Month: November 2023

ByParmita Uniyal, New Delhi Nov 29, 2023 12:57 PM IST Share Via Copy Link People with AIDS are susceptible to various skin conditions due to their compromised immunity. Here’s how AIDS affects your skin. Know preventive measures. HIV/AIDS can make you susceptible to diseases and infections due to weakened immune system and this can include skin disorders. Skin infections in HIV/AIDS patients can be caused by bacteria, fungus, virus and other germ or the treatment they are getting to manage the condition. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and if not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). While HIV cannot be cured, it can be managed in order to live a long and healthy life. The only way to know if you have HIV is through testing. Antibody tests, antigen/antibody tests, and nucleic acid tests (NAT) are the three main HIV tests. According to John Hopkins Medicine, topical steroid treatment (lotions or creams put right on the skin) and managing it with antiretroviral drugs can help provide relief. Antiretroviral drugs can help prevent and manage some of these types of skin conditions. (Also read | World can end AIDS by 2030, says UN agency) Skin infections in HIV/AIDS patients can be caused by bacteria, fungus, virus and other germ or the treatment they are getting to manage the condition. (Freepik) “Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which attacks the immune system, leading to a weakened defense against infections. The skin, being the body’s largest organ, often reflects the overall health of the immune system. Individuals with AIDS are particularly susceptible to various skin conditions due to their compromised immunity,” says Dr Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics. We’re now on WhatsApp. Click to join. “Seborrhoeic dermatitis is one of the earliest and most common manifestation in which the patient presents with itching and widespread and excessive greasy flakes over scalp (dandruff), face and skin folds like underarms and groin. They can also be at risk of Herpes zoster (shingles), which presents with grouped painful blisters associated with pus, erosions and crusting localised on one side of the body. This is caused by reactivation of the chicken pox virus due to immunosuppression, which lies dormant in nerves of the skin after infection during childhood. In AIDS, shingles is more widespread, crossing over to the other side involving large areas and lasting longer than usual,” says Dr Aayush Gupta, Associate Professor and Consultant Dermatologist. Dr Rinky Kapoor shares common skin infections that can affect HIV/AIDS patients: 1. Candidiasis One common dermatological manifestation is fungal infections, such as candidiasis. Candida, a yeast-like fungus, can cause infections in moist areas like the mouth, throat, and genital region. In individuals with AIDS, these infections can be persistent and challenging to treat. 2. Herpes simplex virus Viral infections are also prevalent, with herpes simplex virus (HSV) causing oral and genital herpes. Lesions may be more severe and recurrent in individuals with AIDS, requiring antiviral medications for management. 3. Bacterial infections Bacterial infections, including staphylococcal and streptococcal infections, can lead to cellulitis or boils. These skin conditions may be more aggressive in individuals with compromised immune systems, necessitating prompt medical attention. “Due to reduced immunity, bacterial skin infections also become more common and recurrent leading to painful wounds with pus discharge, including tuberculosis of the skin which presents with non-healing deep wounds and ulcers,” says Dr Gupta. 4. Seborrheic dermatitis Furthermore, seborrheic dermatitis, characterized by red, itchy, and flaky skin, is common in AIDS patients. It often affects the scalp, face, and chest. 5. Kaposi’s sarcoma Kaposi’s sarcoma, a cancer linked to human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), presents as skin lesions that are typically purplish in colour. This condition is more prevalent in individuals with AIDS, emphasizing the intricate relationship between immunosuppression and certain malignancies. 6. Scabies Scabies is another common manifestation caused by infestation with a mite, presenting as small bumps and scratches over finger webs, underarms, abdomen, groin, thighs genitals and buttocks. Itching which is intense at night is typical. “Scabies is another common manifestation caused by infestation with a mite, presenting as small bumps and scratches over finger webs, underarms, abdomen, groin, thighs genitals and buttocks. Itching which is intense at night is typical,” says Dr Gupta. “Other viral infections that are common in AIDS include Molluscum contagiosum which presents as multiple painless skin coloured dome shaped bumps and viral warts which present as multiple painless, finger like rough projections over the body. HIV is also associated with inflammatory conditions causing itchy red bumps over the limb and trunk, the cause of which is poorly understood and thought to be due to some kind of hypersensitivity reaction. All these manifestations can serve as clues for early diagnosis facilitating early intervention and better disease outcome,” says Dr Gupta. Prevention tips “Regular skin checks are crucial for individuals with AIDS to detect any abnormalities early. Seeking medical advice promptly allows for timely intervention, preventing the progression of these conditions. Dermatological care, coupled with antiretroviral therapy to manage HIV, plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by AIDS,” concludes Dr Kapoor. Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs World Aids Day Hiv Virus

