Tuberculosis infection prevalence and treatment completion among refugees in the United States.

Background: Identifying and treating tuberculosis infection (TBI) among refugees at elevated risk for developing TB disease is crucial for TB prevention and elimination in the United States (U.S.).

Comparison of Tuberculin Skin Testing and Interferon-γ Release Assays in Predicting Tuberculosis Disease.

Importance: Elimination of tuberculosis (TB) disease in the US hinges on the ability of tests to detect individual risk of developing disease to inform prevention. The relative performance of 3 available TB tests-the tuberculin skin test (TST) and 2 interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs; QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube [QFT-GIT] and SPOT.TB [TSPOT])-in predicting TB disease development in the US remains unknown.

Access to Benzathine Penicillin G Treatment for Persons With Syphilis, Maricopa County, Arizona, 2021.

Background: As the incidence of syphilis continues to increase, examining benzathine penicillin G (BPG) treatment data provides valuable insight for public health strategies. This study analyzed the trends of where BPG is administered relative to the initial clinical site of syphilis diagnosis. Our findings are timely in the context of recent national BPG shortages.

Treatment Completion With Three-Dose Series of Benzathine Penicillin Among People Diagnosed With Late Latent and Unknown Duration Syphilis, Maricopa County, Arizona.

Background: Syphilis is a public health concern as cases are rising each year. If untreated, syphilis is associated with significant morbidity and risk of vertical transmission during pregnancy. For people with late latent and unknown duration stages, 3 injections of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) at 1-week intervals are recommended.

Evaluation of the Latent Tuberculosis Care Cascade Among Public Health Clinics in the United States.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) elimination within the United States will require scaling up TB preventive services. Many public health departments offer care for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), although gaps in the LTBI care cascade are not well quantified. An understanding of these gaps will be required to design targeted public health interventions.

Interferon-γ Release Assays in Children <15 Years of Age.

Objectives: The tuberculin skin test (TST) has been preferred for screening young children for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) because of concerns that interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) may be less sensitive in this high-risk population. In this study, we compared the predictive value of IGRAs to the TST for progression to tuberculosis disease in children, including those <5 years old.

Methods: Children <15 years old at risk for LTBI or progression to disease were tested with TST, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT), and T-SPOT.

Bridging the gap between evidence and policy for infectious diseases: How models can aid public health decision-making.

The dominant approach to decision-making in public health policy for infectious diseases relies heavily on expert opinion, which often applies empirical evidence to policy questions in a manner that is neither systematic nor transparent. Although systematic reviews are frequently commissioned to inform specific components of policy (such as efficacy), the same process is rarely applied to the full decision-making process. Mathematical models provide a mechanism through which empirical evidence can be methodically and transparently integrated to address such questions.

An update on anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment in children.

Previous consensus statements have recommended one- to two-week proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapies with clarithromycin and either amoxicillin or metronidazole as first-line treatments for children with Helicobacter pylori infection. The objective of the present review was to summarize data from pediatric studies that have examined treatment efficacy, safety, drug resistance and reinfection rates related to anti-H. pylori therapies.