Superbugs & You

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Latest Episodes:

From Farm to Label: Antimicrobials and One Health Apr 16, 2024

One Health is a concept that recognizes this interconnection and emphasizes the need for collaborative approaches to solving the issue of antimicrobial resistance at all levels -  humans, animals, and the environment is undeniable. Guests on this episode include Lance Price, (George Washington University), Francisco Diez-Gonzales (University of Georgia), and Paul Plummer (Iowa State University, NIAMRRE).

Finding a Second Wind: Cystic Fibrosis Apr 09, 2024

Antimicrobials are the cornerstone of modern medicine, and this is especially true for patients with cystic fibrosis. People with CF rely on antibiotics for recurring and persistent infections, and with regular use, antibiotics become less and less effective in fighting these infections. Guests include Ella Balasa, (Patient Advocate), Helen Boucher, MD (Tufts Medicine), and Mary Booth Dwight (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation).

Arrivederci AMR: Italy and the G7 Presidency Apr 02, 2024

Season 4 of Superbugs and You is here! Episode 14: This year, Italy leads the Presidency of the G7. The group is united by common values in addressing global challenges, including antimicrobial resistance. This episode features Italian leaders driving transformational policy to battle AMR. Guests include Francesca Chiara, (CIDRAP ASP), Mariano Votta (Active Citizenship Network-Cittadinanzattiva), Damiano De Felice (CARB-X), and Massimo Sartelli (Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery).

Oh, $@%!: Drug-resistant Shigella Mar 26, 2024

Health officials around the world are sounding the alarm on a highly infectious bacteria causing extensively drug-resistant infections. Shigella, which causes the infection known as shigellosis, is a genus of bacteria that results in gastrointestinal distress that ranges from uncomfortable to deadly, in adults and children. Global surveillance efforts on Shigella have identified outbreaks of strains that are extensively drug-resistant across the UK, US, and parts of Europe. How is the world dealing with this new superbug?   Guests Lou Bourgeois, PhD: Johns Hopkins, Science Officer for Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases, PATH Gauri Godbole, MBBS, MD: UKHSA, Consultant Microbiologist and Parasitologist, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College London Hospitals, NHS Naemah Logan, MD: Medical Officer, Surveillance Epidemiologist, National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Louise Francois Watkins, MD: Medical Officer, NARMS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC

Vaccines and the Vulnerable: The Race to End Typhoid Mar 21, 2023

Over the past decade, several strains (types) of Salmonella typhi have become resistant to multiple antibiotics. Resistant strains have been identified across the globe. However, the 2018 launch of a vaccine has slowed infections. It is estimated that TCV introduction with a catch-up campaign will avert 42.5 million cases and 506,000 deaths caused by fluoroquinolone-resistant typhoid fever, and 21.2 million cases and 342,000 deaths from multidrug-resistant typhoid fever over 10 years following introduction. This episode will cover the impact of vaccinations and the challenges to deploy effective programs.    Guests: Farah Naz Qamar - Pediatric Infectious Disease Associate Professor, The Aga Khan University, Pakistan Kathy Neuzil - Director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine Denise Garrett - Vice President, Applied Epidemiology, Sabin Vaccine Institute Calman MacLennan - Senior Program Officer, Bacterial Vaccines, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation   For more information on the impact of typhoid conjugate vaccines and AMR, check out CIDRAP-ASP's report, <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/cidrap-asp-report-vaccine-bridge">A Vaccine Is a Bridge: The New Era of Typhoid Prevention</a>.

Fighting for the Future: Neonatal Sepsis Mar 14, 2023

Despite great improvements in mortality for children under 5, sepsis remains a leading cause of death in young children. The highest incidence and mortality were seen in newborns, with the biggest impact seen in low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. This episode will highlight how the availability of guidelines, diagnostics, and therapeutics can make a difference in the smallest of patients. Content warning: this episode contains discussions of infant loss. Guests: Kamala Thiagarajan - Freelance journalist, Global health and environmental sciences Seamus O’Brien - Director of Research and Development, Global Antibiotic Research and Development Program Phoebe Williams - Pediatrician, Infectious Disease Physician, Faculty of Medicine,  University of Sydney Materials Mentioned in this Episode <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220927-neonatal-sepsis-the-new-threat-posed-by-superbugs#:~:text=Now%20a%20new%20enemy%20is,the%20face%20of%20raging%20infections.">Neonatal sepsis: the new threat posed by superbugs</a>, Kamala Thiagarajan, BBC <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36466207/">Antibiotics needed to treat multidrug-resistant infections in neonates</a>, Phoebe Williams, …, Seamus O’Brien et al., Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Fungus Among Us: Resistant Candida auris Mar 07, 2023

