Experts Warn of Antimicrobial Resistance, Additional Threats to National Biosecurity
“Antibiotic infections pose serious threats to our national security,” said Dr. Helen Boucher, director of the Tufts Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance at Tufts University. “Resistant pathogens complicate our soldiers’ combat wounds, increasing risk of limb loss and death, and compromise our military combat readiness and effectiveness.”
Antibiotic Resistance Plays a Role in Biodefense
The House Oversight subcommittee on national security convened experts last week to discuss biodefense — and the focus was on the threat of antimicrobial resistance. A bug doesn’t have to be a weapon to be deadly. We have the sad duty of sending people to hospice because we don’t know how to treat their infections, CIMAR’s Dr. Helen Boucher told the panel.
IDSA Describes AMR Challenges, Answers in Congressional Testimony
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) treasurer Dr. Helen Boucher, FIDSA, has urged lawmakers to support and expand federal efforts to stabilize the antibiotic market, spur the development of new infection-fighting drugs and protect existing ones in testimony before House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security.
Antibiotics Developers Seek a Cure for Industry Ills
Not long ago, Achaogen Inc. was flying high. In early 2017, the drugmaker’s market capitalization soared above $1 billion on high hopes for its new medicine, an antibiotic targeting complicated urinary-tract infections. But in April—less than a year after the drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration—Achaogen filed for bankruptcy.
Call the Bee Vet: Bee Keepers Can No Longer Get Antibiotics Over the Counter
Shortly after the FDA directive mandating that any antibiotics for honeybees be prescribed by veterinarians, Tufts Cummings School offered a sold-out continuing-education bee medicine workshop for practicing veterinarians. Tufts hopes to offer more training for veterinarians in the near future.
Overdue Outbreak Detection System Leaves Patchwork Defense
According to CIMAR Director Dr. Helen Boucher and others, the U.S. should have had a nationwide network to monitor for the next viral outbreak or biological threat a decade ago. Instead, public health leaders make do with a patchwork system while waiting for the Department of Health and Human Services races to get its integrated network in service.
Automatically Chlorinating Water Reduces Diarrheal Diseases in Children in Urban Bangladesh
“This novel, low-cost technology requires no behavior change or effort by users–safe water comes straight out of the tap,” says CIMAR’s Dr Amy Pickering, who led the research. “This point-of-collection approach to water treatment could be a transformative strategy for reducing gastrointestinal disease burden in low-income urban communities.”
Tufts Researchers Focus on Mice as Potential Solution to Lyme Disease
New England has some of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country. In 2017, there were more than 400 confirmed and probable cases in Massachusetts. In Maine, the number of confirmed and probable cases was more than 1,800. Now, a unique project aims to stop the disease in its tracks by going straight to the source.
New Antibiotic Approved for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for highly drug-resistant tuberculosis, the world’s leading infectious cause of death. The antibiotic, called pretomanid, was developed by a nonprofit group called TB Alliance at a time when few companies are investing in the expensive and unprofitable endeavor of creating next-generation antibiotics. CIMAR Director Dr. Helen Boucher shares her insights.
Tufts Cummings Vet School Hosts Symposium on “Engaging Veterinarians to Advance Human and Animal Health”
Nearly 600 veterinary students from the U.S., Canada, and beyond attended the 30th National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, hosted by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The meeting featured topics on critical care, antimicrobial resistance, regenerative medicine, cancer biology, infectious diseases, and pathways to research career development.
- Tufts Researchers Find Link Between Dog-Human Antibiotic Resistance
- IDSA announces Tufts Medical Center Among Recipients of Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence Designation
- CIMAR Featured in Spotlight on Research and Collaboration
- CIMAR Joins the Battle Against AMR with Collaborative and Brainstorming Workshop
- Tufts Summer Programs Provide Research Opportunities for Undergraduates