Introduction Bacterial resistance has emerged as a significant challenge in the field of global public health. Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is an opportunistic pathogen and one of the common causative agents of community-acquired and healthcare-associated infections. Carbapenem antibiotics are often the drug of last resort when controlling KP infections, but due to widespread use in recent years, CRKP have gradually emerged and become widely prevalent. Compared with carbapenem-sensitive Klebsiella pneumoniae (CSKP), CRKP has garnered more attention from the international community due to its rapid spread and limited treatment options. A multinational prospective cohort study conducted by Wang et al revealed that the 30-day all-cause mortality rate for healthcare-associated CRKP infections is estimated to be 34%, although the characteristics of CRKP infections epidemics vary across regions.1 Genome sequence analysis of 21,016 CRKP strains in 105 countries from 1980 to 2022 in the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank database by Yu-Ye Wu et al showed that worldwide, the prevalence of CRKP has progressed from 0.50% prior to 2010 to 31.43% in 2019, and that 51–68% of CRKP strains carry high virulence genes and urgently require increased clinical attention.2 Moreover, according to the 2023 data report from the China Bacterial Resistance Monitoring Network (CHINET), the resistance rates of KP to imipenem and meropenem have escalated rapidly from 3.0% and 2.9% in 2005 to 29% and 30% in 2023.3 The top five provinces in China with the highest CRKP prevalence rates are Henan Province (61.8%), Shanxi Province (58.3%), Beijing City (55.7%), Zhejiang Province (53.3%), and Hebei Province (38%). Our institution, located in the second place, faces a severe situation regarding bacterial resistance. Although CRKP is increasingly becoming an important problem, the independent contribution of carbapenem resistance and other risk factors to the prediction of CRKP infections is unclear. A number of previous studies have examined risk factors for CRKP infections, but the results were mostly variable and did not lead to consistent conclusions.4–6 Moreover, many of the investigated studies had limited sample sizes or focused on an important department or population, which may confuse the correct perception of CRKP infections among clinical healthcare professionals. In fact, CRKP infections can be widely distributed among various populations. Therefore, a large-scale case-control study to elucidate the predictors of CRKP infections and produce a prediction tool is necessary, which has an important role in early proactive screening for CRKP infections and preventive control by healthcare workers. Materials and Methods Study Design The study was conducted at the 2700-bed Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, a regional general medical institution in China. The hospital is located in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, an underdeveloped region in central China, and is a Class IIIA general hospital. Patients with KP infections in this institution over a five-year period from January 2018 to January 2023 were included in this study, and the inclusion criteria were: laboratory test specimens were positive for KP and met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for healthcare-associated infections. Exclusion criteria were: information with missing key data; patients with co-infections with other bacterial infections; and strains identified by the laboratory as non-pathogenic (colonising bacteria). Also, the records of patients with recurrent infections we recorded only once. The following clinical data were collected from our hospital infection management system “Blue Dragonfly”: (1) the source of the specimen and the department that sent the specimen for examination; (2) the general characteristics of the patient: gender, age, and the duration of the current hospitalisation. (3) Main disease diagnosis: tumour, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, respiratory failure, trauma. (4) Exposure of this hospitalisation: admission to ICU, surgery, central venous catheterisation time, mechanical ventilation time, catheter retention time, days of fever, drain use, blood purification, paracentesis, chemotherapy. (5) Drugs used in this hospitalisation: