News

Many people are worried that the rise of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which is more contagious than the earlier variants and has become the dominant strain in the U.S., as well as in Massachusetts. Among the questions people have been wondering is whether they need to wear masks inside again indoors, even if they’ve been vaccinated. The World Health Organization recently said they should, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that’s unnecessary.Experts including the Levy CIMAR’s Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, weigh in.

News

Thanks to vaccines, the number of COVID-19 cases has plummeted in the U.S. and restrictions are being lifted across the country. But as we return to our normal activities, we face a more familiar summertime scourge. We’re in the thick of Lyme disease season, the two-month run from early June to the end of July when 85 percent of infections take place. Surprisingly, vaccines may have allowed us to avoid this epidemic, too. A vaccine called LYMErix has existed for decades, but it’s no longer available. In this article, you will learn why LYMErix is no longer available and discover where the research stands today.

News

Helen Boucher, MD, chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, and a director of the Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR), has been named to a new, joint position as interim dean for Tufts University School of Medicine and chief academic officer for Wellforce, beginning July 1. Dr. Boucher will be the first woman to lead the School of Medicine in its 128-year history. Cheleste Thorpe, MD, will step in as Interim Director to lead the Levy CIMAR alongside Director Ralph Isberg, PhD.

News

As people weary of being cooped up during a pandemic winter look forward to a summer outside, residents across the northeastern United States are once again confronted with a familiar virulent pathogen lurking in the woods and fields. Unlike coronavirus, however, this dangerous microorganism doesn’t float through the air—it enters the body through the bite of a tick. Lyme disease has been a constant scourge since it was identified five decades ago on the Connecticut coastline, before spreading across the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. Several Levy CIMAR are involved in the fight against Lyme including Senior Leadership Members Drs. David Snydman and John Leong.

News

Last week, the College of the Holy Cross presented seven alumni with Sanctae Crucis Awards for their extraordinary commitment and leadership in critical fields throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sanctae Crucis Award is the highest non-degree accolade that the College bestows on alumni. The awards have been presented annually since 1998 to alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally and in the service of their community. Among the awardees is Levy CIMAR Director Dr. Helen Boucher, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center. She graduated from Holy Cross in 1986 prior to attending the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

News

The pandemic isn’t over yet, but with more and more Americans getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel becoming a little brighter every day—at least in the United States—many clinicians, scientists, and public health advocates are calling for renewed attention to an infectious disease threat that was in the spotlight before the pandemic arrived. Prior to the pandemic, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was considered one of the major looming health threats facing the world, if not the looming threat. But over the past year, COVID-19, and its multifaceted impact on society, has pushed AMR further back on the agenda, both for the public and policy makers.

News

In this guest column, Levy CIMAR Director Dr. Helen Boucher says, \u0022The Biden administration’s plan to defeat the coronavirus is underway – and notably includes intentions to ‘build better preparedness for future threats.’ This detailed guidance could not have come at a better time. While we are making progress against the current pandemic, we remain in the midst of a worsening health crisis posed by antibiotic resistance. Deadly bacteria, commonly known as ‘superbugs,’ are evolving to resist even our strongest antibiotics, and we’re not even close to developing enough new treatments to keep pace.\u0022

News

Millions of Americans have at some point in their lives gotten a long course of antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection. But according to new recommendations from a major U.S. doctors’ group, some of the most common bacterial infections can now be treated with shorter courses of the drugs. The advice, from the American College of Physicians (ACP), says that for several types of infections, shorter courses of antibiotics do the job — and even do it more safely. \u0022Antibiotics can be lifesaving, but like any medication, they have side effects,\u0022 says Levy CIMAR Director Dr. Helen Boucher.

News

The NIH has awarded $2.5 million in grants to 12 institutes around the world to support research on bacteriophage therapy. Boston-based PhagePro, Inc. and Principal Investigators Minmin Yen and the Levy CIMAR’s Andrew Camilli were among the recipients named. These awards represent NIAID’s first series of grants focused exclusively on research on this therapy, an emerging field that could yield new ways to fight antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. A 2019 report from CDC found that antibiotic-resistant pathogens cause more than 2.8 million infections in the U.S. each year and more than 35,000 people die.

News

\u0022The pandemic has forced keen awareness of a topic that most people would rather not talk about,\u0022 says Beating Superbugs: How Can We Win? filmmaker Bill Mudge. \u0022Most importantly, we emphasize real solutions rather than feeding an all too pervasive crisis fatigue. Regardless, there’s nothing quick, cheap, or easy about containing superbugs but it definitely can be done.\u0022 You can now watch this timely film and panel event, featuring several experts including our own Dr. Helen Boucher, as well asa our affiliate member Dr. Muhammad Zaman, from your mobile devices, computers, or TVs on Vimeo.

News

Tufts Medical Center in Boston began administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, giving Massachusetts a third vaccination option in its push to get more shots in arms. The Levy CIMAR’s Helen Boucher, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center, urged vaccinated residents to continue to keep their guard up to protect themselves and others.\u0022I encourage people as good citizens and good Americans to continue to wear their masks,\u0022 she said. Watch the full story on WHDH online.