Publications by authors named "Ben Galvin"

Post-pandemic, it is essential to understand the epidemiology of pediatric acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). Our multi-facility study elucidates the outpatient epidemiology of pediatric ARTI using highly multiplexed PCR testing, providing critical insights into the evolving landscape of the etiological agents with a particular focus on the years following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Utilizing data from two different multiplex PCR panels, our research provides a comprehensive analysis of respiratory pathogen positivity from 2018 to 2023.

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is an emerging pathogen that poses a significant public health risk. Its multidrug resistance has led to high mortality, making rapid detection crucial for effective treatment and prevention of transmission. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate a substantial increase in cases in the United States, with a 95% rise in 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance is crucial for infection control and antimicrobial stewardship, but challenges remain in timely and thorough monitoring.
  • Using BioFire data from a cloud-based surveillance network, researchers analyzed AMR detection rates among a US cohort from 2019 to 2021, focusing on differences by region, specimen type, and organism.
  • Results showed a higher AMR detection rate in the South, with respiratory specimens showing more resistance than blood; notable resistance rates included 34.9% for methicillin-resistant strains and 15.9% for vancomycin-resistant strains among Gram-positive organisms.
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Known genetic variation, in conjunction with post-PCR melting curve analysis, can be leveraged to provide increased taxonomic detail for pathogen identification in commercial molecular diagnostic tests. Increased taxonomic detail may be used by clinicians and public health decision-makers to observe circulation patterns, monitor for outbreaks, and inform testing practices. We propose a method for expanding the taxonomic resolution of PCR diagnostic systems by incorporating a priori knowledge of assay design and sequence information into a genotyping classification model.

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Background: In 2014, enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was responsible for an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in children, with 1,153 EV-D68 cases reported across 49 states. Despite this, there is no commercial assay for its detection in routine clinical care. BioFire® Syndromic Trends (Trend) is an epidemiological network that collects, in near real-time, deidentified.

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