Publications by authors named "Cheryl Kearns"
Article Synopsis
- * A two-year study showed that WGS consistently had high negative predictive values for key first-line TB drugs and provided results about 8 days faster than conventional testing.
- * As a result of the findings, a new testing algorithm was adopted that eliminated unnecessary culture tests for 66.6% of strains, leading to quicker results and lower costs, while still ensuring accurate susceptibility profiles for TB cases in New York.
Rapid and reliable detection of rifampin (RIF) resistance is critical for the diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. Discordant RIF phenotype/genotype susceptibility results remain a challenge due to the presence of mutations that do not confer high levels of RIF resistance, as have been exhibited in strains with mutations such as Ser450Leu. These strains, termed low-level RIF resistant, exhibit elevated RIF MICs compared to fully susceptible strains but remain phenotypically susceptible by mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) testing and have been associated with poor patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Nosocomial tuberculosis (TB) transmission has decreased dramatically in New York State since 1992; however, health care workers (HCWs) still compose >3% of TB cases.
Methods: Aggregate surveillance data on incident TB cases from 1994 to 2002 were examined for trends among HCWs. Additional information was available for HCW cases from 1998 to 2002, including facility type, tuberculin skin test (TST) result at hire, and treatment of latent TB infection (TLTBI).