immunosuppressants, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, quinolones, tetracyclines, glycopeptides, and β-lactamase inhibitor combination preparations. Parameter Definition The following terms were defined prior to analysis: CRKP infections were defined as KP with a minimum inhibitory concentration of ≥2 mg/L for ertapenem, ≥4 mg/L for imipenem or meropenem, or containing the carbapenemase genes listed above, in accordance with the CLSI Guidelines (29th edition).7 Healthcare-associated infections: hospital-acquired infections in hospitalised patients, including infections acquired during hospitalisation and infections that occur after discharge from hospital acquired in hospital; but excluding infections that have started prior to admission or are in the incubation phase at the time of admission. Infections acquired by hospital staff within the hospital are also hospital-acquired infections.8 Bacterial colonization: a phenomenon in which microorganisms, such as bacteria, grow on a patient’s skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, oral cavity, and reproductive tract but have not yet caused clinical manifestations of the associated infection.9 Identification and Drug Sensitivity Analysis of Pathogens The strains were identified and tested for drug sensitivity based on the VITEK-2 Compact fully automated microbial identification analyser and drug sensitivity analyser (Bio Merieux, France), and the criteria for judging the drug sensitivity results of ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem were strictly in accordance with the criteria of the American Society for Clinical and Laboratory Standardization (CLSI), and any one of the following criteria was satisfied: minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥4 μg/mL for imipenem, MIC ≥4 μg/mL for meropenem, and MIC ≥2 μg/mL for ertapenem.7 (The results of drug sensitivity tests were provided by the Microbiology Laboratory of the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University). Statistical Analysis Preliminary statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 software. The Shapiro–Wilk normality test was used to determine the normality of the quantitative data. If the data followed a normal distribution, they were expressed as (x±s) and independent samples t-test were used for between-group comparisons. If the data were not normally distributed, they were expressed as M(P25, P75) and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used for between-group comparisons. Count data were described using frequency (%) and comparisons between groups were made using the Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact probability method. Statistical significance was considered at p<0.05. The analyses were visualized using R (4.3.1) software. The dataset was randomly selected 275 cases as the training set and

Children are mostly at high risk of contracting ear infections due to low immunity New Delhi: Bengaluru has seen a huge surge in viral fever over the last few months, and according to doctors It is causing a rise in ear infections too. Experts are now cautioning people to take care of their immunity levels, especially in the upcoming winter season. Even though usually the frequency of viral fever cases rises alarmingly during the weather-changing months, it is now seen affecting people throughout the year. Previously, ailments like respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, dengue, chikungunya, conjunctivitis, malaria, and stomach infections would see a rise only during monsoons, but now, they are all year round. According to doctors, children are mostly at high risk of contracting ear infections due to low immunity. Related News Previous Next ENT specialists in Bengaluru are now seeing at least 10-15 severe ear infection cases in OPDs daily. According to doctors, most children are suffering from adenoid hypertrophy and tonsillitis. What causes ear infections? According to studies, ear infection, which usually begins after a cold or any other upper respiratory infection, is caused by bacteria and viruses that travel into your middle ear through the eustachian tube. Once inside, the virus or bacteria can cause your eustachian tubes to swell. The swelling can cause the tube to become blocked, leading to poor eustachian tube function and infected fluid in your middle ear. Signs and symptoms of ear infection Also known as otitis media, ear infection causes signs and symptoms which include: Ear pain Loss of appetite Trouble in sleeping Fever Trouble in hearing A feeling of pressure in your ear. Yellow, brown, or white drainage from your ear Doctors advise not to place anything in your ear canal if you have drainage from your ear as it can cause damage to the eardrum. Doctors are also alerting parents to be watchful of early symptoms like cold cough or ear pain to avoid infection which may last for even a month. Complications caused by ear infections Even though most ear infections do not cause long-term issues, complications may happen if they become