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Background. Invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infections cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We analyzed whether obesity and diabetes were associated with iGAS infections and worse outcomes among an adult US population. Methods. We determined the incidence of iGAS infections using 2010-2012 cases in adults aged ≥18 years from Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs), a population-based surveillance system, as the numerator. For the denominator, we used ABCs catchment area population estimates from the 2011 to 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The relative risk (RR) of iGAS was determined by obesity and diabetes status after adjusting for age group, gender, race, and other underlying conditions through binomial logistic regression. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine whether obesity or diabetes was associated with increased odds of death due to iGAS compared to normal weight and nondiabetic patients, respectively. Results. Between 2010 and 2012, 2927 iGAS cases were identified. Diabetes was associated with an increased risk of iGAS in all racial groups (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] ranged from 2.71 to 5.08). Grade 3 obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥40) was associated with an increased risk of iGAS for whites (aRR = 3.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.00-4.01). Grades 1-2 (BMI = 30.0-<40.0) and grade 3 obesity were associated with an increased odds of death (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55, [95% CI, 1.05, 2.29] and OR = 1.62 [95% CI, 1.01, 2.61], respectively) when compared to normal weight patients. Conclusions. These results may help target vaccines against GAS that are currently under development. Efforts to develop enhanced treatment regimens for iGAS may improve prognoses for obese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the seroprevalence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi among pregnant Hispanic women in Houston, Texas using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Evidence of confirmed seroreactivity from hemagglutination assay; Characteristics of pregnant women with antibodies to trypanosoma cruzi.

The article presents the summary of a study that investigated the significance of timing of phlebotomy for blood cultures on temperature elevation of febrile patients with bacteremia. The researchers examined medical charts of 1436 patients that exhibited positive blood culture results from seven U.S. medical centers through a restrospective analysis. The result revealed that there was no relationship between temperature elevation and index positive blood culture. Moreover, the possibility of detecting blood-stream infections was not considerably enhanced through collection of blood specimens for blood culture during temperature spikes of patients.