Individuals with hematologic malignancy have increased risk of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) reactivation and (SS) dissemination. However, screening prior to chemotherapy or corticosteroids is not routine. We conducted a LTBI and SS screening intervention amongst patients with hematologic malignancies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChagas disease is an underrecognized, chronic, and potentially life-threatening disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. We aimed to improve awareness and screening for Chagas disease among patients from endemic areas using a large safety-net academic hospital system in the United States. We developed an educational intervention consisting of a case-based didactic session presented to physicians, trainees, and other healthcare providers at conferences across different departments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Limited data exist regarding cardiac manifestations of Chagas disease in migrants living in non-endemic regions.
Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 109 patients with Chagas disease seen at Boston Medical Center (BMC) between January 2016 and January 2023 was performed. Patients were identified by screening and testing migrants from endemic regions at a community health center and BMC.
Detection of diverse respiratory viruses in Boston was approximately 80% lower after practices were instituted to limit coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread compared with the same time period during the previous 5 years. Continuing the strategies that lower COVID-19 dissemination may be useful in decreasing the incidence of other viral respiratory infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFour different endemic coronaviruses (eCoVs) are etiologic agents for the seasonal common cold, and these eCoVs share extensive sequence homology with human SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we show that individuals with, as compared with those without, a recent documented infection with eCoV were tested at greater frequency for respiratory infections but had a similar rate of SARS-CoV-2 acquisition. Importantly, the patients with a previously detected eCoV had less-severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) illness.
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