Around the world, the multidrug resistant and pan-resistantfungus Candida auris has caused outbreaks in healthcare systems. While it is now highlighted by CDC as an urgent threat, only six years ago there were no reports of resistant C. auris strains that were able to spread easily between patients. These infections are challenging to treat a with 5% — 10% of colonized patients going on to develop invasive infections. This episode will cover how these outbreaks have impacted patients, healthcare systems, and continued efforts to better understand and slow the impact of these infections. Guests: Tom M Chiller - Chief, Mycotic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Andrew Jacobs - Reporter, Health and Science desk, The New York Times Bhavarth Shukla - Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Miami Materials Mentioned in this Episode <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/06/health/drug-resistant-candida-auris.html">A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy</a>, Matt Richtel and Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/antimicrobial-resistance/data-research/threats/covid-19.html">2022 Special Report: COVID-19 U.S. Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance</a>, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Phage Against the Routine: Resistant Acinetobacter Feb 28, 2023

Defined as an “urgent” AMR threat by the US CDC, resistant Acinetobacter baumanii cause deadly infections and are difficult to remove from the environment. Acinetobacter is resistant to many antibiotics and is a frequent cause of hospital acquired infections. In the 2022 Lancet publication on drug-resistant infections (GRAM report), it was identified as the leading pathogen causing mortality in Southeast Asia. This episode will cover how infections caused by resistant Acinetobacter impact patients and on how new treatments are making an impact. <h4>Guests:</h4> Steffanie Strathdee - Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine; Author, <a href="https://theperfectpredator.com/">The Perfect Predator</a> Greg Merril - CEO, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics Patrick McGann - Deputy Director, Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN) Jason Bennett - Director, MRSN; Associate Professor of Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Bonus Episode: Fungal Disease Awareness Week Feb 17, 2023

Join us for a sneak peak of Season 3 of Superbugs and You by listening to a portion of our interview with Dr. Tom Chiller, Chief of the Mycotic Diseases Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussing Candida auris.

The Clap Claps Back: Resistant Gonorrhea Nov 10, 2021

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the world, and it has become a superbug. It has developed resistance to every antibiotic currently approved for treatment, and multidrug-resistant strains have been identified globally. Hear from clinicians advocating for their patients, a global leader, and a leading expert in drug development on actions needed to combat resistant gonorrhea.

Silent Superheroes: Antibiotics in the Fight Against Cancer Nov 03, 2021

In this episode, we will explore the ways that antimicrobial resistance impacts treatment for some of the most vulnerable patients, such as those undergoing cancer treatment or receiving bone marrow transplants. A recent survey of oncologists showed that 95% of them worry about the impact of superbugs on the future of cancer treatments, and one in five patients receiving chemotherapy will have a bacterial infection. In this episode, you will hear directly from a patient who had a bacterial infection while fighting cancer, from front-line clinicians, and from a researcher driving policy at a national level.

When Antibiotics Cause Harm: C. difficile Oct 27, 2021

Clostridioides difficile (also known as C. diff or CDI) can cause deadly diarrhea. It is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States and rates of infections are rising globally. In this episode, we hear how a young Mom was impacted by the disease, how leading healthcare organizations are driving best practice guidelines, and how the US CDC is tracking this superbug.

In the Locker Room and the Hospital: MRSA Oct 21, 2021

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is found in the community and in healthcare systems. According to the WHO, hospitalized patients with MRSA infections are 64% more likely to die than people with drug-sensitive infections. It can be difficult to treat. In this episode, hear from a patient who battled an infection for years, a infectious disease clinician who shares his daily challenges, and a researcher who using an unique approach to find the next antibiotic.

A Future Foretold: Antimicrobial Resistance and COVID-19 Dec 15, 2020

In this final episode of Season 1, we discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted strategies to address antimicrobial resistance. Our guests will describe the patient experience of surviving COVID, the role of antimicrobial stewardship in managing COVID patients, and how the COVID-19 pandemic potentiates AMR and emerging approaches to the surveillance, treatment and prevention of AMR.

Resistance That Spreads Through the Air: Tuberculosis Dec 08, 2020

In this episode, we discuss the global issue of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis or TB. Our guests in this episode will describe living with TB, and the experience of managing these difficult-to-treat infections. They will also examine the role that social structures, local governance, accessible and affordable treatments, and patient advocacy play in tuberculosis transmission and management.

Stalking the Silent Killer: Sepsis Dec 01, 2020

In this episode, we discuss sepsis and the challenge of an infection caused by a drug-resistant microorganism. Our guests describe the long-term patient experience of surviving and living with a sepsis diagnosis, as well as the current diagnosis and treatment options for sepsis. Finally, we discuss global approaches for new treatments, and the need for advocacy and awareness.

A Global Problem Close to Home: Gram-negative Infections Nov 24, 2020

In this episode we discuss the global impact of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections. Our guests in this episode will describe the experience of living through, diagnosing, and managing these difficult-to-treat infections.

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