chronic or are not treated well. A few complications include: Hearing loss You may suffer temporary hearing loss or changes in your hearing with muffled or distorted sounds during an ear infection. Repeated or ongoing infections or damage to internal structures in your ear can cause more significant hearing loss. Delayed speech Children need to hear to learn language and develop speech, and with muffled hearing, it can significantly delay development. Torn eardrum According to experts, nearly 5-10 per cent of children with an ear infection develop a small tear in their eardrum. Often, the tear heals on its own but if it doesn’t, your child may need surgery. Spread of the infection Untreated infections can spread to many other areas, including the bone behind your ear, or the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord, causing meningitis, which can be fatal. Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

The first human case of a new strain of swine flu has been detected in the UK, and health officials are trying to determine the virus’s origin. On Monday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) verified that a person tested positive for Influenza A H1N2v, a distinct but similar virus to the flu viruses spreading in pigs across the country. According to preliminary data, the H1N2 infection in the UK is genetically unique from other recent human cases globally, specified by its clade or form, 1b.1.1. “We are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce any potential spread,” says UKHSA’s incident director, Meera Chand. “In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.” Following the onset of respiratory symptoms, the patient’s doctor in North Yorkshire tested the patient for the flu on November 9 as part of standard nationwide flu surveillance. Genome sequencing and PCR testing later identified H1N2. Details about the patient’s age or general health haven’t been publicly released, but it is known that the patient had a mild illness and has fully recovered. Outbreaks of swine flu, a respiratory illness of pigs caused by type A flu viruses, occur frequently in pigs, and people occasionally get infected. Influenza viruses that typically circulate through populations of animals – such as birds, horses, or pigs – and which only sporadically infect humans are known as variant flu viruses. This is represented by a lower-case v at the end of the subtype’s hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) protein descriptor. Human infections with Influenza A subtypes, H1N1v, H3N2v, and H1N2v, have been identified previously, with the CDC reporting this year’s first US human cases in August. Though H1N2v has never been found in humans in the UK before, the UKHSA says that since 2005, 50 human cases have been reported elsewhere around the world. Virologist Ian Brown from the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency explains in an expert reaction to the UKHSA report: “These viruses generally lack the ability to spread human to human and such events are usually explained by direct or indirect contact with pigs.” While swine flu viruses have the potential to inflict widespread illness in pig populations, they typically only result in a small number of their deaths. Infected pigs may show symptoms of respiratory illness, though these are often mild or not present at all. According to experts, this case does not warrant alarm, though further information regarding the strain is necessary to assess the risk. University of Glasgow molecular virologist Ed Hutchinson warns that influenza A viruses can occasionally establish themselves in new host species. “Human and animal influenza A viruses can ‘breed’ if they get into the same host, producing hybrid offspring that are well-adapted to growing in humans but which aren’t recognised by our immune responses to previous human influenza infections or vaccinations (a process called genetic shift),” he explains. “Because of this, it’s particularly important to monitor spillovers of influenza A viruses.” Strains of influenza A subtype H1N1 have been responsible for a number of outbreaks in recent history, including the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Human infections with the virus swiftly spread across the world within weeks. That particular strain – A(H1N1)pdm09 – is now making seasonal rounds in humans and is no longer called swine flu. It’s different from the viruses presently circulating in pigs. To limit the spread of flu viruses between pigs and humans, the CDC recommends hand-washing before and after contact with pigs, not eating or drinking around them, and avoiding contact with pigs showing signs of illness. Health authorities in the UK are following up close contacts of the confirmed case and advising what actions they should take. For anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms themselves, the UKHSA reiterates that anybody with such symptoms should avoid contact with others, especially those who are elderly or vulnerable due to existing medical conditions.