusing on persons who inject drugs (PWID).

Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Incidence, STI Screening, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Preexposure Prophylaxis Uptake in United States Veterans With Opioid Use Disorder in Long Island, New York.

Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) confers increased risk of contracting bloodborne and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Limited data exist on infectious disease screening and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) usage among United States Veterans (USVs) with OUD, including persons who inject drugs (PWID). This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), bacterial STIs, and PrEP uptake in USVs with OUD, including PWID.

HIV and Substance Use Disorders.

Over 1.2 million Americans aged 13 years and older have been diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While HIV incidence has been declining since 2017, the risk of HIV acquisition and transmission persists among persons who use drugs via injection drug use and unprotected sexual intercourse associated with substance use.

Considerations when prescribing opioid agonist therapies for people living with HIV.

Introduction: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) include opioid agonist therapies (OAT) (buprenorphine and methadone), and opioid antagonists (extended-release naltrexone). All forms of MOUD improve opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV outcomes. However, the integration of services for HIV and OUD remains inadequate.

SARS-CoV-2 Persistence in Immunocompromised Patients Requiring Treatment With Convalescent Plasma: A Case Report.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in immunocompromised patients presents a challenge, as patients with such conditions may have severe courses. Identifying modalities to shorten the course or lessen the severity of infection could be potentially beneficial. A 76-year-old male with follicular lymphoma on rituximab and lenalidomide presented with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring intensive care unit (ICU) level care for persistent hypoxemia.

Evaluation of the Impact of HIV Serostatus on the Hepatitis C Virus Care Cascade and Injection Drug Use Among Persons Initiating Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

Background: Persons who inject drugs are at increased risk for acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV). Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are associated with reduced injection drug use (IDU) frequency among persons with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, whether HCV treatment uptake or changes in IDU frequency differ by HIV serostatus among persons receiving MOUD is incompletely understood.

Maintenance on extended-release naltrexone is associated with reduced injection opioid use among justice-involved persons with opioid use disorder.

Introduction: Opioid use disorder (OUD) and injection drug use (IDU) place justice-involved individuals at increased risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methadone and buprenorphine have been associated with reduced opioid IDU; however, the effect of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) on this behavior is incompletely studied.

Methods: This study examined injection opioid use and shared injection equipment behavior from a completed double-blind placebo-controlled trial of XR-NTX among 88 justice-involved participants with HIV and OUD.

Four Human Cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Connecticut, USA, during a Larger Regional Outbreak, 2019.

During 3 weeks in 2019, 4 human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) were diagnosed at a single hospital in Connecticut, USA. The cases coincided with notable shifts in vector–host infection patterns in the northeastern United States and signified a striking change in EEE incidence. All 4 cases were geographically clustered, rapidly progressive, and neurologically devastating.

Bordetella bronchiseptica: a rare cause of meningitis.

Background: Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram-negative, obligate aerobic coccobacillus known to cause disease in domesticated animals and pets. In humans, B. bronchiseptica commonly leads to respiratory infections like pneumonia or bronchitis, and animal contact usually precedes the onset of symptoms.

Unilateral leg pain caused by cryptococcal myositis: An unusual presentation of disseminated cryptococcosis in a kidney transplant recipient.

Cryptococcal disease is a rare but often serious infection in solid organ transplant recipients, commonly presenting as meningitis and pneumonia but can rarely cause myositis. We report the case of a 43-year-old female kidney transplant recipient with two previous graft failures requiring re-transplantations who presented with a 1-month duration of worsening unilateral leg pain, swelling, and shortness of breath. Blood cultures isolated Cryptococcus neoformans.

Case Report: Disseminated Strongyloidiasis in a Patient with COVID-19.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has emerged and rapidly evolved into a current global pandemic. Although bacterial and fungal coinfections have been associated with COVID-19, little is known about parasitic infection. We report a case of a COVID-19 patient who developed disseminated strongyloidiasis following treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and tocilizumab.

Risk Factors Associated with Linkage to Care among Suburban Hepatitis C-Positive Baby Boomers and Injection Drug Users.

Introduction: Suffolk County, located in Eastern Long Island, has been an epicenter for the opioid epidemic in New York State, yet no studies have examined hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in this population. Additionally, few studies have assessed barriers for linkage to care (LTC) to HCV treatment in people who inject drugs (PWID), a high-risk HCV cohort. We aimed to determine prevalence of HCV infection in a suburban medical center and to assess risk factors associated with LTC in HCV-positive baby boomers and young PWID.

Association between high-risk disease loci and response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate whether there is an association between known age-related macular degeneration genetic risk variants in the CFH, ARMS2, and HTRA1 genes and response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (ranibizumab or bevacizumab) treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration.

Methods: A retrospective review of 150 patients with documented wet age-related macular degeneration based on clinical examination and fluorescein angiogram was performed. Patients received anti-VEGF therapy with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab.

Human Myo19 is a novel myosin that associates with mitochondria.

Mitochondria are pleomorphic organelles that have central roles in cell physiology. Defects in their localization and dynamics lead to human disease. Myosins are actin-based motors that power processes such as muscle contraction, cytokinesis, and organelle transport.